Best Irish groups who never made it

mr kr0nik · 31-01-2011 7:46pm

Yes please...

refusetolose · 31-01-2011 7:54pm

mr kr0nik wrote: »

Yes please...

no prob

ill have to dig it out,ill pm you when its ready to download

mr kr0nik · 31-01-2011 8:01pm

Cheers.

Amazotheamazing · 31-01-2011 8:22pm

K0K0 wrote: »

Saville

Vinyl was just about the weakest song in their set at the time but it got played on totp2 so became their best known. They were an unreal live band and had the tunes but their debut album didn't really capture them well.

A song called 'the green and blue' was their finest hour for me.

You're a gent, I honestly began to doubt that song existed.

teekayd25 · 31-01-2011 8:49pm

Nolanger wrote: »

They ripped off PWEI, EMF, Happy Mondays, and lots of other bands from the early '90s.

PWEI with their drum machines and their high-pitched guitars . . . wouldn't think so. Also EMF wouldn't seem to have been formed at the time that gig was being done.

The Happy Mondays claim maybe isn't as bad, but Belsonic Sound had formed in 1985 and always had a bass-driven, reggae-influenced sound.

Thundercats Ho · 01-02-2011 5:15pm

Whipping Boy.
Heartworm is possibly the best ever Irish album imo.

To a lesser degree, I thought BellX1 and the Stunning had enough about them, to make it in the UK.

trashcan · 01-02-2011 9:42pm

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

The Hitchers
The Stars of Heaven
but mainly - Whipping Boy

The Stars have got my vote. The best Irish band ever for my money. Amazing body of songs. In a sane world they'd have been massive. Still a regular on my Ipod and one of my top 5 favourite bands ever, from anywhere.

SilverScreen · 01-02-2011 10:05pm

Generation Terrorist wrote: »

Also, wouldn't say that JJ72 necessarily made it - 500k worth of sales of their first album in the UK fair enough, but their second album bombed, which was a shame, as I actually prefer it to their eponymous debut.

JJ72 were really unfortunate. Their record company completely screwed them over by not promoting I To Sky enough and for shelving their 3rd album, they really deserved so much better but that's the music business for you. But they did make it to some degree however, they still have a pretty strong cult following both at home and in the UK.

pappyodaniel · 02-02-2011 4:28pm

The Hitchers from Limerick were catchy as hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k__IgXLmjIs

S.M.B. · 02-02-2011 10:24pm

Zero1986 wrote: »

JJ72 were really unfortunate. Their record company completely screwed them over by not promoting I To Sky enough and for shelving their 3rd album, they really deserved so much better but that's the music business for you. But they did make it to some degree however, they still have a pretty strong cult following both at home and in the UK.

Their first album was given a lot of support on release in the UK though. That's what I meant. They had the platform to make it, their CD was everywhere. Whether they failed to take advantage of it or got screwed over, I'm not sure.

They had their chance though....

ascanbe · 02-02-2011 11:10pm

One i haven't seen mentioned that comes to mind:
Bawl: had a few class singles around the mid-90's. Think they changed their name/had members form another group after that. Can't recall the name.

vanjaqwq · 04-02-2011 2:11am

How Wormhole hasn’t been mentioned is beyond me. They released 2 brilliant EP's "Lay It On" & "Chopper" (on roadrunner, a very metal label but they weren't metal) and an animal album called "Chick Dig Scars" in the mid 90's. They were an indie type band, fairly noisy/experimental hailing from Ringsend. I'd really put those release's up their with the Melvins and Sonic Youth type stuff. I really thought the world was their oyster if they continue releasing that type of stuff. A name change to The Wormhole's, label issues, some bad releases (in my mind) and usual sh*te that happens to Irish bands and they petty much imploded. Defo worth checking. Not much on the net expect this.

http://ringsendblues.webs.com/thewormholes.htm

Bawl became The Fixed Star's which became Pony Club. Mark Cullen is a genius.

