The Blades (band)

The Blades began in the summer of 1977 when five friends got together to play a gig in the Catholic Young Mens Society hall in Ringsend.[1] The lineup was whittled down to three: Paul Cleary (born 9 September 1959) on bass and vocals, his brother Lar (born 21 June 1957) on guitar and friend Pat Larkin (born 25 November 1956) on drums.[2]

Even from that early stage, the band's unashamed working-class origins and integrity marked them out from the more elliptical art rock being pioneered by U2 and The Atrix.[3] The band regularly played in Dublin's famous venues like The Magnet on Pearse Street, McGonagle's on South Anne Street and The Baggot Inn on Lower Baggot Street, where they did a six-week residency with U2.

Their first single, "Hot For You", was released on Energy Records in 1980, followed by "Ghost Of A Chance" in 1981 which they played on The Late Late Show. The record producer John Porter produced their first album, Last Man in Europe, but due to personnel changes at the record company, it never got released in England.

Pat left the band in March 1981, to be replaced by Jake Reilly on drums, the new lineup of Paul, Larry and Jake played first gig in The Magnet on Pearse Street on 18 July 1981, later that summer Paul switched to guitar, bringing in bassist Brian Foley (formerly of The Vipers) and added a brass section including Frank Duff (formerly of the Mod-ls). Larry left in 1982.

The band signed to Irish label Reekus, and a double A-sided single, "The Bride Wore White" / "Animation" was released in March 1982. In the Hotpress National Poll, "The Bride Wore White" was voted best single while The Blades were voted 'the most promising act in Ireland' and Paul Cleary beat Van Morrison and Bono to the 'best Irish songwriter'.

In 1985, Reekus released the album The Last Man In Europe.

One of their last gestures was to shun Self Aid, a 'backslapping' concert "to highlight the chronic unemployment problem in Ireland at the time" and instead played the socialist 'Rock the System' Concert in Liberty Hall in 1986.

In 2001, Reekus records released a double CD boxset, Those were the Days, which included both The Last Man in Europe and Raytown Revisited.[4]

Paul Cleary continued with a band The Partisans,[4] and later led an eight-piece pub rock band called The Cajun Kings. He also released solo material. In 2001, Paul released his first new material in 15 years, the 11-track album Crooked Town.[5]

Pat Larkin was later with The Peridots, and Brian Foley with (The Mountain Climbers, The Harvest Ministers).

The Blades reformed in 2013 to play two sold out reunion gigs in Dublin's Olympia Theatre on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 December.[6] Leading up to their reunion gigs they performed on The Late Late Show in November 2013.[7]

In addition to their reunion gigs in 2013, The Blades performed at The Electric Picnic in 2014[8] and at The Olympia Theatre on 5 December 2014.[9] In November 2014, Paul Cleary released a new solo single "I Still Believe".[10]

Following their reunion onstage, the band began working on new material in the studio on the strength of new songwriting from Cleary. In November 2015, they released their first new music as The Blades since 1985 with a 4-track EP entitled Smalltime. The first single, "Harder Times" was released on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM on 14 October 2015 and the EP has received widespread critical acclaim from the Irish media.[11][12][13]

• Modernised (2016)

CD - Raytown Records - RAYCD 2 LP - Raytown Records - RAYLP 1

• The Last Man In Europe (1985)

LP - Reekus Records - RKLP1 - IRL - 1985 - matte B&W cover +inner; distributed by WEA Ireland LP - Reekus Records - RKLP1 - UK - 1985 - slick colour front cover adds "featuring Paul Cleary"; different back cover LP - Disc AZ/Reekus Records - 509 - France - 1987 - shiny textured sleeve +inner; slightly different from UK cover w/ red logo +2 bonus tracks CD - Reekus Records - RK CD1 - 2000

• Raytown Revisited 1980-85 (1985)

LP - Reekus Records - RKLP3 - IRL - 1985 CD - Reekus Records - RK CD2 - 2000 - with three bonus tracks (including two 1979 demos)[14]

• Those Were The Days (2000)

2xCD - Reekus Records - RK BOXCD1 - 2000 - box/slipcase Two-CD set in slipcase consisting of RKCD1 + RKCD2

• Too Late To Stop Now: Reekus Records 30th Anniversary Compilation (2011)

2xCD - Reekus Records - RKBOXCD1 - 2011 - box/slipcase

• RTÉ Radio 2 Presents In Concert (1985)

LP - RTÉ Records - RTÉ 92 - IRL - 1985

• "Hot For You" / "The Reunion" (1980)

7" - Energy/Polygram Records - NRG-3 [2001 959] - IRL - PS paper labels 7" - Energy Records - NRG-3 - UK - PS plastic labels

• "Ghost of a Chance" / "Real Emotion" (1981)

7" - Energy/Polygram Records - NRG-5 - IRL - PS paper labels 7" - Energy Records - NRG-5 - UK - PS plastic labels

• "The Bride Wore White" / "Animation" (1982)

7" - Reekus Records - RKS005 - IRL - PS +insert

• "Revelations of Heartbreak" / "Rules of Love" (1982)

7" - Reekus Records - RKS007 - IRL - PS

• "Downmarket" / "You Never Ask" (1983)

7" - Reekus Records - RKS010 - IRL - PS

• "Last Man In Europe" / "Sadlands" (1984)

7" - Reekus Records - RKS013 - IRL - PS

• "Those Were The Days" / "Stand By Me Now" (Paul Cleary) (1985)

7" - Reekus Records 7" - Reekus Records - picture disc CD "Smalltime" EP-Reekus Records RKCD 157 (2015) CD Raytown Records RAYCD1

• "The Great Wall of America" / "Kingfisher Blue" (2016)

CD Raytown Records RAYCD 2

• "Modernised" (2016)