Deadsound Blog

Good Vibrations chronicles the life of Terri Hooley, the record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast’s punk-rock scene in the late 1970′s.

Whilst all his friends take sides and take up arms Hooley decides to open a record shop in Belfast’s Great Victoria Street, at that time the most bombed half-mile in Europe, and calls it Good Vibrations.

Not the immediate uniting success he hoped, it’s Hooley’s discovery of Belfast’s local punk scene that supports his belief that music could cross political boundaries and unite people no matter what part of the city they came from.

With London record executives not willing to come to Belfast to hear what local bands had to offer, Hooley decided he would create a label to release the tracks that ‘everyone must hear.’ Rudi’s Big Time was the first track released on the Good Vibrations label with future releases also including The Outcasts and The Tearjerkers.

News of the support Hooley was giving to the Belfast punk scene spread up the road to my home town of Derry, with the label’s most renowned release being The Undertones Teenage Kicks. Hooley was instrumental in getting the EP into the hands of John Peel with the revered DJ famously playing the song twice in a row on his BBC radio show and naming it his favourite song of all time. You can hear Peel talking about Teenage Kicks and watch a tribute to the DJ, the band and Hooley here. ‘It’s a mighty, mighty record.’

Despite Hooley living and breathing music, he wasn’t so good at making money from it with the film also depicting Good Vibrations financial woes; showing that even before the digital age it wasn’t so easy to make a buck from music.

Good Vibrations is a great reminder of (and introduction to those hearing this music for the first time) the passionate bands that came out of Northern Ireland during the 1970′s. One of the best lines in the film is when Hooley’s character explains to a packed gig crowd why all these bands are coming out of Northern Ireland.

“New York have the haircuts, London the trousers but Belfast has the reason.”

But what makes me love this music is that the lyrics aren’t dominated by bombs and guns and political struggle but simply the struggles of growing up anywhere at any time. Their lyrics focus on teenage kicks, self consciousness, perfect cousins, parents and love affairs, themes everyone can relate to.

One of my favourite scenes in the film is Hooley giving a lesson on how to correctly fold the record sleeves for Teenage Kicks. His dedication to Good Vibrations is something which every music fan, DIY promoter, record shop owner and musician can surely relate to. If like me you spend all your spare time listening to music, discovering new artists and promoting the music you love then Good Vibrations will bring a huge smile to your face and make you thankful for the existence of people like Terri Hooley: ‘The Godfather of Belfast Punk.’

If you’ve yet to see Good Vibrations, view the cinema listings for Ireland and the UK here. Then prepare to find your local record shop. Living in Glasgow I’m thankfully spoilt for choice with my favourites being Monorail and Mixed Up Records.

Get a taster of the bands signed to the label by listening to  Good Vibrations: The Punk Singles Collection. My favourite track on here is Self Conscious Over You by The Outcasts which I’ve had on repeat since seeing the film last weekend.