Re-forming legendary punk bands is a tough call. Yes, you could - and perhaps should - declare in advance that you're in it for the filthy lucre (Johnny, can you hear me?) or else struggle down the difficult road of coming back with new material and hope you can sustain peoples' interests while carving out something akin to a new niche for yourself the way the likes of Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks have done - pretty admirably - over the past 15 years or so. Whatever you do, the chances are you'll alienate at least a percentage of your old fan base and possibly even tarnish the reputation you once had.
Like I say, it's a tough call, but it's made even tougher when your original frontman decides to opt out. Which is, of course, the situation THE UNDERTONES found themselves in when Feargal Sharkey decided re-unions would be out of the question where appearing on the stage with Messrs. Bradley, Doherty, O'Neill and O'Neill was concerned.
So a lot of people probably imagined new Undertones vocalist PAUL McLOONE was playing with a particularly lethal stick of dynamite when he accepted the gig as Sharkey's erstwhile replacement for a series of re-union shows which very gradually morphed into a full-blown reformation, albeit one taken at the re-animated band's own pace.
The irony of it is that McLoone's tenure as Undertones frontman has now just about exceeded the seven years or so Sharkey spent at the Derry band's helm, yet he's sanguine about the comparisons he's had to shake off as the 'new boy' over the past few years.
"It really is inevitable," replies Paul down the phone from Dublin.
"I swiftly realised there was no point in taking criticism on board about whether I do or don't sound like Feargal. I've had people saying I sound too like him and too unlike him, so I've got to the point where it just rolls off me. It's one of those 'screwed if you do, screwed if you don't' situations, so you just don't worry about it after a while."
Paul sounds remarkably well adjusted about this, but then he's an excellent frontman in his own right and he's brought his own charisma to the table where the present day Undertones are concerned. It's there for all to hear on the band's two post-reformation albums, 'Get What You Need' (2003) and the especially satisfying 'Dig Yourself Deep', which was released to critical acclaim towards the end of 2007.
Besides, on the two occasions this writer's seen the band turn in energetically brilliant sets over the past couple of years, it looks (and sounds) like it's a lot of fun for the whole band these days. Is that the case Paul?
"Yeah, it really is," replies the exuberant and hugely likeable McLoone.
"The thing is, it's not like The Undertones comeback was very high profile and really we do't exist as a band on a daily basis these days. I mean, after the Belfast show tomorrow (we'll get to this in a moment - ed) we've deliberately left the slate clean for this year."
Oh right, that rather scotches my next question about whether you're working on a follow-up to 'Dig Yourself Deep'...
"Well, the only plan as such is to not plan things and see what coalesces and maybe we'll record some new stuff again next year," laughs Paul.
"I mean these days we're definitely NOT in it for the money, no-one's expecting to retire from the proceeds and keeping it relatively sporadic keeps it all great fun. It's not our income stream these days, so we don't have to worry about it in that respect."
Paul's very kindly taken time out to chat to W&H during a break from his 'proper' job, producing DJ Tom Dunne's show for Irish radio's Today FM - an excellent listen in itself. So yourself aside, Paul, what does an Undertone do when he's not onstage these days?
"Well, everyone's busy in their own ways," he replies.
"John (O'Neill)'s in a happy position in that he doesn't have a nine-to-five situation these days, though he was very involved in the Nerve Centre (excellent Derry venue and musicians resources centre - ed) for a long time. Billy (Doherty) works in management for a factory in Derry which imports hard drives for computers from the U.S - he's the manager of materials coming in...it's somewhere that's helped regenerate Derry's commercial fortunes actually."
I remember Mickey (Bradley) worked at Derry's Radio Foyle for a long time...
"He still does," reveals Paul, "he's a producer there, though he's more involved in current affairs programmes these days."
And Damien O'Neill?
"Yeah, Damien's busy too, he lives in London, and has a number of projects on the go. We've all plenty to occupy ourselves as men of a certain age these days," he finishes, laughing.
Thankfully, despite all this activity, The Undertones find windows in their respective schedules to get together and do what many of us still love them to bits for - making great records and playing incendiary shows when the spirit moves them. Recent album 'Dig Yourself Deep' exudes the kind of energy most 18 year olds would be jealous of and a number of reviews have compared it favourably with their legendary debut album. How does this sit with you, Paul?
"Well, maybe we went overboard in concentrating on two minute songs with loud guitars," he considers.
"So in that sense I guess you could say it sounds like the debut album, but it's certainly not in a contrived way. John was writing very 3-chord-y, garage-y songs, plus we really were keen to present a 30 minute blast of energetic pop songs, it felt very natural to do it like that."
"It's probably closer to say it was a way of referencing the influences informing the first LP, the likes of stuff from 'Nuggets' and so on, y'know," he continues. "Plus, the making of 'Get What You Need' was way too protracted, so we wanted to ensure this would be done concisely and in a short time frame. It was, and the record benefits from that."
I second that emotion, for sure, although this writer for one is glad they found space to include songs like the shimmering 'Tomorrow's Tears' and the delightfully vulnerable 'Move Right In' amongst the more familiar crunching chords and hooks. Do you feel the band's softer side often gets overshadowed by the legend-building 'Teenage Kicks' and the band's (reluctant or otherwise) involvement with the Punk/ New Wave movement?
"Yeah, I do," says Paul, who - like myself - chooses John O'Neill's gorgeous 'Julie Ocean' as his favourite Undertones song, "although at the same time, I feel the ratio's about right on the new album."
"I think it's healthy to experiment, and actually it was me more than anyone who hamered my fists on the table to ensure 'Move Right In' was included on the album. Having said that, I'm not sure whether going wholsesale after a gentler pop sound is a good idea. The band as a whole feel they suffered from doing that when they made 'Sin Of Pride' (under-rated, soul-influenced fourth Undertones album and the last before their initial split - ed) and maybe went too far outside the pop-punk parameters."
