Last night I watched a movie about the life of a man Terri Hooley. I didn’t write any notes as I suppose some of the events may have been exaggerated, but I wanted to feel inspired and to learn the overall jist of the punk movement, and from what I’ve been told, Mr Hooley was right in the midst of it.
Hooley opened a record shop, called Good Vibrations, right in the centre of Belfast, where none dared to work for risk of bombs. It opened and shut over the years but is known by all who grew up during the Troubles. He also produced the record Teenage Kicks, when he started up a record label of kinds, and produced records for other iconic bands such as the Outcasts and Rudi. He was known to many as the Godfather of Punk.
I found the whole story super inspiring, and in a way it made me sad, because I feel like Northern Ireland just doesn’t have that fire anymore. That anger at the things that aren’t right. The will to fight those in charge, and to not conform to the standards expected of us. I love the meaning behind punk, and what it stands for, especially in regards to Northern Ireland, and I plan to use this as inspiration in some form for my practical work.
I asked my Dad (again) about this, and he’s informed me that a sort of ‘local celebrity’ from where I’m from was very involved in this scene, and knew Hooley. I know him from my part-time job at home so I plan to contact him and see if he can tell me a bit more, from his first-hand perspective.
time to change 