Across the line Feed

ATL Remembers Stevie Martin, Rainy Boy Sleep

2016-12-07T12:29:02+00:00

In August 2016, news broke that Stevie Martin, who recorded and performed as Rainy Boy Sleep, was missing.

Sadly, on the morning of August 14th, it was announced that Stevie’s body had been found. Stevie was a valued part of the music community and in this ATL Remembers special, we revisit some of his greatest musical moments and talk to some of the friends and musicians who witnessed his charisma and generosity at close hand. A great legacy.

With contributions from musician and friend Ruairi Connolly, Rainy Boy Sleep touring member Conor McNamee, founder of Stendhal Festival Ross Parkhill, broadcaster Stephen McCauley and Derry musician SOAK.

Written and presented by Stuart Bailie.

ATL Remembers... REM at Slane Castle

2016-08-01T12:12:01+00:00

In this special 'ATL Remembers' feature, Rigsy re-lives his youth by taking a road-trip to Slane Castle and reminiscing about the first gig he went to - REM at Slane in the summer of 1995.

Along the way he chats to fellow fans and music journalists about their highlights of the seminal concert, which also featured Oasis in support - hot on the heels of their first number 1 single, 'Some Might Say'.

ATL Remembers... Mercury Rev at The Limelight

2016-07-05T14:58:07+00:00

'Deserter's Songs', the 1998 album by Mercury Rev, is still the gold standard for music that's tattered and royally weird, streaked with great talent, soul and a deal of mysticism.

The US band started their European tour duties for the record with a date in Belfast in the Autumn and by the time they returned to the city's Limelight venue in June 1999, every music head was present and ecstatic.

This ATL feature remembers the impact of the record, the rising tide of excitement and the band's semi-bewildered response. With live recordings from the night, archive contributions from Mercury Rev's Grasshopper and new interviews with presenter Colin Murray, former ATL presenter Mike Edgar and Charlotte Dryden from the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

Narrated by Stuart Bailie and produced by Jimmy Devlin.

ATL Remembers... Agnelli & Nelson's 'El Niño'

2016-06-22T13:44:27+00:00

Agnelli & Nelson sounds like the most glamorous European dance combo when in fact it was Chris Agnew from Carrick and Robbie Nelson from Larne, Northern Ireland.

Nevertheless they provided one of the greatest Ibiza anthems in 1998 with 'El Niño', combining melody, verve and the sheer exuberance of trance music to wow the multitudes. Success was instantaneous, prompted by a Pete Tong play on Radio 1 on 10 April 1998.

It was the day of the Good Friday Agreement at Stormont Castle and it also marked also the birth of Robbie Nelson's daughter. Lives were changed, the video shoot in Cuba was imminent and the career trajectory was vertical. Inevitably, it crashed, but in this ATL special, Stuart Bailie talks to Chris and Robbie and gains some perspective from former ATL dance show presenter, Paul Hamill.

ATL Remembers - That Petrol Emotion's 'Big Decision'

2016-04-26T16:12:56+00:00

'Big Decision' released in 1987, was almost a hit for That Petrol Emotion. It was a song about plastic bullets and political stalemate in Northern Ireland.
Most of the band were from Derry, but they lived in London.

John and Damian O'Neill had both played in The Undertones, but their follow-up project was, sharp, angular and fiercely alternative. They grooved on hip hop and The Velvet Underground but there was an irrepressible pop dimension also.

In this archive special, we talk to TPE veterans John and Damian O'Neill plus Raymond Gorman. We also revisit a 1986 interview with the band on The Bottom Line, a show that predated ATL.

Package written and presented by Stuart Bailie.

The Life of The Nerve Centre

2016-04-21T16:23:09+00:00

A space for live music, talent development, film, new media and education - the origins of The Nerve Centre in Derry/Londonderry dates back to the summer of 1988, when left wing activist and singer Billy Bragg came town and triggered a new way of thinking...

With words from Martin Melarkey, Jim Curran, Martin McGill, Maeve Quigley, Stephen McCauley, Herb Magee, Rigsy & Billy Bragg (From the ATL archive).

Across the Line looks at the origins of The Nerve Centre and how it has impacted upon many of the people, who have passed through its doors.

