Hanging out with The Undertones, 1980

Myself (Mary Simcox, centre) and The Undertones in Malvern, 17th May 1980

Audience member Mary Simcox recalls her encounter with Feargal Sharkey and the band

My friends and I found out that the bands who played at the Winter Gardens always stayed at the Abbey Hotel. You knew what time they’d arrive, you knew they’d do a soundcheck and after that, they’d be loafing around and finding somewhere to have dinner. So I can remember one day The Undertones arrived so we hung around until they’d finished their soundcheck. It wasn’t my idea, but I soon went along with it; we told them it was sold out and we couldn’t get a ticket and we really wanted to get in. I can’t remember why I hadn’t got tickets, it wasn’t sold out. But I think at that time The Undertones were quite sweet innocent boys and they immediately put us on the guest list, and we spent all afternoon with them in Priory Park, just hanging out.

Thank you to Mary Simcox for posting this memory