The *twilight zone* is cos google.com rates sites on how many links there are to it. So thanks to the TZ when you tyoe in *undertones* we rate above the *scum* at www.theundertones.com. 'Woohoo I hear heavy metal'

For those of your brave enough - punding.com was funny at least twice - the nearest it has come to it recently was

Is that you in the picture CMoS? Did your boss see you doing that?! I daren't even click on the Strip link in case it wasn't a comic one.

I have spread the word about punding to a computer mad mate of mine- I even printed this one off and made him a birthday card of it.

CMoS, we've been stuck on 55 NHC members for ever and I agree with Cliff, I think clearer instructions on the 'Join the NHC' page or on this 'Talk' page are needed to enable new people to post in 'spontaneous' white. No genuine fan would be put off by having to register their details and anyone misbehaving can just be struck off (so I make it about five members left then!!).

Cliff, I've just uncovered more evidence - there's white lines on the bottom of every page, including this one. See what a good nose can sniff out!!!

Come on, it wasn't bad for 9.15 in the morning!

Damian. John, Michael, Billy, Paul-just thought I'd mention them as I havent for ages. Oh and what does anyone else think of the Hives? And does anyone rate the Chemical Brothers? And wasn't the Brits a heap? Does anyone agree that Dido is BORING(David of course finds her fascinating!!)

Lyndsay - I too was a huge Rats fan. 'Tonic for the Troops' is still one of my favourite albums. 'Rat Trap' getting to number 1 (the first New Wave song to do so trivia fans) seemed like a major event to my 15 year old self, especially as it knocked Travolta/ONJ's 'Summer Nights' off No.1 and Bob ripped a picture of them up on TOTP. I liked them up to 'Banana Republic' which was a bit crap. The only RGTC show I remember is the Rats one too. Does anyone remember a late night show on Channel 4 when it started hosted by Keith Allen called 'Whatever You Want' I think ? It featured loads of live performances including the Undertones doing 'Sin of Pride' stuff.

THE COFFEE HOUSE, SOUTHEND, SOMETIME IN SPRING. BRING YOUR OWN CUP AND SEAT.

OK confession time. I'd given up on the Undertones after Positive Touch and was into bands like Killing Joke, Theatre of Hate, and Bunnymen by the time Sin of Pride came out. I didn't buy the album at the time and thought their new direction was crap compared to the early stuff. I didn't buy the album until around 1988 and was amazed how good it was. That album was ahead of its time with all that Hammond organ as by 1989/1990 everyone from the Inspiral Carpets to the Charlatans were doing stuff that sounded like late Undertones.

Yes Rick- I was at one of those recordings and sat next to Keith Allen on a staircase, he was wearing a kilt at the time! He was such a hero but I was too shy to say hello.

There are actually 56 members - the other page was old stuff - no one wonder why the whoile of U2 had registered as members. As you can see 3 have joined since Christmas.

Glad to finally have access to the TALK section. I hope you all take a good look at John Welsh's collection of video, as it is very comprehensive. Moondawgs, Protex, Rudi, SLF, Undertones, and a lot of old TV shows you might have forgotten about including these bands. I have purchased stuff from him, and it's all brilliant quality, and this is after I have it converted from PAL to NTSC. So for all you Northern Punks, there is a bit of light at the end of your tunnel, and it's loaded with great old clips of a lot of Belfast bands, and a lot of Glam/Punk/Mod/Ska stuff also. Neil

Does anyone have any of those 'Whatever You Want' Undertones performances and what songs did they do ? I've only got the Killing Joke, Southern Death Cult (later to become The Cult) and Dead Kennedy's performances.

Dido's voice only lends itself to the one song IMO. The last single was just a straight repeat of the others so I'd agree with you there Jackie. Quite like singing along if she's on the radio though. The Hives are just this month's hyped-up indie band, although I'd have to admit they're one of the better ones I've heard. Been around a while haven't they?

Teenage Kicks played during DIY SOS yesterday (I'd recorded it as I half-watched the boring Brits). They were doing out a school music/computer room for a bunch of teenagers. Thanks for the link and welcome aboard NEIL, although I know you've posted on here a few times before - do you remember what the indecency filter used to do to your name?! Are you still fanatical about the motorbikes?

Ooops, sorry Neil, I think I should have said scooters.

Great article in the Derry News Vinny. Not a bad picture of you either! What an honour to be invited to sleep in the house of the legendary man himself.

It was Neil something, but I don't recall the name. Scooters? Yes, I am still an avid scooterist. We own 3 scooters still, a 1984 Vespa T5, a 1976 Vespa ET3, and a 1998 Gilera Runner 180. Scooters, much like the Undertones will always be part of me, just as the Jam is. My wife rides the bikes along with me, as will our kids when they are old enough to get their drivers licenses. I actually picked the kids up seperately yesterday on my T5, since it was a miserable 79 degrees here in sunny Southern California. I know it's terrible weather, and I wish I lived someplace cold (not), but it's going to be in the 80's today, and this weekend, well let's just say a nice ride down to the coast is in the making. Stay warm! Neil

Wait? It was Neil (Issac Hayes) I think.

Vinny has been sleeping at John Peels home and in 1979 Peel was getting live tapes of the Undertones Irish tours from me. Mind you, in 1979 I also was fined £50 for advertising Undertones bootlegs for sale in Sounds!

Ernie B, I still have the live tapes I got from you way back when (e.g. Limerick Savoy, Friars Aylesbury - recorded in the toilet!). I started subscribing to Positive Reaction when you did an Undertones feature. Must dig out my dusty copies, which contained a lot of Moondogs praise. You also sent me a photo of yourself wearing shirt and braces with a spirits glass stuck to your forehead (never worked out what that was all about...)

I saw Protex in Portrush in 1978 supporting the Radio Stars. Best song was 'Don't Ring Me Up', the first single. They were pretty good, but nothing special live. Radio Stars were miles better. They got signed to Polydor at a time when the majors were falling over themselves to sign any band from NI (cos of the Tones/SLF hype). So they got dropped just as quick when they didn't have a hit (same happened to Xdreamysts and others). They split up shortly afterwards.

I remember Rock Goes To College as being really good cos it had a proper live gig feel to it (rather than the usual play-live-in-a-studio approach). It was introduced by Pete Drummond (Radio 1 DJ, I think) and had quite a few 'punk/new wave' bands on it. Good ones I remember were Ian Dury & The Blockheads, circa Rhythm Stick (brilliant! - taped it on audio), and The Police post 1st LP. I was ecstatic when I heard The Stranglers were going to be on it, but they decided to walk off after 2 songs cos they found out that none of their fans had been able to get hold of the free tickets, which had been issued to students only. This led to a BBC ban and did their career no good at all. Plus I was incredibly disappointed! Another good show at the time was 'Revolver' which was live-in-the-studio (a forerunner to The Tube). Loads of great bands on that show, but it didn't last...

Just spotted the article of Vinny from the Derry news. How long has that been there? Which white line at the bottom of the page has the pictures of CMoS. I've seen the Spaghetti hoops one, and the Magazine site etc, but didn't go past the first page. I'm glad Neil is enjoying the weather. It has been bloody freezing here today. It has tried to snow a few times. The wind is blowing a gale. Roll on our few days of Summer.

Article only went up to day George (Fri) - fri is major update day.

The Hives On TOTP great - if you missed it watch the Sat/Sun repeat with teletext on for the lyrics - classic. Julius I need your address for the EP mailing.