Music of Northern Ireland
Northen Ireland Music
People being cautious !
Bombs, Boredom and no Bands!
That sudden absence upon the city streets night after night, combined with all those big name bands staying away, was the cause of all those clubs having to close.
The Belfast born journalist, Carol Clark, summed it up really well in an article she once wrote for the Melody Maker away back in 73 “Bombs, Boredom and no Bands”. Extracts from a teenage diary spelling out her weekly routine. It was Showbands, Cinemas or Disco’s that was the choice you had. You either danced to the record, or to some impostor pretending to be the person you really wanted to see.
Sam’s Soul Club!
Around that same time, Sam’s Soul Club, or the Viking as it is better known, sprang to life. Here you had Bill Moore; the resident DJ, playing imported Disco sounds from New York and Detroit’s underground, mixed with all the usual classics. Bowie, Ferry, Lou Reed later progressing to the likes of; Television and the Ramones. Exactly the way it happened in London and New York, it all started from the “Gay Disco” scene of the early 70s, and believe you me, Bangor was no different!
1960
Did you get the chance to read 'the Bands don't play here no more' if you did, then you will have a rough idea as to what life was like in Belfast during the 1970s....
1970
Then; as we entered the 1970s it was all so obvious by then. The city’s night life had already started to deteriorate, part from fear, part from caution....
Present Day
What followed next; was the era the Good Vibrations movie, and Hooligan the Book both spoke off, but thankfully that’s not how it all happened....