Rudi

Rudi are an Irish punk band from Belfast, United Kingdom, originally formed in East Belfast in the late 1970s. The group begins in 1975, when a group of school friends decide to start a band in reaction to the music then heard on radio and television. Their early influences include glam rock and 1960s rock, and their first set mixes covers with original material.

Early line-up and name

The original members are Brian Young, Ronnie Mathews, Graham Marshall, Leigh Carson and Drew Brown. The band takes its name from the Jook single Oo Oo Rudi, which is a favourite among the members. Drew Brown and Leigh Carson leave early on, and Johnny Stewart joins on bass. Later, Gordon Blair replaces Stewart on bass. At another point, the band becomes a trio, with Ronnie switching from guitar to bass.

Style and Belfast punk scene

As punk emerges in 1976, Rudi move towards a faster, higher-energy sound and adopt a new image. They cannot secure regular gigs, so they book hotels for private parties and turn venues such as Glenmachen and Girton Lodge into temporary punk spaces. By 1977, their sets combine glam, punk and 1960s covers with a growing number of originals. They also become a regular subject for fanzines and appear on several covers.

Key songs and recordings

The song Cops is inspired by events outside the Ulster Hall in Belfast in October 1977, when a planned Clash concert is cancelled after insurance is withdrawn and clashes follow between punks and the police. The song includes the chant “SSRUC” and the chorus “we hate the cops”, and it is described as a reaction to the situation rather than a political statement.

Rudi’s first single, Big Time / No. 1, appears in April 1978 on Good Vibrations and is the label’s first release. Another single, Overcome by Fumes, appears as part of the Battle of the Bands EP alongside Outcasts, Idiots and Spider. In 1979 they release the I Spy EP, which opens with a version of the James Bond theme. They also record demos and BBC Radio 1 sessions, and later appear on BBC2’s youth programme Something Else performing Who You and The Pressure’s On.

Live activity and releases

In 1978, a support slot for the Buzzcocks becomes a headline show when the Buzzcocks are stranded. Rudi also play alongside Stiff Little Fingers and the Adverts. During this period they perform in bondage boiler suits and make-up, and their live reputation grows in Belfast and beyond. They later play the Dark Space Festival in Dublin with U2 and appear in John T. Davis’s Northern Irish punk film Shell Shock Rock.

Labels and later years

After leaving Good Vibrations, Rudi sign to Jamming, a label funded by Paul Weller of the Jam. On Jamming they issue the When I Was Dead EP, which includes a limited-edition insert, and the single Crimson, which adds keyboard player Paul Martin of Pretty Boy Floyd and The Gems. They also support the Jam on some dates of the Transglobal Unity Express tour. When the Jam split and Jamming is wound up, Rudi break up.

After the split, Ronnie, Graham and Brian form Station Superheaven, described as a punk and raw 1960s soul combination with noisy guitar. Brian Young later fronts Belfast rockabilly band the Sabrejets. Ronnie and Graham leave the music business, while Gordon Blair is later associated with the cult Australian band Dave Grainy & the Coral Snakes.

Finnish Rudi

A separate Rudi is also formed in Finland in 1982. This version begins with members of the punk band Ratsia and features vocalist Jussi Kettu. A later line-up includes P.B. Huopalainen, known from Pelle Miljoona & N.U.S., drummer Repa Rantsila from Stalker, and bassist Rudi Lukkarinen of Ratsia.