If there was an action movie based on Northern Irish music, Derry City would be the epicentre for the whole film.
We’d see the plucky young Undertones being guided to greatness by their Good Vibrations mentor Terri Hooley. We’d watch SOAK saturate the pop-charts, taking on the corporate machine with her acoustic in hand, and Cherym as they drink in a deal with Alcopop Records.
This past year has felt like a movie in itself. A global pandemic, a music scene on its knees and not a script in sight to help navigate the storyline. Amidst the uncertainty Decky Hedrock (producer) and Mick McCallion (songwriting/drums) take sanctuary in their rehearsal space, with dreams of bringing their electronic beats to as many ears as possible. They name their band Last Survivor, which speaks of resilience in the face of hardship.
Against the odds, Decky and Mick’s music finds its way to Atlantic Traxx, the English based record label owned by 90’s dance-duo Basement Jaxx. They sign a record deal without so much as playing a gig, or releasing a song.
It’s a remarkable beginning to the Last Survivor story.
To be continued...
