The Undertones - Formation and Early Gigs

Formation and Early Gigs

The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1975. The band members were five friends from Creggan and the Bogside, who originally drew inspiration from such artists as the Beatles, Small Faces and Lindisfarne. The band initially rehearsed cover versions at the home of the guitarists, brothers John and Damian O'Neill, and in the shed of a neighbour. By the following year the group, at this stage still unnamed, began playing gigs at minor local venues, including schools, parish halls and scout huts, where the band's lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, was a local scout leader. Sharkey was also responsible for giving the band their first name: at the introduction to a gig at Saint Joseph's Secondary School in Derry on 16 March 1976, Feargal Sharkey was asked the name of the band and quickly replied "The Hot Rods". At a later gig, Sharkey named the band "Little Feat": a name already used by another group.

Later that year, drummer Billy Doherty proposed an alternate name for the group: The Undertones, which Doherty had discovered in a history book. The other members of the band agreed to the proposal.

With the arrival of punk rock in late 1976, the artistic focus of the band changed. Artists such as the Adverts, Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks and, particularly, the Ramones became major influences on the Undertones.

In addition to being a scout leader, Feargal Sharkey worked as a television repairman and delivery man. The van which Sharkey drove in this employment was used by the Undertones to transport their equipment to and from various venues.