There Is Nothing Like A Damian

Here's me and Damian O' Neill from The Undertones, backstage at the Mandela Hall recently. I wish there was a Photoshop filter that could erase idiotic, squiffy expressions, but sadly it's not been sorted yet.

I first met Damian around 1986 when he was on his second career lease with That Petrol Emotion. We were assembled at an epic French festival called Transmusicalles, which involved lots of media moochers in the lovely town of Rennes. The Petrols were joined by Zodiac Mindwarp and his Love Reaction, The Mission, Test Department and sundry desperadoes. The hotel scenes were shameful, but the music rocked and The Petrols were just starting to become great.

Back at the Mandela, and I asked Damian about the forthcoming TPE appearance at Electric Picnic. He said he was looking forward to the reformed team, and was only a little sad when he revealed that brother John would be absent from the line-up. Still we're all looking forward to seeing Steve Mack, returned from his new media adventures, leaping and bawling with some of that former gusto.