Orbital And The ‘Belfast’ Story

2016-03-08T15:45:16+00:00

In December 1989, two bothers from Kent put out a beautiful piece of music called ‘Chime’. It was the debut release from Orbital and many people adored it. In Belfast, this music was also the soundtrack to glorious scenes. Therefore upcoming DJ and promoter David Holmes booked Orbital for the Art College, Belfast, 12 May, 1990. Despite Orbital’s fears about the city’s reputation during the conflict, it was a phenomenal night and the grateful Hartnoll brothers left behind a demo cassette with another magnificent tune. Eventually, this would see a public release as ‘Belfast’, a homage to the bliss and the blossoming dance community that the act had discovered on their visit. In this ATL documentary, we speak to Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll, David Holmes and promoter Alan Simms about the creation of this joyous classic.

ATL Remembers… On The Radio, During The Conflict

2016-01-22T17:24:32+00:00

Every aspect of life was affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland and it was certainly a challenge putting out a youth programme during the worst of times. That was surely the case in 1986 when when The Bottom Line took to the airwaves.
The show would grow into today's ATL but the man challenges back then were bomb blasts and transmissions from the most traumatic moments, including the aftermath of the Omagh Bombing. There was also the issue of how the choice of music and feature stories might relate to the world outside.
In this intense archive story, veteran radioheads such as Mike Edgar, Davy Sims, Henry McDonald and Louise Gallagher recall just how they carried the news.

ATL Remembers.... At The Drive In, at The Empire

2015-12-02T12:04:43+00:00

Pic: Liam Kielt's ticket from the night

In another look back through ATL’s archives, we revisit a memorable performance by Texan post-hardcore legends At The Drive-In, from December 2000.

Taking place in Belfast’s Empire Music Hall, this sold-out show was influential in terms of how it inspired and affected local musicians and gig goers. It still resonates as a life-changing evening with BBC presenter Stephen McAuley and Clearshot / Fighting With Wire’s Cahir O’Doherty who supported the band on the night.

Frenetic, intense and not without its friction (particularly between the band and the more mosh-happy members of the audience, with not everyone appreciating being told how to move or dance).

Shortly before their Belfast visit At The Drive-In unleashed a similarly exceptional performance on Later with...Jools Holland (which culminated in Robbie Williams’ pal losing a chair at the hands of vocalist Cedric Bixler), and not long after they went on ‘indefinite hiatus’. The gig, however, remains - for many - an unforgettable performance from a band arguably at their creative zenith.

ATL Remembers...Hot Press Rock & Pop Awards 1998

2015-10-28T14:20:09+00:00

It was the night that Bono, Adam Clayton, Morrissey, Sinead O’Connor, Ash, The Divine Comedy, David Holmes, Mani from Primal Scream and Shane MacGowan came to Belfast for an excellent party.David Bowie even joined in via satellite.

The occasion was the annual Hot Press Awards and the date was Thursday, April 9, 1998. As if this wasn’t drama enough, it was also the night that a landmark political settlement was being hammered out, announced the next morning as the Good Friday Agreement.

It was very exciting and full of unexpected turns. Was soccer bad boy George Best going make the flight over? Would Morrissey take a sociable turn? Had anyone remembered to invite Terri Hooley, the erratic boss of Good Vibrations Records? In this fond remembrance, the event’s main architects, Niall Stokes from Hot Press and Mike Edgar, the ATL presenter - turned BBC mogul takes us into the depths of a night when Belfast was the city to beat. With presenter Stu Bailie.

ATL Remembers...Therapy? 'Infernal Love'

2015-10-13T20:01:17+00:00

ATL looks back at 'Infernal Love' with new interviews from Andy Cairns & Michael McKeegan plus journalists JR Moores & Paul Brannigan

