UK band Then Jerico play Belfast's Limelight 2 on 19 February and Whelan's of Dublin on 20 February. We asked front man Mark Shaw the BIG questions . . .
Formed in 1983 by Mark, the band released two platinum-selling studio albums, First (The Sound of Music) in 1986, which featured UK Top 40 hit singles, The Motive and Muscle Deep, followed by their most successful release - the 1989 album, The Big Area (Outside).
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Then Jerico secured two Top Ten singles in Ireland with Muscle Deep and Big Area, which was used by RTÉ as the theme music for its televised golf programming throughout the 1990s (love it! – Ed).
After the original line-up disbanded in 1990, Mark signed to EMI Records and released the self-produced solo album Almost and In 2012 he reformed the original Then Jerico for The Reprise Tour to celebrate the Reprise double-download album release.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Music kidnapped my subconscious when I was four years old and still holds it as a willing prisoner.
I love animals and especially cats and used to have eight. I joined the World Wildlife Fund aged five.
I wanted to be a stuntman until the age of 15, when I discovered that it requires an understanding of mathematics and immense physical fitness!
How would you describe your music?
Dance rock/alt rock.
Who are your musical inspirations?
David Bowie, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Cockney Rebel / Talking Heads, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, Shriekback, Echo & The Bunnymen, U2, Punk, Big Band Jazz.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen (at the age of seven).
What was the first record you ever bought?
Reach Out I’ll be There by The Four Tops (at the age of five).
What’s your favourite song right now?
Beautiful Things by Benson Boone (released two years ago but I still haven’t heard a better song since then!).
Favourite lyric of all time?
"The guilty undertaker sighs, The lonesome organ grinder cries, The silver saxophones say I should refuse you, The cracked bells and washed-out horns, Blow into my face with scorn, but it's not that way, I wasn't born to lose you" - I Want You by Bob Dylan.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Heroes by David Bowie.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Website, Facebook, X, Intstagram, Threads.
Alan Corr
