| If
ever geography and circumstances conspired to kill a band it was
Rudi." Unfairly overlooked by the history books, its time to set
the record straight on Rudi, the band that time forgot." |
| Northern Ireland is not perhaps
well known as a hotbed of musical talent let alone Punk yet for Brian
Young armed with a band name stolen from a single by Jook they had the
right credentials with influences such as the New York
Dolls, Bowie and T Rex when punk came a knocking in mid 1976. |
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Building
up a fearsome live reputation round Belfast through 77 the classic
line up was Brian
Young Vocals & Guitar, Ronnie Mathews Vocals/Guitar, Graham Marshall
Drums and Gordon Blair (Ex Highway Star with Jake Burns !!) on Bass.
Songs in the set included the infamous 'Cops'
featuring the chant
SSRUC.
On one of their live occasions they were witnessed by Terri Hooley
who owned the record shop Good Vibrations and who stumped up the
money for the single 'Big Time' in April 78 and so the Good
Vibrations label was born. It sold by the bucket load and
received a unanimous thumbs up from all quarters of the music
press and radio. |
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| In a way you can see trouble
coming. Its mid 78 and Rudi had only just released a single and the scene
is already changing. So Rudi came to England to set the scene alight
arriving in London without an agency and without a home. While gigs came
in thick and fast including Raped, their punk holiday in the smoke was
cut short by our generous boys in blue the SPG who jailed Ronnie &
Graham for a week and the band to avoid further trouble returned straight home unable to build on their
name. |
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So
back to Belfast and more packed gigs. This was followed in February
1979 by the release of 'Overcome By Fumes' on the double single
Battle Of The Bands ' featuring among others The Outcasts.
Things were picking up, Polydor were interested, John Peel was raving
about them and they were featured on TV. Another single in October 'I-Spy'
was released again to much acclaim yet still not breaking them. 'Big
Time' was re-issued. A couple of singles were recorded for release
but never released. They did sessions for Mike Read. Instead of a
major they opted to sign for The Jams label 'Jamming'. Another
single 'Crimson' made Sounds single of the week though
by this
time they had long ceased having a punk sound and had become a
threesome with keyboards. |
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| With everything set up for the next single
to tip them into the, excuse the phrase, 'big time' it all went pear
shaped as The Jam split and their record label folded. And then calling it a day
Rudi was no more.
Time
and time again thru the site we've seen how success and the media can distort history.
It must grate on Brian that mention Northern Ireland and we think of SLF and
The Undertones as being the bands who achieved commercial fame and who
gather the plaudits. For them one single catapulted them into success and fair
play to both they produced some excellent singles.
However
its bands like Rudi tho that should be remembered as being a
seminal part/ influence of the scene and thru bad luck never made it. Buts
that's rock'n'roll and them's the knocks !!!!
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The above loosely based on Brian Young's sleeve
notes to the Anagram CD 'Best Of Rudi ' with contributions from cuttings from
Brian Young and Joseph Donnelly.
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