Talking Heads is set to have its roof blown by a one-off appearance from iconic punk legends The Outcasts on Thursday, July 2nd.

The Outcasts were a new, and very loud, voice in punk music when they hit the scene in January 1977, to become Belfast’s own legendary group that created a unique sound that has proven a hit with music fans the world over.

With punk venues in Belfast being few and far between, Colin Getgood with Martin, Colin & Greg Cowan would hire clubs for ‘private parties’ and the band would run the gauntlet of gigging until management caught on.

Dubbed ‘The band you love to hate’ by the local press due to their bad boy image and loutish behaviour, the band began to attract their own local following, and were pivotal in the development of the new youth movement happening in the city throughout the late 70s.

Daily Echo:

For the next ten years, a string of cult hits and commercial successes marked The Outcasts as stalwarts of the cutting edge music scene, with the band’s loyal fans continuing to support and follow the boys as they enjoy a resurgence following the release of the Good Vibrations movie in 2013.

To celebrate his 50th birthday, Greg Cowan played a handful of songs to invited guests for what was the first time the three members of the Outcasts had been on the same stage since their split in the mid-80s.

This “gig” ignited the idea of reforming the Outcasts and they were offered a prime slot at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, which they have held for the last four years.

And this July, The Outcasts have a short yet exciting line up of gigs planned for the south of England which will see them play Southampton (Talking Heads), Bristol (The Louisiana), Brighton (Sticky Mikes) and The Borderline in London between the 2nd and 5th of July.

Today the band are fondly remembered by many, and still have a large cult following in France where they toured regularly in the 1980’s.

The current line-up of the band consists of Greg Cowan on bass and vocals, Martin Cowan guitar, Petesy Burns on guitar and Raymond Falls on drums.

In a clear nod to the appeal of both the band and the genre, all four venues are as large as the band would have played in their heyday, and with tickets already selling fast, these special events are not to be missed.