Dalymount Park, 1979

On a hot summer's day in July 1979 a car-load of teenagers hit the road from the Liberties and drove about 4 hours south to Dalymount Park, just outside Dublin.  The reason was music.  The headline group that day was Status Quo and they were backed by Judas Priest (heavy), Rockpile (not heavy at all) and our very own band from up the road, The Undertones (decidedly light).  It was an open-air concert and while thankfully it stayed dry we were a little farther from the stage than was usual - that's my way of excusing the fact that the photographs aren't the best.

Let's kick off with the Undertones - a Derry band that used to play at our local venue a lot.

Feargal Sharkey of the Undertones

John O'Neill - another Undertone

The Undertones always played a great set - tremendous energy.  A bit like a local version of The Ramones, I used to think.   I think I might have had 2 cameras with me that day, as I found some B&W pics as well.

Feargal Sharkey and Mickey Bradley

Aw just look at the lads there, so young...Mickey Bradley, on the old Rickenbacker bass, now works for a local BBC radio station and there isn't much he doesn't know about music.  Feargal Sharkey had a solo career for a while after he split from the band and then did much to promote the UK live music industry - he was head of UK Music until 2011.

And don't panic - there's more of The Undertones to come in the future (Ed: Oh I wasn't panicking, rest assured).

Moving up the order of play, Rockpile was much more classic rock-and-roll and Dave Edmunds was an accomplished guitarist.  Here he is with a beautiful-looking instrument (hair blowin' in the wind and all). 

Dave Edmunds in 1979

By now, the light was beginning to fade, so a lot of the snaps from now on are quite blurry - me shutter speeds must have been too low, or maybe I was shaking with excitement.  Here's Judas Priest - a snap worthy of inclusion just for the 'Flying-V' Gibson and the all-leather gear as worn by Rob Halford.  Grammy award-winners, they are, in case you didn't know...

Judas Priest

And lastly we have the main attraction - Status Quo.  

The Quo were great live, but I think I was a little jaded by the time they came on.  Being 16, I had no idea you had to pace yourself at these sorts of gigs. I think it's safe to assume that I slept well that night, wherever I was - can't remember the details now of course.

Hope you enjoyed this little departure from the norm on the Friday 'retro' slot, or Bandfriday, as Mr Roy Karlsvik puts it.  You might like to check out his blog, which is rather good.