Veteran Dublin band The Blades play The Academy, Dublin on 18 December. We asked front man Paul Cleary the BIG questions . . .
Formed in 1977, their original line-up was Paul on vocals and bass, his brother Lar on guitar, and drummer Pat Larkin.
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The Blades released two 7" singles on Energy Records with this lineup, Hot For You and Ghost Of A Chance and played a six-week residency with U2 in the Baggott Inn with the bands swapping headline slots every week.
After Lar left the band, Paul switched to guitar and recruited Brian Foley and Jack Reilly on bass and drums as well as adding a brass section.
The new line-up released the singles The Bride Wore White, Revelations of Heartbreak and The Bride Wore White. Reekus Records released their first album, The Last Man in Europe, in January 1985 as well as the singles collection Raytown Revisited later the same year.
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Soon after the release, the band split up as they became disillusioned with the music industry and they played their last gig together in The Boxing Club in Drogheda in January 1986.
Since then, Paul has played with The Partisans as well as releasing his debut solo album Crooked Town, on Reekus Records in 2001, while Pat played with The Peridots and Brian with The Mountain Climbers.
The Blades reformed in 2013 for live performances, and in 2015, they released their first new music as The Blades since 1985 with a four-track EP entitled Smalltime, followed by the album. Modernised in 2016.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I was born and raised in the Irishtown/Ringsend area of Dublin.
My brother Laurence (Lar), who died in 2018, co-founded The Blades with me in 1977.
I like football.
How would you describe your music?
Energetic punk-inspired pop/soul.
Who are your musical inspirations?
The Beatles/The Sex Pistols/Motown/ The Clash/The Jam/The Undertones.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Slade at The National Stadium in 1973.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Let's Get It On (album) by Marvin Gaye.
What's your favourite song right now?
Monster Mash by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Stand Up and Fight Back by Jimmy Cliff.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Instagram, Facebook, The Blades Fan Group/Facebook, Thebladesband.bsky.social, @TheBladesBand X/Twitter. We also sell our music at our gigs - T-shirts, too!
Alan Corr
