Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone

by Michael Bradley

Michael Bradley joined his school friend's group in Derry, Northern Ireland in the summer of 1974. They had two guitars and no singer. Four years later the Undertones recorded 'Teenage Kicks', John Peel's favourite record, and became one of the most fondly remembered UK bands of the post punk era. Sticking to their punk rock principles, they signed terrible deals, made great records and had a wonderful time. They broke up in 1983 when they realised there was no pot of gold at the end of the rock and roll rainbow. His story is a bitter-sweet, heart-warming and occasionally droll tale of unlikely success, petty feuding and playful mischief during five years of growing up in the music industry. Wiser but not much richer, Michael became a bicycle courier in Soho after the Undertones split. "Sixty miles a day, fresh air, no responsibilities," he writes. "Sometimes I think it was the best job I ever had. It wasn't, of course."

Genres: Music, Ireland

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2016

Reviews

[Nestor Rychtyckyj · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Undertones were the hidden treasure of the early punk rock days. Hailing from Derry in Northern Ireland, they created some of the most enjoyable and listenable and fun songs that were ever written. Their career did not last very long, but they did reunite and continue to perform and have released a couple of more albums. But this enjoyable and frequently hilarious book by bass player Michael Bradley focuses on the original incarnation of the Undertones.

Michael Bradley has a knack of putting us into Derry and into the minds of these young kids as they create a band and basically will themselves to constantly improve and create their own original brand of music. There is no punk scene in Derry and the Undertones learn everything they need to know from hearing albums by bands like the Stooges and the Ramones. For them London is a faraway paradise that is only imagined through the pages of the NME. This self-deprecating tone runs through the book and the Undertones never take themselves too seriously. The story of them recording “Teenage Kicks” and sending it to John Peel is well-known but given a very humble presentation in the book. It seems that they started a band because there was nothing better to do and they were thrilled that anybody liked them at all. This attitude is not appreciated by their record labels and management and contributes to the end of the Undertones when they cannot follow up their early hits.

The story of the Undertones is not that different and there is very little “rock star” behavior exhibited by them at all. They tour the USA with the Clash (I saw them in Detroit and they were fantastic!) but really never become big stars, which they seemingly don’t want anyways. The book ends with their inevitable breakup when singer Feargal Sharkey leaves the band, but is seems that they all saw the end coming. The book does not cover their reunion in 1999 sans Feargal which continues to today.

There is nothing unique about the Undertones (save their brilliant 3-minute songs of pop-punk greatness), but this book is a fantastic look into those days when punk could (almost) change the world.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and interesting account of Bradley's time forming a punk band in 1970's Derry, Northern Ireland in the middle of The Troubles, and The Undertones rise and fall. One of the most refreshing things about this book is Bradley's no-nonsense straight to the main course way of storytelling. There are no long winded yarns about his childhood or life after the band, it's pure 1975 - 1983 Undertones, and his unpretentious, witty and self-deprecating style is hugely enjoyable.

[Jānis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, unpretentious book about a punk rock band of the 70ies that could have been superstars but never wanted to. A must read for rock music fans.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light inside look at a favorite band

Mickey Bradley played bass for the Undertones, who recorded a couple of my favorite songs. This is an insider’s look at the creation and (brief) rise and fall of the band. Bradley’s style is informal and self-effacing, and his tendency to say, essentially, “I don’t really remember what happened exactly” left me occasionally wishing he were a more thorough memoirist. But overall the tone and style reflect the chaotic nature of the band’s history, the nascent punk music scene, and the personalities of the main players (especially singer Feargal Sharkey and songwriter John O’Neill) shine through clearly (abeit no doubt colored by Bradleys’ memory). The Undertones may end up a footnote in the story of punk, but from Bradley’s telling, it seems that status might be more than they ever expected, or wanted.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splendidly told tale of the beginning, middle and the end of The Undertones, with a cheeky and self-deprecating text that you almost hear yourself reading in a Derry accent. At the time I don't think that there was any sense that The Undertones had lost touch with their true spark, as they moved into the more brassy and poppy areas of the last two LPs, just that they were 'developing'. Retrospect, though, sees each LP moving further and further away from what we loved most. But we still loved them. And those four LPs stand up very well as a body of work. Reading the book, it makes me want to go listen to each of those albums again, and so I will, very very loudly.

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't enjoyed abook so much for years. The Undertones were my band, just right. They were so good yet only stayed around until the year I got a job. Now reformed, they are as old as me, but still really, really good. Albeit without Feargal Sharkey, now a clean water advocate. He always was the slight oddone out in the band, and Mickey deals with it all very fairly. This portrait of being ateenager with no money, three TV channels but a sharp wit certainly brought it home to me how odd my teenage years would seem to the Social Media teens of today. All in all, I'm glad I had the Undertones to keep me company and not Logan Paul or any of his other equally shallow contemporaries

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining story of the rise & fall of the Undertones. I grew up in Derry and saw them a few times. I was working at Chesters when they declined their offer to manage them. To jog Michael's memory, the 'Barry Cowan's were Graham Slane and John Higgins. The third member of the team, Brian Robinson, didn't have a beard - just a dodgy moustache.