I think the lead singer of Melaton gave it all up to become a concert pianist.

Nolanger · 04-02-2011 6:39pm

The mullets, the power rock, the video, the U2 guitars, the posing, they should have been huge!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og_3SbTbMRE

coconut5 · 04-02-2011 6:58pm

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Future Kings Of Spain, 2 great albums but they've split now I think.

You reminded me of the greatness that is 'Venetian Blinds', just looked it up on youtube now.

c0c · 05-02-2011 9:54pm

Compulsion.

Mall Monarchy

niallo76 · 06-02-2011 2:08am

ten speed racer

the idiots

kaplin

Miguel_Sanchez · 06-02-2011 2:57pm

c0c wrote: »

Compulsion.

Mall Monarchy

I used to love those guys. One of them is a huge producer now, works with REM, Crystal Castles and Snow Patrol.

Hippo · 06-02-2011 7:14pm

As a follow up to the mention of Microdisney, it's worth saying that Cathal Coughlan is still turning out fantastic solo stuff, well worth a listen. He'll never be huge but he's a major artist.

aidan24326 · 07-02-2011 4:04pm

This thread makes you realise how tough it is to really make it in the music business. I suppose the likes of The Stunning and Whipping Boy had a degree of success, more than most bands ever have, but for some reason it never really kicked off for them internationally.

Billy Corgan even mentioned Whipping Boy in an interview once, that he thought they were a great band. They're the one that stick out for me as having had the talent to be a lot bigger and more successful than they were. I don't know why it didn't really work out for them, probably s combination of factors, some of which may have been their own fault.

Nolanger · 08-02-2011 8:11pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

This thread makes you realise how tough it is to really make it in the music business.

No it's not. If most of those bands had kept going and released an album every few years instead of trying to instanty succeed they would have made it eventually.

gpo68 · 08-02-2011 8:45pm

JUBILEE ALLSTARS - PLEASE DONT GIVE UP ON ME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvUKU3u0hY

PaulBrewer · 08-02-2011 10:17pm

I'm familiar with nearly all the bands suggested (I also toured with That Petrol Emotion) and I disagree - virtually all bands were lacking to my ears (including the Petrols who I love !) in many ways.

Might I enquire whether the bands mentioned are bands you were into when you were in your late teens/early 20s ?

That's a guaranteed time for the glasses to be tinted rose !

I used to believe, really believe, The Jam were the best band in the world ever ..... now, even though I still love their work, I can see that that's really not the case.

Dubhthamlacht · 10-02-2011 2:21pm

Revelino, Turn, NPB, Rollerskate Skinny, JJ72, Whipping boy, Scheer, Kerbdog .......so many great bands and such a shame they didn't become as big as they should have.

To that list I would add Director. Their first album was great.

Miguel_Sanchez · 10-02-2011 3:00pm

Dubhthamlacht wrote: »

Revelino, Turn, NPB, Rollerskate Skinny, JJ72, Whipping boy, Scheer, Kerbdog .......so many great bands and such a shame they didn't become as big as they should have.

To that list I would add Director. Their first album was great.

Director are still going so it might be a bit premature to write them off yet.

Boooourns · 10-02-2011 7:17pm

The Chalets.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 12-02-2011 3:58pm

Anyone ever here of a band called porn trauma who later became known as The Last Tycoons? I went to a few of their gigs back in my college days which is about 3 years ago and thought they were brilliant , but I haven't heard anything since as to how they got on. AFAIK they had an album deal back then.

Irish_Elect_Eng · 12-02-2011 4:03pm

The Legendary "Blaze X" and "Too Much for the White Man"

Miguel_Sanchez · 12-02-2011 4:50pm

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

The Legendary "Blaze X" and "Too Much for the White Man"

I can honestly say I've never heard of either of those bands - when were they around?

