Primeval punk recordings from Northern Ireland — #2 ‘Big Time’ by Rudi on Good Vibrations records
The very first release on Belfast’s famous Good Vibrations label was the punk classic Big Time by Rudi. A modest pressing of 3,000 copies sold reasonably well, but didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Unlike the Undertones, who came along a little later, Rudi were unlucky and didn’t get the radio airplay they needed to get picked up by a major label.
And that was a real shame, because Rudi were among the very best of the punk bands to come out of Belfast, and Big Time is an absolute cracker of a single — far, far better than most of the tuneless punk dirges of the time.
Rudi were the stars of the very first punk gig I went to, in Belfast, February 1978. The Adverts, a second-division (although very well regarded) English punk band were the headliners — and Rudi completely blew them off the stage. Even though the Adverts had a chart single and had even been on Top of the Pops, Rudi were so obviously the better band. Rudi could play really well, looked great, and had a fantastic attitude, looking like they were enjoying every second of being on stage, unlike the Adverts who either looked pained, or scared shitless.
The crowd absolutely loved Rudi — and so did I. And I bought Big Time just as soon as it came out.
Rudi later came to my home town of Armagh as part of a Good Vibrations package tour in April 1979, which also featured the Outcasts and the Tearjerkers. The locals still favoured heavy metal cover bands, and there were very, very few punks in the audience (just me, I think) but Rudi still played an amazing set. It was a wild night.
Info on Big Time on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/Rudi-Big-Time/release/1998206
Band info: http://rudi77.free.fr/index.htm
I’m selling this classic early Northern Ireland punk recording — so you can add Good Vibrations very first release to your collection. It will be listed on Discogs — but feel free to drop me an email if you’re interested: coolmccool@gmail.com.
Keep rocking.
