Hope Show 139 available here
Hope show – the playlist
- The Clash – Safe European Home
- The Subhumans – Religious Wars
- Shrapnel – Let There Be Anarchy
- Billy Bragg – There Is Power In A Union
- Paranoid Visions – Strange Girl
- New Model Army – No Rest
- The Membranes – Tatty Seaside Town
- Fugazi – Reclamation
- The Ex – Maybe I Was The Pilot
- NoMeansNo – Lullaby
- Chumbawamba – You Can
- Snuff – Not Listening
- Mexican Pets – Subside
- Arcwelder – Favor
Hope Show – the lowdown
So for tonights show I decided to go all nostalgic and play songs from some of the many incredible bands I have had the opportunity to see over the years. Most of these I have been fortunate to meet through my fanzine and subsequent work in putting on gigs. All of them are really nice people and that punk rock saying of everyone being equal is most certainly applicable to these.
I was lucky to see the clash play live. it was at the end of their career as a band and weas the line up without Mick Jones. I didn’t mind, the songs were unreal and the energy incredible. I got home, clothes drenched and my Mam just says to my 16 year old self – “Get up and have a shower”
I sneaked out of my house to play a gig with the subhumans in the Youth Expression Centre. I was supposed to go to night school as I was repeating my leaving Cert so I had to arrange for my plastic bag filled with my bass guitar to meet me around the corner as I trooped off to school. The Subhumans played 4 gigs in the Youth expression centre venue upstairs above what was to be Fat Freddies Pizzeria.
Shrapnel also played those gigs. They cam over from Wales and ended up back in Ireland a short while after. Punk rock kids from Wales, only a short trip across the Sea
New Model Army‘s gig in the TV Club was memorable for me bacuase I interviewed them for my fanzine, Whose Life Is it Anyway. I was lucky to have bands like Crass, Redskins, Billy Bragg, The Damned and New Model Army being ready to answer my snotty questions. I remember questioning why New Model Army were charging £5 into this gig and challenging their motives. How they didn’t punch me I’ll never understand
The Membranes were one band we wanted to see playing over in Ireland and as no-one was puting it on my friend Hugo did the honours, and got them a couple of gigs. It was such good fun for them they asked to come back and started telling all their contacts too. That’s how Hope spawned.
One band Hope put one 4 times were Fugazi. The second time was to a big crowd in McGonagles when at the end of the show the band proceeded to hand back money, “Go out and make things happen in the community” we were told and that’s what we tried to do.
One band we managed to get 2 gigs for in one night was the ex. it’s a night I will never forget, Dublin’s fox and pheasant and then the Waterfront Bar for a college ball meant the band could get enough money to cover their ferry fee. They had, what i seem to remember as, a firetruck which they used to get around in. We had barely bicycles so it was a new world to us. The noise the band created on stage will live with me forever
Nomeansno are another band that produced an incredible cacophony on stage. Only a three-piece but the energy and noise when they played still grabs me even thinking about it.
We put Fugazi on in the SFX at one time. The gig itself has a whole back story to it but when we heard the band were coming back we decided to try and make it an event, one that would raise money and awareness around HIV/Aids. The ticket was an information booklet in an attempt to prevent the spread of an awful disease. We managed to get Chumbawamba o agree to come over and play too, in a hall owned by Jesuits. Alice dressed up as a nun, threw out condoms from a bucket to the audience and I remember standing on stage, looking down at the sold out crowd and thinking “Don’t let them tell you you can’t do something”.
I saw Snuff a couple of times and each time had a broad smile on my face afterwards. So infectioous and tuneful.
Mexican Pets played a load of gigs around Dublin We asked them to goon a compilation we put together with 4 Dublin bands. I never saw them play a bad gig.
I went to Canada in 1995 and had the opportunity to see Arcwelder. When they played Favour I had a lump in my throat. Beautifully uplifting song.
I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg here. I will do another show on this next week. But for now here’e the bands that changed a life pt 1
niallhope
