The Outcasts (Belfast band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Headquarters | Belfast , Northern Ireland |
| Products | Punk rock music |
The Outcasts are a punk rock group originating from Belfast, Northern Ireland, established in 1977.
History
The formation of the band took place in early 1977, initially comprising Blair Hamilton on vocals, Colin "Getty" Getgood handling lead guitar, and the Cowan siblings: Greg on bass, Colin on drums, and Martin playing rhythm guitar. After Hamilton departed within a month, Greg Cowan assumed vocal duties. The band's name was inspired by being prohibited from performing at five different clubs within a single week.
Their inaugural performance occurred in May 1977, featuring a blend of original compositions alongside covers from bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, and The Ramones. Building a loyal local fanbase, they secured a deal with the It label and released their first single, "Frustration," in May 1978. Subsequently, they signed with Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations label, which issued "Just Another Teenage Rebel" in November 1978; this track received national radio exposure through John Peel. Their debut album, Self Conscious Over You, was released in 1979. During this time, Greg Cowan was incapacitated following a severe car accident, prompting Gordy Blair from Rudi to join on bass and Raymond Falls to take over drums.
Following their dismissal from Good Vibrations due to persistent difficulties, the band independently released the single "Magnum Force" on their GBH label in 1981 and recorded their first Peel Session for BBC Radio 1. GBH later transitioned into Outcasts Only, under which they put out the Programme Love EP and a rendition of The Glitter Band's "Angel Face," reaching number 21 on the UK Indie Chart. The group endured a profound tragedy when drummer Colin Cowan died in a car accident; he was regarded as the band's heart and namesake. The substantial attendance at his funeral motivated the band to persevere, leading to a second Peel session and the release of their Blood and Thunder album via Abstract Records, which climbed to number 20 on the indie album chart. Additional singles and the Seven Deadly Sins mini-album followed before their disbandment in early 1985. Post-split, Greg Cowan, Martin, and Getty formed Time To Pray until 1986 while Raymond Falls enlisted in the military.
In 2003, Greg Cowan reemerged with an "Irish punk supergroup" featuring members from Rudi and Stalag 17, performing at the launch event for It Makes You Want to Spit!, continuing under the name Shame Academy. The Outcasts reunited for the 2011 Rebellion festival in Blackpool and toured alongside Toy Dolls in 2020. On 11 July 2022, they announced guitarist Petsey Burns' retirement and introduced Buck Defect as his permanent successor, who made his debut at Rebellion and subsequent shows.
Discography
Chart rankings are sourced from the UK Indie Chart.
Singles
- "Frustration" (1978) It
- "Justa Nother Teenage Rebel" (1978) Good Vibrations
- "Self Conscious Over You" (1979) Good Vibrations
- "Magnum Force" (1981) GBH
- Programme Love EP (1981) Outcasts Only
- "Angel Face" (1982) Outcasts Only (No. 21)
- "Nowhere Left to Run" (1983) Anagram
- "Seven Deadly Sins" (1984) New Rose (No. 40)
- "1969" (1985) New Rose
- Split singles
- Battle of the Bands (1979) Good Vibrations: "The Cops are Comin'"
Albums
- Self Conscious Over You (1979) Released by Good Vibrations (Chart position: No. 20)
- Blood and Thunder (1983) Issued through Abstract (Reached No. 20)
- Seven Deadly Sins (1984) Distributed by New Rose (Peaked at No. 19)
Compilations
- The Outcasts: Punk Singles Collection (1995) Released on Anagram
- Combined Blood and Thunder/Seven Deadly Sins (1998) Available via Captain Oi!
External links
- Thompson, Dave "[ The Punk Singles Collection Review]", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- Babey, Ged "The Outcasts - The Punk Singles Collection" (review), Record Collector
- Information on The Outcasts' Peel Sessions from the BBC's Keeping It Peel archive