Protex

Formed in 1977 after The Clash's first Belfast gig and originally called Protex Blue after a song on that seminal punk bands first LP. The name was later shortened to Protex to avoid comparisons with The Clash. Aidan Murtagh (guitar) and Owen McFadden (drums) had both previously been in a pre-punk school band called The Incredibly Boring Band which also yielded The Peasants. After some well received radio sessions and a successful debut single on Good Vibrations Records which was licensed and reissued by Rough Trade to meet demand, Protex signed to Polydor Records UK in early 1979 along with another Northern band The Xdreamysts who were scouted at the same gig. Protex relocated to London in the summer of 1979 after their first Polydor single, released another one shortly thereafter and began work on an album provisionally titled "Strange Obsessions" with Chas Chandler producing. But this LP never came out (the Xdreamysts meanwhile only managed to get their Polydor LP released in Holland). Despite touring successfull in America (as captured by John T.Davis on film) and a 4th single in 1980, the band lost momentum after the shelving of their LP and had split by 1981.