Nolanger · 12-02-2011 5:49pm

One was an earlier version of the Saw Doctors.

baltimore sun · 12-02-2011 11:51pm

I noticed a few posts earlier in the thread about what Fearghall McKee from Whipping Boy is doing now, he's got at least two projects on the go.
Here
www.myspace.com/filthynewtide and
http://bit.ly/eXINp7

I think Whipping Boy did make it though, they were acclaimed, they had some success, particularly in France, toured with Lou Reed etc.

But...I'd go with Rollerskate Skinny, Kerbdog. There's a huge bunch around now that won't make it for the simple reason that they're too lazy to leave Ireland and go for it, Giveamanakick shoulda been huge but they were happy to just tour around Ireland, they coulda been something special if they'd have gotten picked up in the UK. They're broken up now though.

Irish_Elect_Eng · 13-02-2011 2:31pm

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

I can honestly say I've never heard of either of those bands - when were they around?

Early Eighties from Tuam @ Surrounds

Blaze X

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaze_X

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzmoR58E0M0

Too Much for the White Man

Then:
http://fanningsessions.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/too-much-for-the-whiteman/

Now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01X7iImq1fw

My thanks to these guys for many of the best nights out of my teenage years.:)

david75 · 14-02-2011 9:22am

Turn were an incredible band and had an amazing sound for only three guys. Great live band and great songs. They should have been huge.

did the frames make it? i dunno.

Doolittle51 · 14-02-2011 11:04am

Anyone remember Blink? Don't know much of their stuff but Cello is a great song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49vDPiz4TI

Also, Desert Hearts from Belfast. Saw them years ago supporting The Breeders in The Ambassador. Their debut 'Let's Get Worse' is a cracking album.

http://www.last.fm/music/Desert+Hearts

david75 · 14-02-2011 1:48pm

Anyone know where I could get my hands on Rollerskate Skinny's Horsedrawn Wishes?
had it years ago but it's long since gone from the house.

thanks in advance.

Miguel_Sanchez · 14-02-2011 1:59pm

david75 wrote: »

Anyone know where I could get my hands on Rollerskate Skinny's Horsedrawn Wishes?
had it years ago but it's long since gone from the house.

thanks in advance.

You can pick it up fairly cheaply 2nd hand off Amazon.

teekayd25 · 14-02-2011 4:00pm

Tuesday Blue, '80s band from Limerick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlTYMNX5hTk

Witchie · 15-02-2011 3:14am

Agree on Whipping Boy and That Petrol Emotion, two of my favs from back in the day who still make me smile when they show up on my ipod.

The Pale were another favourite of mine and I remember meeting Matthew Deveraux where I was working and him giving me a listen to his new band at the time "the product" and falling madly in love with it too.

One band I havent seen mentioned here whom I adored and am gutted that I gave away my copy of their album to someone and now cant get another is Relish. Their harmonies and just pure soulful rock is close to perfection. I miss them.

Slightly off topic but does anyone here remember Cranc and Geppetto?? Just curious!

Dissenter · 15-02-2011 4:17am

Turn
Rollerskate Skinny
Thee Amazing Colossal Men
Cherry Blossom and the Flower Fairies
The Golden Horde
Zero Days
Jubilee Allstars

I also particularly liked Death to Disco by Ten Speed Racer, but not much of their other stuff. Can't find a link for it.

Rollerskate Skinny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o376bLdhxd0

Zero Days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGNsla-cwW8

Jubilee Allstars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxTETcn5KoE

Bootsy. · 15-02-2011 9:47am

For me it has to be Blue Ghost.

Listen to them here: http://www.myspace.com/blueghostkilkenny

Amazing band. So creative and different to the usual Irish bands.

It was Dave Holland, who played under the name Good Tiger for a while and is now house engineer/resident DJ at The Set venue in Kilkenny, and Jeremy Hickey, who is now doing very well for himself as RSAG.
The singer Caroline is in The Radio and the bass player Monty used to be in Revelino.

