Dark Space Festival
All photographs from the Dark Space Festival this page are reproduced with permission of Patrick Brocklebank. Check out Patrick’s book of early U2 photographs “Where The Streets Have 2 Names”.
Project Arts Centre Dark Space Festival
16-17/02/1979 Project Arts Centre Dublin
Attendance; 800
Admission £4.00
Line up; Mekons (England), Rudi, Outcasts, Protex, Idiots, (NL) Berlin, The Atrix, U2, Revolver, Virgin Prunes, Rocky De Valera, New Version, Phantom Orchestra, D.C. Nien, Gillespie & Gibbs, The Letters, The Boy Scoutz, Modern Heirs, Vultures, Zebra.
Dark Space Festival
At this time the Project Arts Centre was more less a dielectric building, Tony Sheridan and his family had painted the interior walls white, this is how the festival got it’s name “Dark Space”.
Dark Space Festival Biggest Collection of New Wave North & South
The Project Arts Centre “Dark Space” festival brings together the biggest ever collection of Irish “New Wave” bands under one roof, from both the north & south. After Public Image pull out, the only non Irish band are The Mekons. U2 close the festival on the Saturday night. Their set is stopped mid way through due to late scheduling. There is also no time for a “Live Aid” style finale with all the bands on stage together.
Fan Review of U2
Fan review by Aidan O’Rourke My earliest memory of U2 is from 1978 when they played at a 24 hour music festival at the Project Arts Centre, which had recently opened in what is now known as Temple Bar district. The performance wasn’t very polished, but the band had lots of energy.
Frenetic & Bewildering Set
A new band named U2 had appeared on Dublin’s music scene. I first saw them at the Project Arts Centre during 1978. They stormed onto a very high stage – I seem to remember staring at the lead singer Paul Hewson’s pointed cowboy boots – & delivered a frenetic & bewildering set.
That Little Something Different
They had something, though I wasn’t quite sure what. The youthful lead singer with his ruddy cheeks, unfashionable medium length hair & tight trousers pranced around the stage yelling into the microphone. The vocals were haphazard – frequently out of tune & croaking in the upper registers. Each of the band members seemed to be pushing the pace of the music.
U2 Review by Dave fanning
Dave Fanning “Death race 2,000” had passed it’s half way mark when U2 took the stage to the hearty applause of the dedicated followers of fashion who had forgotten to bring sleeping bags. And the band’s rock ‘n’ roll breakfast tasted just fine.
With perfect posturing & dynamic delivery, Paul Hewson, straining every muscle & pulling the band forward, was always arresting. While they were always confident & competent Dave Evans (gtr) & Adam Clayton (bass), belied the intermittent tendency to drag the music into the clutches of the age old malaise of heavy metal sludge, especially on the shadily atmospheric “Shadows & Tall Trees”. The sound was crisp enough, but Tayto it ain’ t. Yet numbers like “Cartoon World” & “Another Time Another Place” they showed enough bravado & intelligence to convince anyone that this young band has hair on it’s chest. “Street Missions” was great. Their encore “Glad To See You Go” was energetic but it suffered slightly from it’s slower than Ramones pace. Not to worry. Their own numbers & enthusiasm will see them through.
Revolver Review
11 P.M. And Revolver are promptly on stage,
The current incarnation plays with considerably more assurance than of yore, the drafting in of guitarist Pat Hamilton and now excellent bass playing of Kevin Helly in particular contributing to their new found collective confidence. Yet Revolver were sometimes sluggish and not a little slipshod in places on the night.
On the other hand new songs as disparate as “National Hero”, “Stay Young, Stay Free” (nice ‘n’ sleazy and just begging for that sax embellishment on stage) the dervish locomotion of “Tell No Lie” and the glorious “One More Chance” illustrate where they can go.
Protex Review
The first of the rescheduled bands on Stage 2 was Protex. I can’t say I was overly impressed though “I Can’t Quit” and “Don’t Ring Me Up” came over well. They’ve got time on their side.
Their set housed a plethora of memorable hooks hung on a framework of snappy, melodic chord sequences, which brought to mind the Ramones of say, “Don’t Come Close”. Exuberant and contagious in a quintessential “pop” fashion, they finished with an apposite, if endearingly chaotic “Teenager In Love”.
Berlin Review
With the M.C. having completed his Peter Cook flak catching routine, Berlin stepped forward to weather the most concentrated gobbing thus far, opening unspectacularly while viewing with unsympathetic P.A. distortion, and even a temporary power cut, before finally surmounting the obstacles sufficient to impress this previously unconverted observer.
