Peelie 2003-10-14 'Everything But You'

If anyone has a full list of gigs since the band reformed could they email them to me. By the way the prizes for the promotion competition is a goodie bag for each winner. Each one will contain signed copies of 'Get What You Need', 'The Best Of', 'Teenage Kicks - The Udnertones' (DVD), Film poster, and whatever other bits and pieces we can get our hands on. We really want to use this to spread the word about the album and site as widely as possible. So anyone who hasn't started yet - what you waiting for.

Brilliant reviews Pete, agree with you about 'really really' it should sound great live.Surprised Dublin got off to a slow start, the Olympia gigs have been up there with the best in terms of crowd participation.

Couldn't play the new CD endlessly as I'd hoped on the 6 hour journey yesterday coz of passengers, however I did get 30 minutes on my own and I change my mind about 'Oh Please', I'll give it 11/10.In footballing terms it gives '110%'...which is more than can be said for Albion last night.

Just back from N.Ireland and catching up on postings. Fantastic gig Saturday night - yellow Timberlands now completely buggered. Don't normally get into much 'moshing' at my age (and delicate physical demeanour) but couldn't resist on this occasion.

Started off with a two hour delay in Schiphol airport - the aeroplane had a hole in it apparently. Finally arrived in Derry after around seven hours travelling.

Went off to Sandino's at around 8. First met Vinny, then Liam, Wilke, Arthur, Alex. Film was as good as the first time except I couldn't hear the interviews for all the talking. Will have to wait for the DVD.

From Sandino's to the Gweedore. Thin Lizzy tribute band with one song (Boys are back in town) - too loud, glad they only had the one song. Moved off with Arthur about 11 to the Nerve Centre. At the front door there was a guy with The Undertones tattooed across his lower back and with no qualms about showing it!

Met Caroline and Deborah, then into the hall - great venue completely packed, real different atmosphere - like everybody knew everybody. All age groups, loads of Derry City shirts.

The gig you've heard about, so I won't harp on. Suffice to say this was the best yet of the reformed band. By the end I was totally slaughtered, could hardly stand and was soaked through. Highlights - Thrill me, YGMN, Joyland, There Goes Norman (dedicated to me, thanks Arthur!), Male Model. Set list pretty much the same as The Garage, except Listening In added to the encore.

Afterwards had a chat with Damian & John. Both seemed really happy with the gig. John in fact said that this was the best they'd played Derry and The Garage was the best they'd played London.

Saw Mickey on the stairs - he looked shattered! There were black rings on the black rings round his eyes.

Wilke's parting comment: 'you'll be alright on your way to your hotel - just don't open your mouth, they'll think you're a soldier...!'

Was great to meet Wilke, Alex, Arthur, Vinny, Wayne. Looking forward to the next time guys - this won't be my last visit to Derry.

Sunday morning, walked the Walls of Derry, saw a number of locations from the film the night before. Looked down on the Bogside (Free Derry corner and murals) and up to the Creggan estate.

That last one didn't read right - I meant I looked down TO the Bogside, from the walls above!

Spotted Paul with an attractive young lady in Derry city centre on Sunday afternoon. Wearing a natty brown pinstripe suit. Didn't have the bottle to shout after him.

Woolworths in Derry didn't have Get What You Need. Virgin in the Foyleside Centre had it for 15.99!! The most expensive CD on the racks. I'd pay it, but it might put off the waverers. Same story in Belfast yesterday, Virgin 15.99, HMV 13.99. Only in Virgin Derry was it in the new release section, in Belfast just tucked away in the 'U's. Obviously I rearranged as best I could.

Good to see loads of flyposters all around Derry for the gig. Sorry, I'm not trying to compete on the posting stakes - it was just that good a weekend. Next stop Brighton.

stote007 - album is £10.99 on play.com

Anyone know if it made this weeks album chart ?

Had more time to listen to the album and I think its great, more than I could have dared hoped for. seems a shame to grade them but others will dsiagree which is a good thing. Shining star 'Oh Please' 10/10 just perfect the vocals, lyrics, buzzsaw guitars and stunning backing vocals. A perfect example of the 'classic' Undertones song. follwed closely by Thrill me, Everything but you and Enough. Just behind the leaders Rough Escalator (great excuse for my atrocious Cramps insired chicken dance at gigs!), I need your love, Touch, Joyland, You cant say that, Winter sun (love those kiddy samples)then a furlong or so behind the pack -girl like you cruellsest thing, shutdown,. these latter songs are still v good but I find them a bit less accsssible than the others, time will tell but some of them like Joyland and Shutdown sound a bit much like other bands like the Wonderstuff, Petrols and if I heard them on the radio I wouldnt immediately think - thats the Undertones. All in all at great piece of work.

