Billy Doherty is 58-and-a-half years old but going on 21.
He is one of the five men from Derry who make up The Undertones. Billy’s favourite pair of jeans help him make believe he is James Dean, when he isn’t walking his two cavalier King Charles spaniels, Bobby and Oscar.
WHO EXACTLY ARE THE UNDERTONES?
Why? Are they armed and dangerous? We are five men from Derry who have very similar likes in music and are all good friends. I have been very lucky to travel around the world, but for me, Derry is my home, it’s a beautiful city.We are delighted that we are still playing music 40 years on, which is really quite staggering.
DOES YOUR GROUP FALL IN THE PUNK MUSIC GENRE?
It is fast, short rock‘n’roll music that is called punk rock. Well, we are pigeon-holed as a punk rock band but does it really matter? It’s all music, music that you like, music that you hate.
WHO IS YOUR GREATEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE?
Charlie Watts, the drummer of The Rolling Stones. I have loads of musical drumming influences from all genres of music. With jazz it would be Art Blakey, Joe Morello, Buddy Rich. With country and western it would be Mickey Jones and WS “Fluke” Holland. Rock‘n’roll it would be Al Jackson jun, Ringo Starr, John Bonham. The list is endless.
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING MUSIC?
Probably eight years old. I was tapping anything with my hands along to music that I heard on TV and the radio.I was always fascinated by drummers and to this day that still remains the case.
The main reason, I guess, why I like music is that when I was a young boy getting ready for school in the morning, my parents would have the radio on and when a tune came on the radio that they liked my dad would say to my mum “Agnes do you fancy a dance” and in seconds the two of them would be dancing around the kitchen smiling. This was the norm every morning at home and it made me smile too.
DOES ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY PLAY MUSIC?
Yes, my dad plays the piano. He’s now 87 and only recently took up playing the piano, maybe about 10 years ago. He plays at local social events for the elderly and he loves it. Sometimes I have to collect his keyboard for him at the end of his performances.
WHAT IS THE LAST THOUGHT YOU HAVE BEFORE GOING ON STAGE AND THE FIRST COMING OFF?
Don’t make a mistake and did I make a mistake.
DO YOU LIKE TOURING?
Yes, and I still miss home every time I leave to go on tour.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO ON TOUR?
The breakfast bar at the hotel we are staying at. I love touring in Germany, Spain, Italy and France.
HOW DO YOU WRITE SONGS?
John O’Neil is the main songwriter in the band. He’s the guy that wrote Teenage Kicks and most of our singles and songs on our LPs. He would tell me what bands he was listening to and I would try to adapt their style of drumming or beat into our songs.
WHY ARE YOU RE-RELEASING MATERIAL
?People seem to like it, I think? There seems to be a desire from fans to get more material from the band. I suppose re-releases around the 40th anniversary is a milestone to acknowledge that we are still above ground. We have seven original LPs and numerous compilations, greatest hits, etc. I would be really excited if we did record more new songs though.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK?
A cycling track. I like Jimmy Jimmy.