New studio album by these stalwarts of the late 70's Belfast punk scene.

Shock Treatment were one of the original late-Seventies Good Vibrations era Belfast punk bands, picked up by Terri Hooley as one of the exemplars of a musical movement that defied the societal divisions of the time by bringing the city’s younger generation the empowerment of music. However, despite being hugely popular as a live act, they never quite cut it in the studio, releasing just three songs before splitting in the early ’80s – a move primarily prompted by lead singer Barry McIlheney leaving to pursue a career in journalism (going on to edit the legendary Smash Hits and Empire magazines).

Just over a decade ago, Shock Treatment re-emerged from the shadows, driven mostly by the determination of founder Davy McLarnon not to let the passion die, and appending the number 21 to their name quickly re-established themselves as one of Belfast’s most popular live acts, playing virtually anywhere an electricity supply (and their day jobs) would allow them… hell, they even managed to get around to recording and releasing their debut album… Turn the clock forward a further ten years and the band have turned something of a full circle with this, their second album, featuring McIlheney back on lead vocals.

And the album very much is a turning back of the clock as it kicks off with their ill-fated debut single ‘Belfast Telegraph’, an homage to the newspaper which usually was the first to deliver the shocking (sic) headlines about the latest atrocities when it was first recorded back in 1979, but which still retains a relevance in terms of its indictment of the tactics employed by most tabloids to grab attention to themselves if not the content.

FEATURES

1 Belfast Telegraph

2 Big Check Shirts

3 She Will Have To Go

4 Got No Right

5 When The Whistle Blows

6 On The Line

7 This Must Be Love

8 Belfast City/Belfast Punk

9 We're Still Alive (The Kids Were Alright)

10 You Can Change It (DUP'ed Again)