The production is v good, not overproduced at all, it has a live feel to it but i agree with the comments that the drums and bass could be louder in the mix. Billys drumming on enough is excellent , efffortless rolls and you can never have enough cymbals (or symbols) George:)

Does anyone know how these chaps ended up on the album, or anything about them?

Cancel that result. I see Mr McGill works at the Nerve Centre.

Were you talking to the bald chap at Sandino's/gig Vin?

Yep, Ruairi lives/ lived down the street from me. Great fellas altogether. By the way if anyone has any reviews of The Undertones new album and any mentions of WINTER SUN in particular could they send them to Martin, email above or through Alex's link. Thanks.

I remembered because he reminded me of the fella from 'The Shield'

Hello strangers, obviously not on the computer as much as I used to be but this seems to be as good a time as any to start up again!!... Firstly can I claim a prize...£8.99 inc P&P for the new album from CD-WOW.com... as for the content.... I am sure the rest of you feel the same, its like being 16 all over again with the first album, only this one is all grown up and appears not to be afraid to wear its influences on it's sleeve. 'Thrill me' is just a masterpiece, Ramones meet the Undertones like never before, Joey will be pogoing on his cloud!!! 'Everthing but you' is good old fashioned powerpop (sorry for using that word), 'Escalator' has T Rex written all over it (no bad thing), 'You can't say that' is the best song the Rolling stones never wrote, 'Enough' is for me the class song of the bunch, Undertones/Buzzcocks/Ramones... it has it all, 'Touch ' has that 70's glam feel and a touch of rockabillly (or is that just me?)

'Girl Like you' will be a grower (sorry Lindsey), 'Cruellest thing' is a great song in the vein of TPE, 'Oh Please' would have sat well on the first album, the opening chords get the neck hairs up almost as well as Teenage Kicks!, 'Winter Sun', doesn't the opening sound like Gilbert O'Sullivan?... but would fit on Positive Touch or Sin of Pride...truly excellent, 'Joyland' is Mickey's finest moment and deserves to be a single, 'Shut Down' is a fine closer and I can't put my finger on what it reminds me of!!!

For someone like me who felt that I had heard the last of the group from the studio this album was so important, it could have turned out so wrong but instead the group has built on what they had and the addition of a ruddy marvelous singer in Paul and turned out an album that genuinely re-ignited my interest... and finally.... whilst I agree that 'Joyland' is a single.... the next single should be 'Everything but you'... it's pure Undertones

Sorry.. another finally... have read the reviews of Little Hooks and since I also count Simon and Garfunkel amongst my faves (sad but true)....has anyone heard anything by them?, is it worth investing in a CD?

I don't do reviews as it's usually just a blur of Smirnoff and sound. But to give an indication of how good the Nerve Centre was on Saturday, a certain 'Lofty' fan must have broke the record for the highest pogo in history, a certain Kimono wearing fan, (who wasn't dancing, due to knee injurys), was giving his specs to anyone that would hold them while he gave it loads pogoing like a good un. The miraculous effect of the 'Tones. A certain Belfast fan, who previously beat the Creggan keepie-up record danced(without oxygen)all night, until his fringe got in his eyes :). A certain Glaswegian fan never even bothered going to the bar and was seen to shuffle his feet more than once(slippy floor). Now that's a gig !!

I assume if a Glaswegian football fan didn't go to the bar at the Nerve Centre then bar takings must be drastically down. Little Hooks have supported the Undertones. Think it was in Germany. They also doubled up as road crew.

Alex your review is the best yet! :-)

great review alex.arthur how`s your head.well alex look`s like maureen won and i will go to parkhead so get the beer in

Georgio, I never mentioned football !! I think we could have a mutually beneficial thing here Georgio, think of it as a relay race with Smirnoff, you get to run up and down to the bar and I get oops upside your head. It would be like 'It's a Knockout'. Thanks Jackie, wait till I tell the uncensored version.

In reply to your e-mail wilke, feckin right!! I've never been to Parkhead drunk, ever. Very rarely I have a drink before a game at all. Unless it's the Klingons. Then it's just to dull my senses to the great unwashed.

