The Vipers
Encyclopedia
The Vipers were an Irish
new wave
group of the late 1970s. An incendiary live act fronted by Paul Boyle and virtuoso guitarist George Sweeney, they built up a loyal following in their home country and toured with the likes of The Clash
and The Jam
.
A well received debut single "I've Got You"/"No Such Thing" (Mulligan LUNS 718) hit the streets in late 1978. This was heard and liked by the BBC
's John Peel
who invited the band across the Irish Sea
to do a session for his famous radio program, the Peel Sessions. A permanent move to London
led to extensive UK
tours with the Boomtown Rats
and Thin Lizzy
as well as regular gigs on the circuit including the Marquee
, Music Machine and Fulham Greyhound. A further single "Take Me" was released in early 1980. Although press was always positive a failure to secure long term record company support led to the band splitting up in London in late 1980.
The best known and most enduring line up was Boyle (lead vocals /gtr) Sweeney (lead guitar) Dolan Foley (bass) and Dave Moloney (drums). Hastings
legend Bernie Smirnoff (ex Hollywood Killers) took over the drum stool from Moloney in late 1979. After the Vipers, Boyle ultimately switched to acting whilst his erstwhile colleagues stuck with music, Foley going on to Dublin legends the Blades, Moloney to the Cajun Kings and Sweeney the Fat Lady Sings
.Bernie Smirnoff went on to play for my eyes my eyes and now plays for Kingbathmat.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group of the late 1970s. An incendiary live act fronted by Paul Boyle and virtuoso guitarist George Sweeney, they built up a loyal following in their home country and toured with the likes of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
.
A well received debut single "I've Got You"/"No Such Thing" (Mulligan LUNS 718) hit the streets in late 1978. This was heard and liked by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
who invited the band across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to do a session for his famous radio program, the Peel Sessions. A permanent move to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
led to extensive UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tours with the Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
and Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
as well as regular gigs on the circuit including the Marquee
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
, Music Machine and Fulham Greyhound. A further single "Take Me" was released in early 1980. Although press was always positive a failure to secure long term record company support led to the band splitting up in London in late 1980.
The best known and most enduring line up was Boyle (lead vocals /gtr) Sweeney (lead guitar) Dolan Foley (bass) and Dave Moloney (drums). Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
legend Bernie Smirnoff (ex Hollywood Killers) took over the drum stool from Moloney in late 1979. After the Vipers, Boyle ultimately switched to acting whilst his erstwhile colleagues stuck with music, Foley going on to Dublin legends the Blades, Moloney to the Cajun Kings and Sweeney the Fat Lady Sings
Fat Lady Sings
The Fat Lady Sings were a rock band initially from Dublin, Ireland, fronted by singer and songwriter, Nick Kelly. Almost immediately after forming, they relocated to London, and remained there for the rest of their eight year career. They remained self-financed and self-managed for eighteen months,...
.Bernie Smirnoff went on to play for my eyes my eyes and now plays for Kingbathmat.