Azure Days
Azure Days From; Carlow Active; 1985 – 1992
Style;
Vocals & Guitar; Gala Hutton
Guitar; Liam O’Brien
Bass; Ray Lowry
Drums; Gerry Farrell
Carling/Hot Press Battle Of The Bands 1986
The Carling/Hot Press Battle Of The Bands was a completion to find the best unsigned band in Ireland. Bands had to send a demo tape in to the judges, the final 20 would then be selected to play live at Sir Henry’s in Cork, to make it though to the grand final. If you won, a record deal & £1,000 was up for grabs.
The competition is held at Sir Henry’s, in Cork over 5 weeks. With the winner each week going on to the final.
Heat 1, 8th May The Subterraneans (Dublin), The Chapterhouse (Cork), Sixteen Tons of Jive (Limerick), The Experiment (Dublin)
Winner; The Subterreaneans
Heat 2, 15th May Shimpu Zig Zag (Cork), 3pm Echoes of Pink Whispers, Forbidden Colours
Winner: Shimpu Zig Zag
Heat 3, 22th May Azure Days (Carlow), Burning Embers (Cork), Child’s song, Urgent (Dun Loughaire)
Winner; Thrupenny Opera
Heat 4, 29th May Gurnica (Dublin), Empty Space, Violet Sky (Belfast), What Next?
Winner;
Heat 5, 31st May Train Walkers, Just A Philistine (Naas), Trenchtown (Drogheda), New Hollande (Dublin)
Winner; Just A Philistine
Final 7th June The Drive, Just A Philistine, Thrupenny Opera, Out Patients Trenchtown, The Surrealists
The Judges, George Byrne (Irish Independent), Richie Taylor (Sunday Press)Jackie Hayden (Hot Press), Niall Stokes (Hot Press), Emmett O’Reilly (Hot Press)
Carling/Hot Press Battle Of The Bands 1987
The Carling/Hot Press Battle Of The Bands was a completion to find the best unsigned band in Ireland. Bands had to send a demo tape in to the judges, the final 20 would then be selected to play live at Sir Henry’s in Cork, to make it though to the grand final. If you won, a record deal & £1,000 was up for grabs. This year two of the heats don’t take place at Sir Henry’s heta 4 is at the Baggot Inn in Dublin, while heat 5 is in Killarny.
Heat 1 23rd April Exile In The Kingdom (Drogheda), Belsonic Sound (Cork), Jenkin’s Ear (Dublin), Librarian Librarian (Waterford)..
Winner; Belsonic Sound
Heat 2 30th April Soon (Cork), Azure Days (Carlow), Double Blind Trail (Dublin), The Beat System Dublin)
Winner: Azure Days
Heat 3 May 7th Idol Joy, Tongues Of Fire, Hallelujah Freedom, Bill Stickers and the prosecutors
Winner; Hallelujah Freedom
Heat 4 May 19th Le Call (Derry), Violet Sky (Belfast), No Quarter (Arklow), The Cracker Factory (Dublin), The Baggot Inn Dublin
Winner; Violet Sky
Heat 5 Kilarney Toucandance (Limerick), 16 Tons Of Jive (Dublin), Who Said What, The Barry Ronan Band, The Suspects
Winner; Toucandance
Final; Belsonic Sound, Azure Days, Hallelujah Freedom, Violet Sky, Toucandance
Winner; Azure Days
2nd Hallelujah Freedom, 3rd Belsonic Sound, 4th Toucandance 5th Violet Sky
Judges; Tony O’Brien Evening Herald, Paul Russell Sunday Independent, Mark Cagney & Ian Dempsey Radio 2, Jackie Hayden & Niall Stokes Hot Press, Tim Pearson Carling
Hot Press Final review 1987
Blow My Clouds Away was released as a single in November 1987 on Mystery Records, the B side was My Mexican.