A work colleague came up to me yesterday , with a page torn out of the (london) evening standard. In big letters was the Headline - 'Teenage kicks' , beneath was a decent size photo of the greatest band ever, captioned ' Young Punks: even wihout Feargal Sharkey, the Undertones have Energy' and below was a letter some young fan had sent in after being disgusted at their lacklustre review of a magnificent gig at the Garage.

and the letter...'The review of the Undertones, (John Aizlewood 07 Oct), left me bewidlered. This was a great gig in every aspect.Being very young myself when the Undertones first started, I have been impressed with their energy and honesty since first seeing them play in London on St Patrick’s Day, this year. The Garage gig last night was hot, sweaty, powerful and energetic - like gigs should be. That he would expect Paul McLoone (Feargal Sharkeys impressive replacement) to be completely tuneful and word perfect suggests that he has been sitting in front of his CD player for too long rather than getting out and feeling the raw power that can only come from live performances. I congratulate your newspaper on giving coverage to all the disparate music and night action that goes on in this great city, but please – send someone with a bit of interest and passion next time.'

The original review is too offensive to print on a family website, but credit to the Evening Standard for printing Temi's reply.

Bewildered even!!

Hard to keep track of all the comments at the moment! Great to read all the reviews (which sadly were all better than mine), good pics too (except I look like I’ve just stepped out of a shower!). How come we never met you Peter? Funny how you can remember so much of the gigs, I can never remember much at all or even hear what’s being said by the band, I’m so busy having a good time, although maybe it’s really because I’m going a bit deaf! Do remember the jibe at Feargal in Leeds though, which was funny. I was surprised they never did ‘Enough’ at the gigs as it’s a great singalong. Maybe a gem for later. Don’t know about you Jackie but I still feel a bit silly dancing to ‘Jump Boys’ and singing ‘I wanna wanna be a Male Model’ but I do it all the same. Draw the line at LTAG though (0/10 but that doesn’t count cos it’s not an Undertones song).

4 rather murky photos of the garage gig

As for the album, my scores-on-the-doors are as follows:- 100/10 ‘Oh Please’ (that guitar riff in between each verse sends me into a total frenzy – I played this to and from work every day for a whole week, bopping away at the steering wheel and singing loudly – luckily it’s three minutes to work for me, just perfect! (got a few funny looks from the lollipop lady though!!), 10/10 for INYL, Enough, Touch, INYL and Rough Escalator, 9.5/10 for Joyland, 9/10 for Girl Like You and Shutdown (the latter much better on CD than live), 7/10 The Cruellest Thing, Winter Sun and You Can’t Say That (which I thought got the least positive response at the gigs). It’s the most complete and consistently good album since Hypnotised.

Go Temmi!

And I hope the band have been keeping up with all this positive stuff- wonder if there'll be a post from Billy or MB.

Tomorrow night (16 Oct) Undertones live music from the BBC archives, as part of the Dream Ticket show on BBC 6 Music. It looks like this is on between 22.00 - midnight, with 3 other bands. No mention of what performance, so a case of wait and see (I would guess a few songs from one of the old 'In Concert' programmes?). Should be good to hear again, and good for the band's profile.

Kids spotted Paul's Garage yellow T-shirt in Derry Top Shop on Saturday- £15 exactly as he said in London.

I've contacted Shutterfly to claim commission :)

...or could it be Guilfest? That would be even better.

I've heard Little Hooks on local radio once and they were mightily impressive. Absolutely gorgeous harmonies and a great tune - a class above normal 'local' acts. Worth investing in. Gig was superb on Saturday - definately their best yet. Brilliant to see all the interest that has been sparked by it but will the album get the exposure it needs? At least Peel is behind it and that really says a lot.

And finally the album has arrrived here. the album was avalaible in Holland from last monday onwards, so delivered to the shops on tuesday. great feeling opening a newww Undertones album and putting it in the player after 20 years. great album. After two hearing 'enough' is the surprise for me, what a great track but 'everything but you' remains my favourite.

the album rocks, has energy and they made it with love&pleasure. Some tracks(you cant say that, touch) have a TPE-feel, which I mean positive!

Lindsay, I've met Peter twice, in Dublin and at the Garage, he does exist honest ;-) The reason I dont give any song 10/10(I was kidding with 'Oh Please',9.5 is fine)is that you're saying it can't be bettered and thats dodgey ground in my book.Great Letter Henry/Temmi 'send someone with a bit of interest and passion next time'...love it!!

Joyland is an other surprise, has all the qualifications to be a single and get some well-deserved airplay

but why make thing easy and predictable: 'oh please' might be a better single. The Undertone shave to choose a rocky single.Joyland might be too obvious if you know what I mean. 'oh please' will attract the fans we are looking for (and they will have to explain in interviews who those Dublin bands are)