<p>Glorious news! The Undertones, dependable symbols of eternal youth, are setting out on a 50th anniversary tour in 2026, still playing Teenage Kicks and Here Comes the Summer in their mid-60s. Damian O’Neill joined when he was 14 and can’t believe it either. He looks back here at …</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… their first gig in a scout hall - “Feargal was a Scout leader!” - and their second for 1,000 schoolkids at St Joseph’s in Derry</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… the world-wide appeal of their Irish identity and why “America never got us”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… David’s memories of interviewing them for Smash Hits in 1979 the day they thought “we’re finished”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>... “We were anti-pretension!”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… seeing Horslips, Rory Gallagher, the Blockheads, Eddie &amp; the Hot Rods and the Lurkers</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… joining the band at 14 and playing Beatles, Stones, Them, Cream and Dr Feelgood covers</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… parkas, Millets jeans and the Derry boot-boy look. “If you dressed up in those days you ran the risk of getting your head kicked in”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;… being in the band’s HQ the night Peel played Teenage Kicks twice in a row</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… songs about “love and lack of love” – and girls and chocolate</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… how it feels to be on Top Of The Pops and then watch your single go down the charts</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… their first visit to a studio (Wizard in Belfast) and self-producing Teenage Kicks with just an engineer – and still playing it in your mid-60s</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… and a heartfelt apology to the people of Blackburn!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Order tickets for the Undertones 50th Anniversary tour here: </strong><a href="https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-undertones-tickets/artist/959984" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-undertones-tickets/artist/959984</a></p><br><p><strong>Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold

The Undertones are 50! And no-one’s more amazed than Damian O’Neill

DEC 2, 202534 MIN
Word In Your Ear

The Undertones are 50! And no-one’s more amazed than Damian O’Neill

DEC 2, 202534 MIN

Description

<p>Glorious news! The Undertones, dependable symbols of eternal youth, are setting out on a 50th anniversary tour in 2026, still playing Teenage Kicks and Here Comes the Summer in their mid-60s. Damian O’Neill joined when he was 14 and can’t believe it either. He looks back here at …</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… their first gig in a scout hall - “Feargal was a Scout leader!” - and their second for 1,000 schoolkids at St Joseph’s in Derry</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… the world-wide appeal of their Irish identity and why “America never got us”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… David’s memories of interviewing them for Smash Hits in 1979 the day they thought “we’re finished”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>... “We were anti-pretension!”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… seeing Horslips, Rory Gallagher, the Blockheads, Eddie &amp; the Hot Rods and the Lurkers</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… joining the band at 14 and playing Beatles, Stones, Them, Cream and Dr Feelgood covers</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… parkas, Millets jeans and the Derry boot-boy look. “If you dressed up in those days you ran the risk of getting your head kicked in”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;… being in the band’s HQ the night Peel played Teenage Kicks twice in a row</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… songs about “love and lack of love” – and girls and chocolate</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… how it feels to be on Top Of The Pops and then watch your single go down the charts</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… their first visit to a studio (Wizard in Belfast) and self-producing Teenage Kicks with just an engineer – and still playing it in your mid-60s</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>… and a heartfelt apology to the people of Blackburn!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Order tickets for the Undertones 50th Anniversary tour here: </strong><a href="https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-undertones-tickets/artist/959984" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-undertones-tickets/artist/959984</a></p><br><p><strong>Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>