Blah! Blah! Blah!

• Topher Louden - guitar & vocals
• Ian Wilson - guitar & vocals
• Adrian McCluskey - bass
• Philip 'Rufus' O'Callaghan - drums
  
  
  Blah! Blah! Blah! live at the Ulster Hall circa 1985
  [photo courtesy Adrian McCluskey]

Bio:

Blah Blah Blah were Belfast punk rock band heavily influenced by the Clash and the Jam, plus a little Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy for good measure. They were mistakenly described in some quarters as a bluesrock outfit; the standout track of their live set ca 1986 was "Blues Hound For You Love" which despite it's title was an alternative punk song. Another source of confusion was the mis-reporting of the band's name in the pages of Hot Press in a report on the Guinness Festival in November 1986 as Blam Blam Blam. This confusion possibly arose from Bam Bam & the Calling being on the festival bill the the following night. In fact they were introduced by Ian Wilson because Terri Hooley was too drunk to do it. Terri had introduced Blah Blah Blah the night before.

The Festival gig was broadcast by the BBC so it must exist in decent quality. The band also recorded a Downtown Radio session earlier the same year in March 1986, but one of the bands two guitarists Topher Loudon got lost on the way to the studio in Newtownards and the session was recorded as a trio. As a result, it is not representative of their sound. One of the tracks "Heavenly View" was on a split release with St.Vitus Dance. This was a flexi single given away with Helden fanzine. John Peel played it and Stuart Bailie compared it to Half Man Half Buiscuit in the NME. The band sent their demo tape to Mother Records but nothing came of it.

The band decided to relocate to France in 1986 except Adrian McCluskey who was training as a nurse and decided not to go. Joby Fox (Energy Orchard) was initially interested in playing bass with the band in France but ultimately relocating was not an option for him. In the end they found a local bass player Francois Conan. The band's career took off in France where they enjoyed considerable success for a number of years until they split onm the last day of 1989.

One or more members of the band possibly ex Serious Mistakes. Dummer Rufus O'Callaghan was ex Sample And Hold. Ian Wilson worked at Good Vibrations for a few years circa 1982-86.

Blah! Blah! Blah! live at the Ulster Hall circa 1985, probably supporting The Waterboys
[photo courtesy Adrian McCluskey]

Bio from the band's myspace page:
"The basic idea of the band was to have a pop sound with a punk edge or vice versa with duel guitars and harmony vocals.
The Pound, The Errigle, The Abercorn, The Labour Club, The Crescent all became regular stomping grounds, one of the most memorable being a Saturday afternoon residency in the Dromore Arms 30 minutes south of Belfast.
The pretty boy option was envisaged but major work would have been necessary. In the rock and roll spirit, Ian and Topher took a trip to France to check out the vibe in the bars with a battered acoustic. A certain confidence was gained and they decided to return the next year with a full band touring the resorts. Fate proved otherwise and only Rufus and Ian actually made it over the next year. A makeshift gig was organised involving one half of the band and the response was so overwhelming the band vowed to return in earnest the following year. Jobs were terminated, studies abandoned and Blah Blah Blah was finally on the yellow brick road to France. The main problem musically was the fact that Adrian the bass player couldn't leave and the band had to find someone who could fit in. Initially the trio lived on a campsite in Carnac, Brittany busking in bars and restaurants to pay for their expenses. Notwithstanding things finally fell into place with the chance meeting with Francois Conan who not only played a key money gig in Carnac, he subsequently lodged the band for almost four months just in time for two key gigs in Rennes which put the word out that Blah Blah Blah were a Rock and Roll band in every sense of the term. The band played several hundred concerts alongside the likes of The Waterboys, The Troggs, The Woodentops, Guana Batz, The Godfathers, The Soup Dragons and loads of other groups along the way.
Three songs were recorded on French television (two of which are available on myspace). The band was broadcast live on BBC radio in November 1986 for the Queen's Festival in Belfast.
Terri Hooley from Good Vibrations Records presented the band onstage with a bottle of champagne claiming it was his biggest regret not signing the band and bestowing his compliments in front of English record company executives. No deals were offered and the band returned to France to continue touring. Three recording contracts were discussed with New Rose & Barclay in France and the unfortunately named Ira Records in Florence, Italy. However the deals were so pitiful that the band preferred to continue touring without committing to anyone. The fire dwindled and the flame was rekindled without Ian into a band called Dye. Touring was intensified and cds were released increasing the bands success. The band continued for another six years until finally disbanding.
Topher continued on as a solo act and eventually integrated the Churchfitters, a folk outfit founded by Anthony McCartan, another Belfast man. Rufus teaches drums."

Adrian McCluskey at the Ulster Hall circa 1985 with Ali McMordie old bass
[photo courtesy Adrian McCluskey]

   

tracks:
St.Vitus Dance - Meet Mohammed
Blah Blah Blah - Heavenly View

We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.