Origins Of Dublin "Punk" 1970 - 1976
Bent Fairy & The Punks featuring The Punkettes
Line up
Steve Averill Vocals, Pete Hamilton Vocals, Billy Morley Guitar, Noel Storey Guitar, Dave McAdam Bass, Johnny McAdam Drums.
The band did play live in Mountjoy school (later to become Mountemple) as the support band. That was our only live gig. Otherwise we played for our own pleasure in a small shed we used to rehearse in. No demos were recorded. The tape was recorded on the night but was so muffled as it was just an audience tape with little clarity and so making out the songs was very hard to do. The ones I remember we did were the MC5’s High School and The Velvet Underground’s Waiting For The Man.
Information supplied by Steve Averill.
Steve Averill The Punkettes featured my then girlfriend (future wife) Maria and a girl called Ger (a girlfriend of one of the McAdams) on backing vocals.
Pete Hamilton would later feature in another of Steve's bands the Modern Heirs, formed after he left the Radiators From Space, and after that The Peridots.
Dave McAdam was later in the pre Radiators for a short time and was replaced by Mark Megaray on bass.
Greta Garbage & The Trash Cans
Right, flyer supplied by Pete Holdai, Steve Averill also did the artwork. Possibly first and only "Glam Rock" band in Ireland. R.I.P. Billy.
Pete Holidai I first met Steve in a record store were he worked, he was playing a track from Roxy Music's second album. I thought he's cool.
Pete Holidai, Me, and the late Billy Morley. We were ‘Greta Garbage and The Trash Cans’ - This photograph was taken by @conorhorgan in the bowels of the RTE building in Donnybrook. In the boiler room to be exact. It was one of two locations used on the day. The director was Declan Lowney. Greta Garbage was our take on glam and the likes of the New York Dolls. The song we were miming to was ‘The Girl With The Luminous Brain’. An original song written and recorded by the three of us one afternoon with Paul Wynne and a bass playing friend of Billy’s. It came about as we were asked if we had any material from that 1974/75 pre-Radiators time which we didn’t so that was the reason why we recorded the song(which is available on Soundcloud!). Can’t quite remember why we did the video .. but we are trying to recover the VHS tape to share it. It was, unfortunately, the only track we recorded together under the name. Still very proud of that name! The second image is a mock vanity/press photo for the band and logo, featuring a glam guitar that I cut out of another, much less glam guitar, which I still have(and the belt!).. Trying to enforce my theory that the look is as important as the music! .
The Phil Chevron Band
Rehearsals leading to the formation of the Radiators
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Billy Morley Guitar Joey Clarke Drums
Rockette version 2
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Dave McAdam Bass Joey Clarke Drums
Hell Razors version 1
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Dave McAdam Bass Joey Clarke Drums
Hell Razors version 2
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Phil Chevron Guitar Dave McAdam Bass Jimmy Crashe Drums
Hell Razors version 3
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Phil Chevron Guitar Mark Megaray Bass Jimmy Crashe Drums
Rough Trade
Stephen Rapid Vocals Pete Holidai Guitar Phil Chevron Guitar Mark Megaray Bass Jimmy Crashe Drums
Green Vinyl 7"
Phil Chevron joined Pete & Steve in 1975, at the time the band were trying out different names, their current name was the Hell Razors. Phil knew Jimmy Crashe and asked him to join the band. When Phil left school he worked as a messenger for a Dublin firm of architects, Mark was the boss's son and a bass player looking for a band.
Blue vinyl 7"
In October '76 the band had settled on the name Radiators From Space, and were recording a 4 track demo called The Midnight Demo's with Eamon Carr (of Horslips fame) & Jackie Hayden of CBS Records at Trend Studio in Dublin. These tracks would be released much later in a limited edition 7" format in 5 different coloured vinyl's, the recordings were made from the original 1976 recordings.
Orange vinyl 7"
The 4 tracks recorded were; 1) Psychotic Reaction, 2) Television Scene, 3) Mistreater, 4) The Hucklebuck. Eamon took the demo to London with him, the demo got an immediate reaction from Roger Armstrong & Ted Carroll of Chiswick Records. He phoned the band on the 13th November the day of their first gig supporting the English band Eddie & the Hot Rods, too tell them that Chiswick Records (London) were interested in the demo.
Steve & Phil are still playing live around Ireland with the SUPERB Trouble Pilgrims. Please check out their debut album Dark Shadows & Rust.
Your Help is needed!
If you can help with any information, demo tapes or memrobillia on this band please get in touch, using the above form.