At their worst Berlin attempt to compensate for lack of melodic invention with an onslaught of speed and volume, “Gang Bang” and a disastrous reading of the Small Faces’ “All Or Nothing” falling into that department. But on their best creations, they stretch out, accommodate individual expression but not indulgence, replace full frontal assault with subtlety and understatement, and in the process turn up gems like “Tube Talk” and “Waitin’ For The Future” – the kind of insidious songs that inexplicably enter the mind two days after the event. Liam Mackey
The Letters Review
Friday evening on the smaller stage was a succession of surprises. If words are shorter than desired, it’s down to the impossibility of catching every instant. The Letters were a proficient synthesis of mainstream punk and R & B, accurate and adept but a more un-distracting setting will have to wait for a band who appeared a capable addition to the scene.
D.C. Nien Review
D.C. Nien are the latest art rockers. Unique for Ireland in their points of reference – Bowie and Roxy – they’ve a visually impressive double act in their smooth never alone with a Strand singer and his skinheaded accomplice on guitar. Swimming synthesizers, bleating sax from the singer and abrasive rhythms, D.C. Nien are a band we’ve tended to ignore and can’t any longer.
The Boy Scoutz Review
Ireland’s only female “Punk” band
The Boy Scoutz, they won’t win any prizes from the Academy of Music but their doggedness and courage in the face of scorn shames more spoilt outfits. The Boy Scoutz could lecture most geriatric bands on attitude. Still persevering, they don’t want to be a freak show. Mainly, these women need the work. Giving them some faith and charity might no longer be necessary.
Modern Heirs Review
The Modern Heirs include two H.P. contributions in Pete XIX and Stan Erraught so you’ll understand unbiased comment isn’t the easiest; Instrumental experiments, catalysed by Pete on a circuit of keyboards, a rhythm machine, and disturbing vocals, they played long past dawn. Bands like The Modern Heirs hardly get an opportunity to perform in Dublin let alone exist. Their presence was the most of “Dark Space’s” adventure.
Virgin Prunes Review
The Virgin Prunes, with a neat line in choreographic poses proved a bizarre but fascinating choice for some early morning madness with Dik (guitar) and Warren (bass) providing a more accomplished version of the standing still than any Wyman or Entwistle.
Up front, lead vocalists Guggi and Gavin offered a convincing case for the band’s wholly unique projection. It’s not so much theatre and music as theatrics and drone rock and with so much room for obvious potential in the general concept, their “Big In ‘84” tag in not as silly as it sounds.
With a tight drum, guitar and bass backline both vocalists with some hard work and considerable elan (and a daffodil for Algernon) challenged the apathetic and especially with “Art Fuck” broke through the threatening air of sanguine goofiness. Just as the set has no extras. (“Thank you very much. The band don’t do encores,” squeaked Dave Id, the happy narrator), so we’ll just have to see them again. Have to, because they’re worth it.
I’ve seen them close on six times and their early instrumental inadequacies have progressively been eradicated. I won’t advocate them further than to say they’re a damn important band who can’t remain a Dublin secret any longer. Prune power will soon be upon us.
Zebra Review
Zebra are “Ireland’s first reggae band”, a five piece which apparently had its genesis in the UCD Bar – a story possibly confirmed by the very un roots looking lead vocalist.
But didn’t he have his West Indian blas off to the language? A bit self conscious here and there, though. The band almost inevitably cemented itself to an unvaried chugging along to familiar themes, with songs from people like Steel Pulse, Matumbi and Third World: “Police in the streets/ Frightening the people with their guns ………… All the peacemakers turn into war mongers”.
They held the interest of a large segment of the partly bedraggled crowd as Gillespie & Gibbs attempted to commence in another corner of the ravaged Project shell.
“No Woman No Cry” was their encore, note perfect Marley from our persevering student friend, Jamaican by musical adoption. Zebra are fun. Julian Vignoles.
The Atix Review
The great white (music) hopes, The Atrix, were playing meanwhile on Stage 2, turning in a very tight solid set, with special praise due to their excellent drummer. The Atrix proved themselves a band capable at once of attack and dexterity, with real all round ability. It was noticeable, though, that the more young of age and heart – (including Mr Peel) were watching Rudi. A pity, as for different reasons both bands were excellent; the overlap of playing divided their potential listeners. Still as was pointed out, there is just so much you can do with 24 hours. Steve Rapid
The Atix Review
Back at Stage 1, Rocky DeValera had resumed his set of classic rock and R & B followed by Rudi (after allowing a P.A. cooling period). Whatever it was, the smaller room, the clearer the P.A. or what – Rudi were much more enjoyable than their contemporaries Protex, playing a neat line in ’78 post punk pop; a type of band sadly lacking (so far) down south of the border.
Lurching in from Rudi with their maliciously exuberant revision of “Yummy Yummy” – Northern bands have perfect taste when it comes to covers.
