The Vipers in 1979, l-to-r: Foley, Boyle, Moloney & Sweeney
Bio:
The Vipers were formed in 1977 by Paul Boyle and Dave Moloney with original
members Ray Ellis (gtr) and Paul Cusack (bass), and quickly built up a following
at Dublin's Magnet Bar with an exciting mix of punk rock and Kinks-inspired
rhythm and blues. Boyle became an articulate spokesman for the developing Dublin
punk scene. Cusack left in late 1977 to be replaced by Ivor Rowan. The band
provided able support to the Clash on their second Irish visit and continued to
garner wide local press coverage especially when rural gigs were cancelled in
the wake of a media backlash following violence at a Dublin gig which was
unrelated to the band or its followers..
above: first lineup appearing on RTE's Our Times.
Initial promise evidenced by the band's first demo tape having evaporated by
early 1978, Boyle and Moloney decided to relaunch the band and recruited George
Sweeney, a founder member of Dublin's Rocky de Valera and the Gravediggers on
lead guitar in July 1978. Sweeney had originally played with Adam Clayton in
the Max Quad Band. Brian 'Dolan' Foley late of London punks the
Gremlins followed in August on bass. After intensive rehearsals the Vipers
resumed gigging and were immediately signed to Mulligan Records and recruited as
support act on the Boomtown Rats UK 1978 Christmas tour. These gigs and an Irish
mini tour with the Jam built momentum for the release of the single 'I've Got
You/No Such Thing' with Paul Weller endorsing the release and band in several UK
press interviews whilst Sounds magazine chose the record as 'single of the week'
in December 1978.
A session with John Peel followed in early 1979 ('Too Rough'
'You're So Strange', 'You're on Your Own Kid' 'Playin' the Game') and a move to
London for the band. Major label interest resulted and Virgin Records installed
the band at the Manor Studios to record demos for an album [Hot Press reported
that these demos highlighted that the band "...suffered a lack of depth quality
in their material when it came to the immediate crunch with Virgin", i.e. that
they had not enough quality material to carry an album. Whether this is true or
not, the Manor Studio demos have never seen the light of day]. After extensive
gigging in London (Marquee, Musc Machine, Fulham Greyhound) and a 30 date tour
with Thin Lizzy, the Vipers suffered a major blow with the departure of
founder member Dave Moloney at the end of Lizzy's 'Black Rose' tour.....
above: second lineup with new drummer Bernie Smirnoff, far right
The Vipers returned to active gigging with new drummer Bernie Smirnoff in
September 1979 at the Bridge House in Canning Town, East London. The Smirnoff-
era band recorded further tracks for Mulligan in early 1980 and as a result were
slated to sign with the Roxy Music-owned EG Records later that year. Ultimately
departure of key personnel at EG led to the Vipers releasing only one song 'Take
Me' on the EG-subsiduary Energy Records (on the 'Room to Move' EP) and the shelving
of the planned deal. Although successful gigs at London's Hope and Anchor and
Electric Ballroom followed, the Vipers never regained their initial momentum.
Brian Foley and George Sweeney decided to leave at Christmas 1980 returning to
Dublin, Foley to The Blades and Sweeney to
Barry Moore/Luka Bloom's Red Square.
Lineup: Paul Boyle (vocals & guitar), George Sweeney (guitar & vocals),
Brian Foley (bass), Dave Moloney (drums).
Paul Boyle later turned to acting.
George Sweeney was later in Red Square and
The Fat Lady Sings.
Brian Foley was later in The Blades.
Dave Moloney was replaced by Bernie Smirnoff in 1979; Moloney later turned up in
The Rhythm Kings and Paul Cleary's Cajun Kings.
George Sweeney's brother Ken was in Instant Party and
is now better known as Setanta recording artist Brian.
Discography
• I've Got You / No Such Thing
7" - Mulligan Records - LUNS718 - IRL - 1978 - PS
Notes:
Recorded at Lombard Studios in October 1978. Single of the Week in Sounds.
• Peel Session
Recorded 27 February 1979
tracks:
You're On Your Own Kid
Playin' The Game
Too Rough
You're So Strange
• various artists - Room To Move EP
7" - Energy Records - NRG-1 - UK - 1980
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: Take Me
• various artists - Killed By Death #41
LP - bootleg
tracks: No Such Thing
• various artists - Shake Some Action Vol.3 - UK & Ireland
CD - SSA Records - SSA-003 - Spain - 2001?
See Compilations section for full track listing.
track: I've Got You
Help!
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more
information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can
use, or spare copies of any releases,
then please get in touch.
