Gigs that changed Dublin
Blitzkrieg @ The Baggot Inn
Stephen Averill “There was a myriad of influences that were the backbone of the sound & style of The Radiators From Space. There seemed to be nothing around us in Dublin that reflected what we wanted to hear. The high energy rock of the New York Dolls, MC5, Stooges, Velvet Underground, Flamin’ Groovies, Pink Fairies, Edgar Broughton Band mix with the art-rock of Roxy Music, Sparks & the glam of David Bowie, T. Rex were are touchstones in the early days.
“Punk” was not yet current
The word “punk” was not yet in current, common circulation, but these bands represented something vital, energetic & liberating. It was music from ‘somewhere else’. So, we looked for a name that somehow reflected those interests & adopted a B-movie trash aesthetic.
“The Radiators”
Images supplied by Stephen Averill.
The name, ‘The Radiators’ was inspired by a heating appliance catalogue I had to hand, but in order to give an additional addendum in the vein of ‘The Invaders from Mars’, the suffix ‘From Space’ was added (and later ‘Plan 9’ in 2005).
“a lightning bolt-music notation symbol”
With gigs forthcoming & in the wake of the media’s focus on ‘punk’ & the use, ironic or otherwise, of fascist imagery, I thought about creating an alternative symbol, which became a lightning bolt-music notation symbol in white circle on red background. Both reflected a certain blitzkrieg attitude & maybe a little bit of antagonism. These photos capture one of the only times we used this imagery at a show. In these pictures you can see my “art” shirt, which I had on set on fire before the show & stomped it out, hence the missing lower half. .
“Radiators Logo”
It was ultimately a naive thought & open to being misunderstood in its intention, which was an anti-fascist attack on typical fascistic imagery. We very quickly dropped this image, feeling that the Radiators logo was the perfect visual representation of the band’s music & direction. Really, the Radiators logo was intended to be used only for the first single, ‘Television Screen’. However, it took on a life of it’s own in punk aesthetics & became synonymous with the band, with the custom typeface also being used for the post-Radiators band, ‘Trouble Pilgrims’”.
St Athony’s Punk Festival
The St. Anthony’s Punk Festival was a seminal event in Dublin’s punk scene, held on November 22, 1978, at St. Anthony’s Hall on Wellington Quay. Organized by George Purdy, the festival showcased several emerging bands, including:
- The Citizens: This was their debut performance. Managed by George Purdy, they delivered a set featuring a punk rendition of “My Way,” with Bono providing vocals from behind a curtain.
- Skank Mooks: Also managed by Purdy, this band had an expanded lineup for the night, including female backing singers known as the Mooketts.
- Virgin Prunes: Notable for their avant-garde style, their set included a cover of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” with The Edge joining on guitar.
- Berlin: They headlined the festival, contributing to the night’s diverse musical offerings.
- New Versions: Featured Regine Moylett as the vocalist, who would later become U2’s publicist.
- Strange Movements: Scheduled to perform, they withdrew due to disagreements over the running order.
Although U2 was initially slated to perform, they were removed from the lineup after disputes over headlining. However, Bono and The Edge made guest appearances during the sets of other bands.
The festival was marked by its chaotic atmosphere, including incidents like a fire in the audience and impromptu water fights. Despite the disorder, it remains a landmark event that encapsulated the raw energy and spirit of Dublin’s punk movement in the late 1970s.
Sources
All Images supplied by Patrick Brocklebank
Punk Festival at UCD
24 Hour Dark Space Festival
Moran’s Hotel
Back to our usual stomping ground at Moran’s Hotel with this series of shots. They were part of a shoot by the Sunday World newspaper. We used to have a section of the show where we did something fun/unusual. For this show, I used an open tuned guitar and played it with a vibrator! Sort of a primitive sustainer/e-bow! The reporter’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at this provocative gesture. He and the photographer rushed backstage to get us to pose with the sex toy, which we refused to do (knowing how the press might spin it as some depraved act). I did get in a cage backstage and I was wearing silver pants that I was sewn into, so it was a win-win! The other shots are of our loyal audience that came to all the Moran’s shows, but it was always sort of strange playing to a seated audience, so we made sure to have fun with them .. .