I miss that band, brilliant live. One of my favorite bands ever, from anywhere.

Decatur84 · 15-02-2011 12:32pm

The Immediate. Conor from the Villagers was in this band before Villagers

iMax · 15-02-2011 12:53pm

The Honey Theives. Had a great song called "Whiskey on your lips" (which I can't find)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-6AL1_PpAY

Saw them in the Stadium back in 1991 I think, supporting either An Emotional Fish or Something Happens.

I used to go to so many gigs back then

Dissenter · 15-02-2011 6:00pm

iMax wrote: »

The Honey Theives. Had a great song called "Whiskey on your lips" (which I can't find)

Saw them in the Stadium back in 1991 I think, supporting either An Emotional Fish or Something Happens.

I used to go to so many gigs back then

They played a double headliner with Cherry Blossom and the Flower Fairies in The Baggot Inn back in 1990.

http://www.myspace.com/cbff

Blast from the past :cool:

Faolchu · 18-02-2011 1:57pm

Douglas Plump Doughnut wrote: »

Someone told me recently that she's only 32 NOW! means she must have only been 14 or 15 when she was in Engine Alley .
Love this

Emmaline Duffy Fallon was her name and yeah she was pretty young alright she started with them at 15

maybe take a look here

take everything · 19-02-2011 1:20pm

Compulsion: Mall Monarchy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktDeuXe1AjY

Revelino: Happiness is mine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBfMeXKPtJs

Lir: In a day

Scheer: Wish you were dead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w0dBmGENHY

Sack: What did the Christians ever do for us

That Petrol Emotion: Sensitize

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PgI3reoUvA

Rollerskate Skinny kinda made it but still:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elcj9iBrvjs

Kerbdog : Sally (also kinda made it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph9xuNPsS8w

Whipping Boy: Twinkle (Kinda made it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVzZFdbM6d0

A lot of quality for bands that never (fully) made it.

Balmed Out · 19-02-2011 8:42pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i47BcajYZU

not sure he had much else but this is one of my fave Irish songs

Seaneh · 22-02-2011 4:44am

There's been a few from around the midlands who should have done better than they did.

Recently there was My Fallen Empire, insanely talented group of musicians who for whatever reason just scrapped their self recorded album half way through mixing it.
You can stream one song on their myspace, but they were great live.
http://www.myspace.com/myfallenempiremusic
Singer is a journo with a local paper and the lead guitarist opened a music school, was promised a load of grant money that never came and it has since closed.
Been trying to get them to give me the unmastered album for ages now, not likely to happen though.

Around the time the Revs were all over the radio here there was a band called bunny, they played pretty average radio friendly pop rock but they were getting a fair bit of coverage, they were almost sued by playboy at one stage for using the playboy logo on their merch, they released an album here called slick corperate music on that label who were a sub of sony that left about 5 bands balls deep in debt and used to run kids gigs...
Then they moved to the states to re-record it and new material, last about a year there then 4 of them came home and the singer stayed. The drummer is member of a covers band that plays all the college functions and stuff like that now.

Few years ago there was a band from Athlone called skinsized kings, played all the festivles and a few in the UK, recorded their album in gross lodge, toured a fair bit, were getting pretyt good press but stuff stalled at some stage, singer died about 2 years ago and nothing since. Music was good, John McGrath, the drummer, did all the arranging, very creative stuff. Could have been pretty decent stuff.

And right now there is a band called Kill Goliath from Athlone (3 of them anyway).
McGrath involved again with 3 other very talented musicans, getting a lot of support slots on UK tours at the minute, album sounding very nice so far and they could do quite well.
http://www.myspace.com/killgoliath

Adrian009 · 22-02-2011 5:16am

God, where to begin? I still wish Phil had'nt died. He missed so much. Italia '90. Presenting one of the Eurovisions. Getting close and personal to all three Corr sisters, Grainne AND Sile Seoige ... no other single man could have done so much to so many women.