The Undertones emerged from Derry in 1976, the result of five friends learning how to play basic rock and roll. Even by the standards of that decade Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere. With no live bands worth watching, they learned by listening to mail-order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry but most of all from listening to John Peel’s radio show on BBC Radio One. Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording ‘Teenage Kicks’ in 1978 on Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations label in Belfast. The legendary DJ John Peel received a copy and liked it so much he played it twice in a row on his radio show.
From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley (bass, vocals) and Billy Doherty (drums). Much of the earlier Undertones material drew on influences from punk rock and new wave; the Undertones also incorporated elements of rock, glam rock and post-punk into material released after 1979, before citing soul and Motown as the influence for the material released upon their final album.
In 1983 Feargal Sharkey left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day. The Undertones were to remain silent for the next sixteen years.
Shot during a tour of Ireland, "I loved their 'Derry' style which was short jeans and Doc Martin boots - a throw back to the skinhead era"
This was a pub gig in Chester for 'Sounds'. I remember it was complete mayhem and I had to physically fight to get any shots at all.
Taken during the Oasis 'Definitely Maybe' Tour in Detroit, USA in 1995
Rod Stewart standing next to his concert tour plane in Los Angeles, December 1977. Rod recalls, "The tour got off to a terrible start."
Angus Young, from AC/DC, captured in a small street outside a press meeting in Copenhagen in 1977
This shoot of Madness in New York City in February 1980 was for Issue No.1 of a new magazine that developed cult status, The Face.
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist & writer. He has been influential in popular music & culture for more than five decades.
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in 1975. Without them popular culture in the last 30+ years would be very different.
Critics have called The Smiths the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir, (born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk is an Icelandic singer-songwriter.
Welcome to our Folk & Country Print Collection - iconic images of the world's greatest artists from the past 50 years
Welcome to our Jazz & Blues Print Collection - over 50 years of iconic images of the world's greatest Jazz & Blues musicians
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Edition 100 was created to give fans & collectors a chance to own classic, historical pictures of their favorite bands.
