The Radiators
TV Tube Heart
Chiswick
1977 Dublin. A monochrome city. There was people spilling out of “Speakeasy” clubs, sporadic pods of young people starting to question things. The Radiators were one such gang. As a band they help pixilate the city. Their music was the soundtrack of the underground that was pursuing confidence. The radiators helped give voice to those who stood at the back of the church in mass. They helped give identity to those whose sexual preference were aimed at the same gender of themselves. They helped provide some answers or supply a canvass to young people who were beginning to question and create
The line in Enemies “I don’t want to change the world. Just my own” sums it all up. Worlds were changed though.
The band have just repackaged their debut TV Tube heart with the help of Rotator Vinyl. The sleeve is a beautiful 10″ cutout tv screen cover. The inside sleeve is a colour picture of the band exploding on to your tv screen. They were taking over the airwaves with a snotty rock and roll attitude. It’s not just TV they were aiming their vitriol at. The mainstream news print of the day, partly made up of two evening daily papers along with Irelands tabloid of taste for those spending their Sundays in and out of church and the pub were not speaking to the generation that was starting to ask questions.
This record, when it was initially released 44 years ago, was a sharp snotty and brash calling to like minded people. “I’ve got to make contact with you out there” they sang. They did and the contact evolved into the colour that eventually spread into the city. Punk rock and The radiators helped give young people a sense of freedom of expression and belonging and I for one am proud of its existence.
Essential record
niallhope
One thought on “Play of the day – The Radiators TV Tube Heart”