There have been many surprises from the band Therapy? over the years but the ‘Infernal Love’ album was a prime moment of astonishment back in 1995. Previously the Antrim trio had veered from punk and hardcore, to metal and even proto-grunge. All of these elements had made a roaring connection on the mighty ‘Troublegum’ album of 1994. They sold 650,000 albums and the record company was confidently looking forward to a million-seller to follow. What ultimately emerged from the Real World studio in Wiltshire was contrary and dark. It was influenced by acts like This Mortal Coil and Big Star, there was Martin McCarrick on cello and a cover of the Hüsker Dü tune, ‘Diane’. DJ David Holmes put in some spectral effects while the band made a twisted admission that peace was maybe possible in Northern Ireland. Listeners were startled and the media started to turn nasty. Drummer Fyfe Ewing was gone by the end of the year and while some European markets registered a hit, the band’s ascendancy was in doubt. In this ATL special, Andy Cairns and Michael McKeegan remember the stress, the folly and the lifestyle issues while esteemed music writer Paul Brannigan makes a case for the re-assessment of ‘Infernal Love’ and its morbid, misunderstood charm.

ATL Remembers... Jeff Buckley & The Irish Connection

2015-08-27T16:42:23+00:00

Jeff Buckley was one of the rare artists who actually changed the way singers used their voices. He was all about adventure and sensitivity, taking his art beyond the usual restraints. You can hear his impact on the likes of Thom Yorke, Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin. There was only one proper studio album released during his short life (1966-1997) but the music endures. And thankfully, there are a series of Irish voices and experiences that were part of the story. In this archive feature, we hear about his affinity for the singer Glen Hansard and their shared love for the music of Van Morrison. We talk to old friend Bronagh Gallagher about Jeff’s ethereal character and the thrill of hearing him record his ‘Live At Sin E’ record in an Irish bar in New York. We also remember how he impacted with Belfast in 1994, charming his audience and laughing over some moments of cultural confusion.

Stuart Bailie

ATL Remembers...Nirvana in the King's Hall, Belfast

2015-08-05T10:22:54+00:00

Barry Peak's ticket from the cancelled 1991 show

June 22nd 1992 and the high tide of Nirvana was about to break. They were playing the King’s Hall Belfast, with a supreme supporting cast – Teenage Fanclub and the Breeders, plus a heavily pregnant Courtney Love. There was theatre, illness, timeless and disaffected songs, ballet moves and a concert experience that was more akin to a wild ceremony of youth. A previous Belfast show had been cancelled and the ever-surging success of Nirvana meant that the venues just got bigger. Hence the King’s Hall. Kurt’s substance abuse was becoming public and the band was under duress. But still they played out of their skin and changed the lives of all present. For musicians like Tim Wheeler and Barry Peak it was transformational. For the future music publisher and DJ Jonny Tiernan it was the perfect initiation rite. A fan called Chris had his striped jumper commissioned by Courtney for Kurt. And for journalist David Cananagh, it was the chance to examine up close one of the most compelling bands and rock relationships at a pivotal, fractious moment

Stuart Bailie

ATL Celebrates...The Manic Street Preachers

2015-07-03T14:23:34+00:00

Is there a more emotive story in music than the Manic Street Preachers? They started as fierce and intelligent upstarts in Blackwood, South Wales, motivated by boredom, by the aftermath of the Miner’s Strike and inspired by The Clash, Public Enemy and Guns N’ Roses. It was an inflammable mix, accessorised by spray-painted blouses and Boots mascara. They began their ascent just as Across The Line was taking shape in Belfast and the interchange between the two parties resulted in some memorable radio. In this ATL special, we remember the rousing songs, the pain, the setbacks and moments of sheer transcendence - featuring the first-hand accounts of Steve Lamacq, Mike Edgar and Stuart Bailie.

ATL Remembers....The Strokes 2001

2015-06-09T14:13:51+00:00

Back in the year 2000, music fans and the media were all looking for a band to fall in love with. Happily, the very thing was delivered to the NME offices in December. The Strokes were such an immense gift to the music press. They had the look and the authentic New York rumble-punk manner. When the music hit the ATL mailbox soon after, the reaction was exactly the same and that curiosity in Belfast was well placed. The ultimate test was a Strokes gig at the Limelight. June 18, 2001, supported by fellow NYC act the Moldy Peaches. What transpired was a perfect rock and roll experience. ATL veterans Donna Legge and Helen Toland help to tell the story, with Jimmy Devlin from Radio 1’s The Session, former NME News Editor, Paul McNamee and presenter Stuart Bailie