The Undertones in Manchester

The Undertones are a Northern Irish punk band formed in Derry in 1974. Their concise, melodic guitar songs found a wider audience through “Teenage Kicks,” followed by records including the self-titled debut, Hypnotised and the single “My Perfect Cousin.” The Undertones toured the United States supporting The Clash in 1979 and played extensively around Britain during the run of their first two albums. They broke up in 1983; reunion concerts followed in 1999, when Paul McLoone became lead singer. The reunited group has since returned to theatres and festivals, including Glastonbury Festival.

The Men They Couldn't Hang are a British folk-punk band formed in 1984, known for pairing rock instrumentation with political and historical storytelling. Their early repertoire included a version of Eric Bogle's “The Green Fields of France,” followed by songs such as “Ironmasters,” “The Colours” and “Shirt of Blue.” Night of a Thousand Candles and How Green Is the Valley established the sound heard across their later records. Soon after forming, they supported The Pogues on a UK tour, bringing their songs to club and theatre audiences. The band disbanded in 1991, then reunited for a concert in London in 1996 and resumed touring.