Protex are a

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band which formed in 1978. Their first records were issued on

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record ...

records. They formed part of the first wave of Belfast punk bands along with label-mates

The Undertones The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...

and

Rudi Rudi, born Albert Rudolph (January 24, 1928 – February 21, 1973), also known as Swami Rudrananda, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Rudi was a spiritual teacher and an antiquities entrepreneur in New York City.Swami Rudrananda udi ''Spiri ...

. The original line-up was Paul Maxwell (bass/vocals), Owen McFadden (drums), David McMaster (guitar/vocals), Aidan Murtagh (guitar/vocals). Protex formed in 1978, inspired by the band members experiencing first-hand

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

’s landmark visit to Belfast in 1977, when their gig was cancelled at the last minute due to insurance problems. The Clash’s Belfast visit in 1977 is considered by many, including Good Vibrations'

Terri Hooley Terence Wilfred "Terri" Hooley (born 23 December 1948) is a prominent figure in the Belfast punk scene and founder of the Good Vibrations record shop and label, responsible for bands such as The Undertones, Rudi, Protex and The Outcasts making ...

, to be the catalyst for the punk movement in Northern Ireland. Protex was influenced by The Clash and took their original name, Protex Blue, from an album track on The Clash's eponymous debut album. The band did not realise the Clash song was about condoms. Protex's debut live performance was in 1978 at Knock Methodist Church Hall in Belfast. Shortly after the show they shortened their name to Protex to avoid any confusion about being a blues band. They performed around Belfast and eventually secured a radio session with local station Downtown Radio. By regular gigging around the city the band soon came to the attention of

who they initially met at a gig at the Glenmachan Hotel in Belfast. Hooley prompted them to record a three track debut 45 which he released on his Good Vibrations record label in November 1978 as issue GOT6. The Belfast label had previously released singles by Rudi, Victim, The Outcasts and The Undertones. The single was later re-released on London-based

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pun ...

. Following good reviews from the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' writer Tony Parsons, and more radio air play the band secured a

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

session for the

Kid Jensen David Allan "Kid" Jensen (born 4 July 1950) is a Canadian-born British radio DJ and television presenter. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Jensen began as a radio DJ on Radio Luxembourg. Jensen was later a broadcaster for the BBC from 1976 ...

show. This led to interest from

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

who signed the band. The band were all still in sixth form at school when A&R men came over from London to see them play live at Chester’s in Portrush. At Easter 1979, Protex went to London to record their debut single for Polydor, "I Can't Cope". Protex landed a UK support slot on an

Adam and the Ants Adam and the Ants were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. The group existed in two incarnations, both fronted by Adam Ant, over the period 1977 to 1982. The first, founded in May 1977 and known simply as The Ants until November of t ...

UK tour. The band members then moved to London and set up base at the Chessington house, once the residence of Genesis and the Boomtown Rats. "I Can Only Dream" was the next single released by Polydor. It was produced by

Chas Chandler Bryan James "Chas" Chandler (18 December 1938 – 17 July 1996) was an English musician, record producer and manager, best known as the original bassist in The Animals, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He ...

. Protex opened for the Boomtown Rats on their UK tour and on further tours in America and Canada in 1980. Three songs from the band's New York City concert at the Hurrah Club were filmed by John T Davis and made into a short film entitled ''Shellshock Rock''. Protex's final release for Polydor was the single "A Place In Your Heart", after which they were dropped by the label. The band did farewell shows at the Pound Club in Belfast before splitting in 1981. In 2010, New York label Sing Sing Records unearthed unreleased Polydor recordings for an album that never happened, and released them on vinyl as ''Strange Obsessions''. This prompted renewed interest in the band. Original members Aidan Murtagh and David McMaster reformed the band with new members Norman Boyd on bass and Gordie Walker on drums. However, prior to Norman Boyd's addition in 2013, the reformed Protex played for a period of three years with the line up of Aidan Murtagh (vocals, guitar), David McMaster (guitar, vocals), Gordie Walker (drums) and Andrew Curliss (bass, vocals). This line completed two short tours in Spain and Japan in 2013. A live album was released following the latter Japan tour. Although having played on this album, for unknown reasons Andrew Curliss was never credited on the CD. In 2017, the band's current line-up was completed with the addition of

Nine Lies Nine Lies are a Northern Irish rock band from Belfast. Formed in 2003, the group consists of Stevie Mann (vocals, lyrics and production), Dave Kernohan (guitar and vocals), Nick Black (guitars), Stephen 'Stoogie' McAuley (drums) and John Ross ...

bassist John Rossi.

References

External links

Protex Music, the band's official website
{{Authority control Punk rock groups from Northern Ireland New wave musical groups from Northern Ireland 1978 establishments in Northern Ireland Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1981 Musical groups from Belfast 1981 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Musical groups reestablished in 2010