Derry delights The Undertones at Engine Shed

The Undertones emerged from Derry in 1976, the result of five friends (John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Feargal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley) learning how to play basic rock and roll.

They learned by listening to mail order records and reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry but most of all from listening to John Peel’s show on BBC Radio One.

Practising in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording John O’Neill’s ‘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.

The band then signed with Sire Records and ‘Teenage Kicks’ was re-released, resulting in the band’s first appearance on Top Of The Pops.

Feargal Sharkey left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day.

However, they reconvened in 1999, and have continued ever since.

The Undertones will be at Lincoln’s Engine Shed on Thursday, March 31.

Tickets are available from the website: www.thegigcartel.com.