An enjoyable read - recommended. It's definitely not ghost written - you can hear Michael's voice on every page.

[Xenia Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read about the Undertones or 'the street urchins from war-torn Derry who battled their way through clouds of tear gas to play punk rock' and ran out of 50 p coins for electricity while shooting the video.

[Mancman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm and honest account of how school friends formed a band, had some hits and then split up.
There’s much more to the book that that précis, but that’s the crux of it.
Self deprecation and humour abound in this, and it evokes the spirit of the time in a compelling way.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would probably benefit from a mid-price reissue.

[Neil Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very charming read. You don't have to be a fan of the Undertones to appreciate Bradley's gently self-mocking humour and wonderful descriptions of the incredible experiences he had.

[David Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book about a brilliant band. Reading it is like Mickey telling you a story!

[Killian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good yarn about the early days of the Undertones, and life in Derry

[Alex McGreevy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent insight into one of the most underrated punk bands. They were just regular working-class lads growing up in the city torn by division and conflict - and they just wanted to rock, and that's what they did.

Michael Bradley gives an honest, forthright account of the band's naivety in dealing with record companies and contracts, and how the late, great John Peel's decision to play their music opened doors to the big bad world beyond Derry.

Well worth reading if you are interested in music, punk, a musician, Irish history - and of course one of the greatest songs of all time - Teenage Kicks!

[Johnmcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was into it. Love how they disliked Stiff Little Fingers
(who I love). They didn’t care, truly. The story about meeting young Bono Vox illustrates this. He has great (humorous) stories about their times, but doesn’t take it too seriously.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covers efficiently the spirit of the late 70s kickstarting the punks in the northern part of Ireland. Bradley's memoir starts with his upbringing, in Derry city, amongst those at school who around '74, influenced by glam as well as the Stones, the usual hard rock, but also a Fifties-crooner sensibility you can hear in their extremely tuneful melodies. Fronted by Feargal Sharkey, trained as traditional 'sean nós' (a cappella in the Irish-language repertoire of song), with his quavering, distinctive tenor, a talent. Bradley rightly emphasizes how he didn't want to become too skilled on his instrument (a fumbling bass player myself, I can relate!), to keep that initial fresh inspiration.

As were bassist Mickey, Billy Doherty on drums, and the amazing duo of John and Dee O'Neill on guitars. Their instrumental blend gave the band tight, firm rhythm, and intertwining, fraternally sparring, and intricate chords for Sharkey to project above. Their pop-punk, tight in the style of the Ramones on their excellent singles and 1978 s/t debut LP, by their third album expanded, under the production of Elvis Costello's Roger Becherian. While I found their final "The Sin of Pride" at the time too overwrought, its Motown and 'psychedelic soul' swirl full of melodrama fits that sad title aptly, and as all their output, it holds up very well compared to the ephemera of most of their peers.

I can't say that the contents of the recollections leap out as astonishing. Yet, they serve their right role as chronicling how kids grow up to take on the rock scene. And how they, serendipitously, are championed by none other than the great DJ John Peel, arbiter of taste, mentor of raw musicians needing a hearing. Bradley charts the fortunes of the group, the tensions that inevitably loom large, although I was encouraged to learn, despite my suspicions to the contrary, that their breakup was amicable, more a casualty of friends needing space and time off after a decade together in intense music-making, touring, pub camaraderie, and the usual frictions of mates bonded very closely, who mature, marry, and find the need to make a living within the contentious as always music industry.

Bradley captures the tight-knit spirit of his native turf, and how during (an understatement) trying times, the band and their circle of fans kept their inspirations high, and how they as Irishmen did not succumb to the stereotypes, prejudices, or divisions which threatened so many of their peers. And, by the way, the O'Neill brothers next band, That Petrol Emotion, also merits your sonic search.

[Séamas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhain mé an-sult as an leabhar seo, agus mholfainn do dhuine ar bith, fiú daoine nach as Doire dóibh, é a léamh.

[Iain Fairhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Work, Rest and PLAY

Brilliant read. Written with self deprecation and wit by Michael Bradley. Great that the life told behind The Undertones reflects so similar to what I had hopefully imagined they would be like from their gigs, ( sorry....concerts) & their wonderful songs. I came up a Jam fan so kinda chuffed Michael seemed to like them & Weller. If he could spare time to do a Jam biography with the wit shown here would be extremely welcome.
My first review, reflects my enjoyment of this blistering read of a blistering band. See you at Brum on your 2017 tour