SHAME ACADEMY ALBUM LAUNCH

[MULLY]

BACKGROUND:

The book IT MAKES YOU WANT TO SPIT is about the Northern Ireland punk scene - featuring all the bands formed during that period - The Undertones, SLF, Rudi, Outcasts, et al - but also features interviews with some of the punk bands who were brave enough to come over and play NI during 'The Troubles'.

It features an excellent interview with JJ plus great photo of the stage invasion at the end of their '78 gig in Ulster Hall, Belfast (same gig as featured in BUT 1)

Anyway - to promote the book launch, three ex-members from three of Ulster's 'premier' punk bands got together to form Shame Academy - Brian Young (Rudi) on guitar & vocals, Greg Cowan (Outcasts) on bass & vocals and Petesy Burns (Stalag 17) on drums & vocals - and performed classic punk tracks by Rudi, Outcasts and some covers (Sheena..,Born To Lose, First Time, etc).

The gig also featured two reformed bands of that time - Ruefrex and The Defects - supporting.

The book was on sale that night and was purchased by nearly (if not) everyone in attendance - me included!!

Check it out at

http://reekus.com/

THE ALBUM LAUNCH:

Last night 02/03/06 - Shame Academy once more took to the stage to delight us with another set. This time to promote their new CD - 'Punk Rock For Dummies - An Introduction to Northern Ireland Punk Rock'.

This time the band were supported by two other acts. First up was Dynasty - this was in fact Greg Cowan's niece and daughter of Martin Cowan (the guitarist with the Outcasts and writer of most of their songs) who backed her on acoustic, with the members of Shame Academy playing along also.
[Incidentally, the drummer with The Outcasts was the third brother Colin (R.I.P.) and Getty (lead guitar) made up the original line-up.]
She only sang four songs - but you couldn't call her a punk act - although she did get a positive response. Not surprisingly, as you wouldn't want to 'mess' with Martin!! Also. her grandparents (the oldest punks in Belfast!!) were there to support her (and no doubt their sons) - so most people were quite respectful.

Next up - Runnin' Riot. A five-piece punk/skin/Oi/ska fusion - rather like Rancid (only better!!). They ran through their set - and although I'm not really a fan of this type of thing and this was the first time I'd seen them - they were pretty hot. The humour, the tunes and the sing(shout)-a-long quality of their songs really got the crowd going.
Tunes like 'Alcoholic Heroes' dedicated to a mate and to George Best, 'Paramilitary Scum', 'Buckfast Tonic Wine' dedicated to the punks,skins and speedsters who hang out on Saturday afternoons getting pissed and their theme tune 'Runnin' Riot' with the best lyric of the night - I can't stand this place so quiet, All I want is a runnin' riot!!! However, my favorite song off their's was announced as being based on a real story - and something anyone from Northern Ireland travelling to mainland GB would experience. It was dedicated to 'The Met' accompanied with a two-fingered salute!! Entitled 'Fuck the P.T.A' - its basically about having to complete an ID check under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and being pulled aside by the Metropolitan Police when getting off the plane/boat/ferry. This has happened to me numerous times when heading over to Strangler gigs!!

Last, but not least, Shame Academy took to the stage - and all the old punks were soon gasping for breath as they pogo-ed and slam-danced like they were teenagers again!!! Classic NI punk songs, which we all thought we would never hear live again (You're A Disease, Big Time) were blasted out accompanied with the obligatory 'shout-outs' to friends and families - general put downs like - 'This is what Sean says to his missus every night' and straight into I Wanna Be Your Dog by Iggy!! The night went in all too quickly and soon they were out for the encores and to my surprise we got a rendition of 'Brand New Cadillac' (although namechecking Vince Taylor rather than The Helmets - but at least it wasn't The Clash!!) along with Born To Lose and Sheena Was A Punk Rocker.

After they exitted stage left and we all filed out of the Hall, the CD was available for sale - once again, nearly everyone there was buying a copy.
It is a good companion soundtrack to the book.

Check it out at

http://www.cadizmusic.com/cadiz.php/Cat ... %20Academy

Thanks for listening to an old punk reliving his youth.

Cheers

Mully

[doninblack]

Sounds like a good night Mully. Would you say the sound is up to scratch on this CD? Might just get one.

Cheers,
Donald

[MULLY]

Sounds like a good night Mully. Would you say the sound is up to scratch on this CD? Might just get one.

Cheers,
Donald

Hi Don

First set of songs are re-recordings in the studio by the band (but sound as if recorded 'as live' (not sure tho!!) The writers of '..Spit' provide backing vocals!!

The rest is a live recording of the book launch gig - and the quality is at a lesser degree. Having said that, having been there, it brought back a load of emotion!!

At last I can decipher the lyrics to 'Cops'.

[MULLY]

A copy of Rudi's second single 'I-SPY' in poster sleeve (Good Vibrations label) released 1979 recently sold on E-bay for $1009.

Ulster punk is looking like a good investment!!!

[MULLY]

BOUNCE:

A couple of famous, not-so-famous (and a few infamous) 'SPIT..' readers...

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... Id=1028828

and a few reviews...

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... Id=1028877

A couple of those pictured helped out with the last Strangled PDF

[jamesgreenfield]

Davey McClaren ex- Shock Treatment............now there was a band!