Stock footage of the band throughout the career, and historical footage of Derry and Belfast are interspersed with laid-back contemporary interviews of the band members by the late great BBC DJ John Peel. Peel was a huge fan and a primary early proponent of the band, who made four appearances on his legendary program. Peel was one of those rare who would air songs that he liked, and he was someone whose tastes were far from being Catholic. He kept his ears open. His headstone at St Andrew's Church in Great Finborough, Suffolk fittingly has the immortal first line from Teenage Kicks inscribed upon it, and at his funeral at his bequest, Teenage Kicks was played as his coffin exited St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
Teenage dreams so hard to beat....
Peel was right. That song is so perfect it simply can't be improved on, like Wouldn't It Be Nice by the Beach Boys, or September Gurls by Big Star. The song is of a specific era and place, yet it has an eternal quality that the all time great songs share. And at their best, The Undertones were the equal of any of their peers.
Unfortunately, as you find out early in the movie there is a 4 to 1 schism in the band, between singer Feargal Sharkey, and the other band members, so their interviews are separate. The band really was lightning in a bottle, a mix of a charismatic singer with an amazing unique voice and a high energy talented band. With the brothers John & Damian O'Neill on guitar, Michael Bradley on bass and Billy Doherty on drums, it's scary how young these guys were at the outset, and yet so damned professional sounding for an early punk band. It makes me jealous. If you have seen The Clash documentary Westway To The World, you have heard Joe Strummer's lament on the end of the band, and lightning in a bottle was his description. With maturity and in retrospect he realized what a rare thing he had been a part of, and wondered aloud what else they could have achieved. Well, nobody really knows the answer to that million dollar question.
The Undertones don't seem to have those regrets, or at least don't choose to air those views publicly. When you hear their story unfold, how they became pop stars through sheer talent and sheer luck, overcoming monumental odds, they speak with a humble realism. Heading to Belfast, then to London, being on Top of the Pops,signing to the Ramones' label, Sire Records, finally reaching the States as an opening act for The Clash. All of this was more than they ever expected when they started out, it was a means of escape from boredom, lack of opportunity, and the grim violent Troubles that inflamed the country. Even as pop stars Feargal Sharkey was still holding down a job delivering TV sets. So when you see them interviewed they seem quite proud of all that they achieved, and rightfully so. Certainly the four current members of the band do speak with humility, but I can't help but seeing them nostalgically holding back smirks. Unlike many bands who play down their past, who say they don't listen to their old recordings, these guys know all too well how damned great they were. And they seem to be pretty secure and content with their legacy.
This is a very fun DVD. You discover what a great live band they were and also that they are all seemingly nice polite people. The most interesting and candid interviewee is Sharkey, who takes pains not to slag off his former bandmates and has a lot of interesting views on the band and life in Derry. Mostly the band members are interviewed, but of course there is Peel, Sire Records president Seymour Stein, journalist Eamonn McCann and Terri Hooley, who put out their first EP on Good Vibrations records.
There are lot of interesting comments on life in Ireland. I'm reminded of the Saints experience in Brisbane. Like the Saints, The Undertones had their fans and their friends, but a lot of people hated this new thing they were playing. They were not doing what was expected of them, they did not know their place in this society. And it was even worse once they received fame and accolades from London and New York. One of the most amazing quotes was by Terri Hooley who said he saw a boy in Belfast run across the street so he could spit on Feargal Sharkey. I mean it's music we are talking about here, he didn't just invade Poland.
So go check this out--the historic footage is amazing, the cinematography is excellent and lovingly done. And of course, first and foremost listen to the outstanding music. You will quickly understand what all the fuss is about. Their first two albums, eponymous and Hypnotised, are essential rock albums, Punk Rock 101. When I listen to those songs, it's like a musical version of the Fountain of Youth that Ponce De Leon searched for in vain down in South Beach Miami. After the years where the O'Neill brothers made some very nice records as That Petrol Emotion, The Undertones reformed with a new lead singer Paul McLoone , who is featured briefly in the film and seems to do a credible job singing. The band rightly decided not to get a clone to replace Feargal. It would have been pretty weird. But they have released two albums over the last 10 years Get What You Need (2003) and Dig Yourself Deep (2007). Shortly after departing the band, Feargal Sharkey had a #1 hit in the UK with A Good Heart, and inexplicably his recording career all but evaporated after that. But as I speak the Undertones are doing a UK Tour and a West Coast US Tour in commemoration of their amazing first album.
I do highly recommend this DVD, particularly for anyone who is a fan of the band. Of course, if you see this video you will be a fan soon enough anyway. This last video goes out to the Rockin' Reverend.
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