Rudi were a

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

band from

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

formed in 1975. Throughout the late 1970s they were one of the most popular Northern Ireland punk bands but while The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers secured record deals with major labels and had chart success, Rudi didn’t hit the big time and became 'the band that time forgot'. Rudi split in 1982. Their recordings can still be found today.

History

Rudi formed in 1975 as a covers band, playing

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

and

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

hits.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 134Ogg, Alex (2006) ''No More Heroes: a Complete History of UK Punk from 1976 to 1980'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 471-474 The original members were Drew Brown (drums), Leigh Carson, Graham "Grimmy" Marshall (bass guitar), Ronnie Matthews (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Young (guitar, vocals). The band's name was taken from a single called "Oo Oo Rudi" by the Jook. Carson left, and after bassist Johnny Stewart joined, Marshall moved to drums and the group adopted a

pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...

sound. Rudi were the very first punk band in Belfast. "We were the first punk band in Belfast ... Then punk broke and people identified with us. You thought you were the only people who were into this stuff. You didn't realise that two streets away, two other people were reading Sounds and NME." (Brian Young, Rudi) In the early days of punk, the band wore a stage uniform of boiler suits covered in painted punk slogans and Rudi song titles. The boilersuits had been stolen by drummer Marshall from his place of work. Original

Stiff Little Fingers Stiff Little Fingers are a Northern Irish punk rock band from Belfast. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the Deep P ...

bassist Gordon Blair joined in 1977, replacing Stewart. Rudi’s early live set included the crowd favourite “Cops” which started and finished with the chant of “ SS RUC” and a chorus of “we hate the cops”. It was written about the “Battle of Bedford Street” - a confrontation between punks and the RUC in Belfast city centre when The Clash gig at the Ulster Hall in October 1977 was cancelled after the insurance was withdrawn. As Belfast riots go, it was small scale but it was unique in that it was a non-sectarian “riot” by Protestant and Catholic punks. “Cops” was Rudi’s most overtly political song and one of the group’s more "punky" songs. On seeing Rudi perform at The Pound club in Belfast in January 1978, Terri Hooley the owner of

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, produced and composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. Released as a single on October 10, 1966, it achieved immediate critical and commercial success, ...

record shop decided to launch a record label. "Rudi took to the stage and they blew my mind. From the moment the first chords were played I was completely in love with them - hook, line and sinker."(Terri Hooley, Good Vibrations) Rudi pioneered a distinctive Northern Ireland punk sound which Brian Young of Rudi described as “poppy punk with lots of guitar riffs and sing along choruses”.Brian Young interview with
There's Something Hard In There
' (August, 2016) The band's debut release was the "Big Time" single, the first record on Terri Hooley's

label, released in May 1978. It received positive reviews in the music press, and was later described by Henry McDonald of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' as "one of the most perfect pop songs to come out of this island". Rudi, in their early days, played occasional gigs at different venues across Belfast, such as the Pound Club and Glenmachen Stables, but they regularly played The Harp Bar after it opened its doors to punk bands in April 1978. “Rudi was one of the first bands to get in on the act, making our Harp debut in May 1978 … we played The Harp at least once or twice a month, until it closed its doors to punk midway through 1981.”(Brian Young, Rudi) The release of "Big Time" in May 1978 was a breakthrough moment for Rudi and punk in Belfast. It had been preceded, in February, by the very limited (500 copies) release of "Suspect Device" by Stiff Little Fingers. The success of "Big Time" was quickly followed by Good Vibrations releases by Victim, The Outcasts and then, in September, the label released "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones. The success of the "Big Time" single prompted Rudi to relocate to London in August 1978. Rudi were based in London just at the time when the music industry and media were finally showing some interest in the punk scene in Belfast. Rudi did get a profile through gigs and contacts in London but they failed to secure a record deal, and suffered a further setback when guitarist Matthews and drummer Marshall were jailed for a week after their

Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...

squat was raided, and they returned to Belfast in December. Rudi playing "Big Time" in January 1979, at the Glenmachen Stables, was captured on film on
Shellshock Rock
', an independent documentary film on the Northern Irish punk scene that was released in June of the same year. In 1979, Rudi also contributed "Overcome by Fumes" to the ''Battle of the Bands'' EP, and were offered a record deal by

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

, on the condition that they replaced Marshall, but the offer was declined. The "I Spy" EP was released on Good Vibrations in July 1979. The four tracks on the EP were “I Spy”, “Genuine Reply”, “Sometimes” and “Ripped In Two”. The band embarked on a tour of England. Blair was sacked, later joining the Outcasts, with Matthews moving to bass. Rudi recorded a session for Northern Ireland’s Downtown Radio, which was broadcast in October 1979. The tracks recorded were “Time To Be Proud”, “Radio On”, “Claws and Clutches”, “The Pressure’s On”, “Who? You!” and “Excitement”. A television appearance on

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

's '' Something Else'' in 1980 showcased the band's proposed next single on Good Vibrations, "The Pressure's On" and "Who? You!". Rudi's performance recorded in December 1979 captures the group performing two of their best tracks live in front of a studio audience of young Belfast punks.The complete edition of ''Something Else'' ''in Belfast'' can be found on th
links
section of th
Spit Records
website. Links to the Rudi performances of "The Pressure's On" and "Who?You!" can be found on th

of the same website. The two tracks were among Rudi’s best songs but the release of the single never happened and the band left the Good Vibrations label in frustration. The band recorded a session for

Mike Read Michael David Kenneth Read (born 1 March 1947) is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter. Read has been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for having been a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for mus ...

