Radiators Stories ?

[ClashCityRocker]

The Mystery Train show reminded me of an incidient years ago that I've never told anyone about. The show discussed the lack of critical acclaim for Ghostown outside of Ireland and specifically mentioned the review in the NME, which in those pre-Internet days, was a powerful force in the fortunes of bands. I'm pretty sure it was Charles Shaar Murray who reviewed it and dismissed it as a "Bowie Pastiche". Years later, I was kicking around Foyles in Charing Cross and stumbled across Charlie doing a book signing for some collection of pieces he was flogging. I sweetly asked him to sign the inside cover, write a dedication to the Radiators and then had a frank exchange of views over his Ghostown review. He was totally bewildered and muttered something about not being able to please all of the people all of the time. Childish and petty I know, but sweet nonetheless ;D.

[John Byrne]

f**k him. We had too much respect for the NME back then, but their handling of the Belfield murder showed their true colours. There was only one band - The Rads - who reflected our lives, more fool us for thinking we'd that much in common with a bunch of wanker hanks in London.
Dead the beast, dead the poison.

[ClashCityRocker]

Thinking about it, you're absolutely right. I had this view as an early teenager that all things Irish were nutse, simply by virtue of being Irish. Part of the national inferiority complex handed down by the previous generation I guess. Anyway, bands like the Radiators, the Blades, SLF and the Undertones and media like early Hot Press and pirate radio made me realise that musically we were as good as any and better than most. In fact, I started buying stuff, simply because it was Irish which is the other end of the spectrum. Which now means I have an exceptional collection of obscure 7"'s.

In retrospect, the NME always had a snobbish attitude to bands outside London, Irish or otherwise. There were brief flirtations with radical chic (e.g the Redskins during the miners strike), more fashion than anything else. Have'nt read it for years, I have to say, remember queuing outside the newsagent on Thursday mornings, waiting for them to open. Innocent days