Of course, one of the enduring hallmarks of the Undertones is the quality of their songwriting. Both Damien O'Neill and Mickey Bradley have penned amazing tunes like 'It's Going To Happen', 'Family Entertainment' and 'I'm Recommending Me' over the years, but in John O'Neill they have - for this writer - one of THE great songwriters in rock'n'roll history. The interview he gives during the 'Teenage Kicks' DVD suggests he's extremely modest about his achievements though.
"Yes, that's absolutely 100% correct," Paul confirms.
"John's quite probably the most self-effacing guy I've ever met. He's a real gent and he's very egalitarian. He's certainly not down on himself, but he does very much shun the idea that what he's achieved with his songs makes him any better than anyone else. Having said that, I think inside he knows he's good and has a quality control within himself."
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Absolutely, but then The Undertones' individual and collective ability to play down their magnificent output over the years has always been one of the things setting them apart and remains refreshing in an industry based around arrogance, ego and chest-beating. John O'Neill even refers as Mickey Bradley as the band's "bullshit detector" in his sleevenotes for the expanded edition of their 'Positive Touch' album...
"Yeah, well he still is," says Paul. "He's very hawk-like, in terms of the quality of what the band produces and he's kind've the unofficial musical director these days. Very vigilant....although the rest of us are seriously lazy, so he probably has to be!"
"Besides, Mickey's a real taskmaster when it comes to my vocals," laughs Paul.
"You might not believe it, but when we were recording 'I'm Recommending Me' from the last album, he made me do that vocal 100 times."
Really? You'd never think it from listening to it. Very Phil Spector.
"Yeah," laughs Paul. "I get my own back when it's his turn to sing though...I'll be on the other side of the glass going "hmm...no, that's not quite good enough Mickey...let's try that again, shall we?"
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall at those sessions for sure. Not that Paul's unfamiliar with taking a few knocks along the way. Regardless of The Undertones, he has an interesting personal history rubbing shoulders with the music industry in his own right.
"Yeah, I was actually in a band with Billy (Doherty) previously called The Carrelines," he reveals.
"It was during the late '80s and early '90s...the kind of time when you only had to walk past a guitar shop and British labels were keen to sign you up."
Except in the case of The Carrelines, that is?
"Except in the case of The Carrelines, yeah," he laughs. "Against my vehement protestations, we entered and won this Hot Press band of the year thing, but even that didn't swing anything for us. Ultimately, we just weren't quite good enough. Not bad, but not great - nothing to distinguish us from the crowd."
Undeterred, Paul set about getting involved in demos and production in Derry when The Carrelines folded.
"Yeah, I set up a recording studio in the days before the Nerve Centre took off," he says.
"It was a 16-track demo place and again that was with Billy. Later, I managed a band called Schtum. They did OK really, especially in the States...they got a lot of college radio play, but imploded on their third tour over there."
The usual 'musical differences' scenario?
"Well, a combination of factors, I guess," says Paul evenly. "Their singer Christian is still in the States, actually, in Boston. I do't know if they speak to each other these days, but they still all speak to me!" he laughs.
Talking of still speaking, I'm chatting with Paul on the eve of a historic Belfast show, with The Undertones due to take to the stage of the city's Mandela Hall to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of Terri Hooley's legendary Good Vibrations label. Without whom there would have been no 'Teenage Kicks' of course.
"It's a benefit show for Terri Hooley," Paul tells me. "He more than deserves it, because he shone a light for music in Derry when the kind of thing The Undertones and many more were trying to do was anything but the norm in Northern Ireland and he really should be recognised for that."
W&H can only heartily concur with that. But while Terri and Good Vibrations (like John Peel) will forever be remembered for their involvement with the release of 'Teenage Kicks', the label gave the wider public a chance to hear a whole load of bands making vitally important rackets, didn't it?
"Absolutely," Paul agrees. "I mean, we live in different times these days, but you have to remember back then that Terri was really swimming against the tide in getting Good Vibrations off the ground. His contribution was enormous, he should be remembered in Northern Ireland the way - for example - Tony Wilson always will be for Factory and Manchester in general."
Yeah. He's one of those indefinable catalysts for sure. But do you think the rest of his achievements are sometimes forgotten in the wake of 'Teenage Kicks'?
"Yes, 'Teenage Kicks' shouldn't obscure his broader achievements," Paul replies.
"It tends to overshadow a load of great releases and the fact he brought other great bands like Rudi and The Outcasts to the public's attention too. The fact he helped people progress their art at a time when most people otherwise laughed at them mustn't be underestimated, and even if some of his releases weren't commercially successful, they certainly were culturally. The trouble is, people have a tendency to only acknowledge such things when the dust has settled and they look back," he finishes poignantly.
Does Terri still have a Good Vibrations shop in Belfast these days?
"Well, he still has a shop, but it's called something else...can't remember for the life of me," replies Paul.
"To be honest, I doubt Terri has much of a choice really. He really is such a character. I doubt very much he'd be able to do anything else to be honest, but he is and remains an example to us all."
Indeed he does. But then so do The Undertones. The kind of band who made us fall in love with rock'n'roll to begin with and remain vividly relevant today. I really doesn't get much better than that, does it?
(www.theundertones.com )
(* 'Dig Yourself Deep' is available now on Cooking Vinyl.
www.cookingvinyl.com )
(* 'Good Vibrations - The Punk Singles Collection' has recently been re-issued on Anagram through Cherry Red. It features a trove of great tunes from The Outcasts, Rudi, The Bankrobbers, The Moondogs, Protex as well as The Undertones and is available from www.cherryred.co.uk )
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