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

show ''The Evening Session'' at the end of April 1980. The tracks broadcast were “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy”, “The Pressure’s On”, “Time To Be Proud” and “Without You”. "Mike helped us a lot and we recorded a killer radio session for his show, which was easily the best thing we had done to date." (Brian Young, Rudi). A deal with Target Records was proposed, but failed with the label's demise.Gimarc, George (2005) ''Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970–1982'', Backbeat Books, , p. 343 They were offered a deal with

Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...

by Pete Waterman, but instead decided to sign with the

Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...

-funded Jamming! label. “When I Was Dead” was released as a single by Jamming! Records in August 1981, with "Bewerewolf!” and “The Pressure’s On” on the B-side. "When I Was Dead EP is by far my fave Rudi record as it's perhaps the only one that actually sounds like a proper record - and turned out like we wanted it to!" (Brian Young, Rudi) In September, a session was recorded for the

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

show. The tracks broadcast were “Crimson", "Tigerland", "When I Was Dead" and "Excitement".Rudi - ''The Band That Time Forgot'' (Last Year's Youth Records, 2002) - compilation of sessions recorded for radio shows. In November, "Crimson", "14 Steps", "Radio On" and "The Prince of Pleasure" were recorded in a session for broadcast on the Dave Fanning Show on RTE Radio 2. At the end of 1981, the band recorded "Toytown", "Frozen By Your Touch" and "Life" for a session broadcast on BBC Radio 1's David Jensen show in December. Crimson (with 14 Steps as the B side) was released a single in February 1982 and was named "Single of the Week" by '' Sounds''. Rudi supported

the Jam The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey, consisting of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in ...

on their 1982 ''Transglobal Unity Express'' tour. When the Jam split up, the Jamming! label folded soon afterwards. Rudi found themselves without a label, and also split up.

Post break up

Matthews, Marshall and Young re-emerged with a new band, Station Superheaven. Young later formed a series of bands including the Tigersharks, the Roughnecks and the Sabrejets; in the 2000s, he played in Shame Academy along with Greg Cowan of the Outcasts and Petesy Burns of Stalag 17. A compilation CD of Rudi's recordings was released in 1996 on the Cherry Red label Anagram. Rudi influenced several later bands, including the Saw Doctors and Therapy?, both of whom recorded cover versions of "Big Time". Rudi were one of the main bands at the heart of the punk movement in Belfast in the late 1970s and their early history and songs feature heavily in the film

, starring Richard Dormer and

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Auckland Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017) and the Thirteenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022, 2025). She came to pro ...

, which tells the story of Terri Hooley,

record shop/label and punk in Belfast.

Lineups

Original line-up (1975)

*Brian Young – guitar, vocals *Ronnie Matthews – guitar, lead vocals *Graham "Grimmy" Marshall – bass guitar *Drew Brown – drums *Leigh Carson

Second line-up

*Brian Young – guitar, vocals *Ronnie Matthews – guitar, lead vocals *Johnny Stewart – bass guitar *Graham "Grimmy" Marshall – drums

Third line-up (1977–1979)

*Brian Young – guitar, vocals *Ronnie Matthews – guitar, lead vocals * Gordon Blair – bass guitar *Graham "Grimmy" Marshall – drums

1981 line-up

*Brian Young – guitar, vocals *Ronnie Matthews – bass, lead vocals *Graham "Grimmy" Marshall – drums

1982 line-up

*Brian Young – guitar, vocals *Ronnie Matthews – bass, lead vocals *Graham "Grimmy" Marshall – drums *Paul Martin – keyboards

Discography

Singles and EPs

*"Big Time" (1978,

) *''I Spy'' EP (1979, Good Vibrations) *"When I Was Dead" (1981), Jamming!) UK Indie No. 29Lazell, Barry (1998) ''Indie Hits 1980–1989'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 193 *"Crimson" (1982, Jamming!) UK Indie No. 23 *"The Pressure's On" (2000, Last Year's Youth Records) *''14 Steps to Death'' EP (2001, Last Year's Youth Records) *''Yummy Yummy'' EP (2002, Last Year's Youth Records)

Compilation albums

*''Big Time – The Best of Rudi'' (1996, Anagram Records) *''The Band That Time Forgot'' (2002, Last Year's Youth Records) *''The Complete Rudi Singles Collection'' (2002, Last Year's Youth Records) *''The Radio Sessions 1979–1981'' (2005, Wizzard in Vinyl)

Compilation appearances

*"Overcome by Fumes" on ''Battle of the Bands'' 7-inch EP (1979, Good Vibrations)

References

External links

History of the bandBBC Radio Ulster interview with Brian Young about Shellshock Rock, Rudi and punk in Belfast (BBC Sounds)
{{Authority control Punk rock groups from Northern Ireland New wave musical groups from Northern Ireland 1975 establishments in Northern Ireland Musical groups from Belfast Musical groups established in 1975 Musical groups disestablished in 1983 1983 disestablishments in the United Kingdom British musical quintets