The Vipers Explained

The Vipers were an Irish new wave group of the late 1970s. A live act fronted by Paul Boyle and guitarist George Sweeney, they toured with Thin Lizzy,[1] The Clash and The Jam.[2]

The group was formed as part of a growing punk scene in Dublin the late 1970s.[3] The Vipers played in what was reported to be Ireland's first punk festival in June 1977, along with The Undertones. During the event, a member of the crowd was stabbed and killed,[4] and the Irish punk music scene was subsequently blacklisted.[5]

In 1978, The Vipers headlined a series of live gigs at McGonagles in Dublin, which featured the Dublin-based rock band U2 as the supporting act.[6] [7] Their debut single "I've Got You"/"No Such Thing" (Mulligan LUNS 718) was released in late 1978. This was heard by the BBC's John Peel who invited them to the UK to do a session for his radio programme.[8] A permanent move to London led to UK tours with the Boomtown Rats and Thin Lizzy, as well as performances including at the Marquee, Music Machine and Fulham Greyhound. A further single, "Take Me" was released in 1980.

The group included Boyle (lead vocals/guitar), Sweeney (lead guitar), Brian Foley (bass), and Dave Moloney (drums).[9] Bernie Smirnoff (ex-Hollywood Killers) took over from Moloney, as drummer, in September 1979.[9]

The Vipers disbanded in December 1980.[1] Boyle subsequently changed his career to acting, whilst other members of the group remained musicians. Foley went on to join The Blades,[10] Moloney to the Cajun Kings and Sweeney to The Fat Lady Sings. Bernie Smirnoff later played for Kingbathmat.[11]

Paul Boyle died in London in 2019.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: My brother, the Viper . independent.ie . 13 May 2012 . 24 February 2024 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224180309/https://www.independent.ie/life/my-brother-the-viper/26852924.html . live .
  2. Web site: Top Hat Online Exhibit: Rock Era 1970s - 1980s . Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology . iadt.libguides.com . 24 February 2024 . 26 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231226022155/https://iadt.libguides.com/c.php?g=680463&p=4851460 . live .
  3. Book: The Rough Guide to Dublin . 374 . Geoff . Wallis . Mark . Connolly . Margaret . Greenwood . 2002 . Rough Guides . 9781858289137 . [Dublin's] punk scene also produced a horde of bands like Radiators from Space [..], The Virgin Prunes [..], The Blades and The Vipers, all of whose influence would be long-lasting .
  4. Web site: Belfield's Burning: Forty Years of Punk . dublininquirer.com . Donal . Fallon . 13 September 2017 . 24 February 2024 . Yet the birth of Irish punk in 1977 was marred by a festival on the grounds of University College Dublin's Belfield campus, where bands including The Radiators From Space, The Undertones and The Vipers performed [..] During the opening acts performance, a fight broke out in the crowd and young Patrick Coultry, a teenager from Cabra, was fatally stabbed . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224174816/https://dublininquirer.com/2017/09/13/belfield-s-burning-forty-years-of-punk/ . live .
  5. News: Van Nguyen . Dean . 'Utterly radical, subversive and alien': the untold story of Irish post-punk . 24 February 2024 . The Independent . 2021. .
  6. News: Moran . Hannah . Member of Irish band U2 once supported shares ironic turn of events at Dublin gig . 24 February 2024 . Evoke.ie . 6 November 2018 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224175618/https://evoke.ie/2018/11/06/extra/irish-band-u2-supported . live .
  7. Web site: U2songs - 1978-04-27 U2, McGonagles, Dublin, Ireland . U2songs.com . 24 February 2024 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224175614/https://www.u2songs.com/shows/1978_04_27_u2_mcgonagles_dublin_ireland1 . live .
  8. Web site: BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 27/02/1979 Vipers . . 24 February 2024 . 27 February 1979 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224143217/https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1970s/1979/Feb27vipers/ . live .
  9. Web site: The Vipers . irishrock.org . 24 February 2024 . 31 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131201544/https://www.irishrock.org/irodb/bands/vipers.html . live .
  10. Web site: 2015-10-31 . Music: The Blades of glory - Raytowners back for more Irish Independent . https://web.archive.org/web/20240603031957/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-the-blades-of-glory-raytowners-back-for-more/34153255.html . 2024-06-03 . 2024-06-03 . Irish Independent.
  11. Web site: Steelesque . 2012-12-03 . Brit-Prog Rockers KingBathmat Never Follow The Rules . https://web.archive.org/web/20200930192324/https://pittsburghmusicmagazine.net/2012/12/03/brit-prog-rockers-kingbathmat-never-follow-the-rules/ . 2020-09-30 . 2024-06-03 . Pittsburgh Music Magazine . en.
  12. News: Clark . Stuart . Paul Boyle from Dublin new wave band The Vipers has passed away . 24 February 2024 . . 24 March 2022 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224144408/https://www.hotpress.com/music/paul-boyle-from-dublin-new-wave-band-the-vipers-has-passed-away-22897805 . live .

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