The history of punk is often obscured and contorted in so many ways, it’s hard to get a good read on it. While it’s debatable as to who was the creator of punk, we can all agree on at least a few important bands. Namely The Ramones, Misfits, Black Flag, and of course The Sex Pistols. Regardless of your opinion on those bands, there’s no denying their importance to punk culture. But by sticking to the narrative of standards, we overlook other really good acts. Belfast’s The Outsiders comes to mind.
Despite rarely being cited as a major influence by punk acts of the day, The Outcasts have a vast catalog of incredible punk rock.
Formed in 1977 and disbanding in 1985, there isn’t much to talk about in the way of history but that doesn’t mean The Outcasts were anything less than interesting. Their name came from being banned by five venues in under two weeks due to their intensity and affinity for violence. That’s right, punk wasn’t their genre, it was their lifestyle! Being known as one of Ireland’s rowdiest bands earned them enough credibility to work with multiple record deals and television appearances.
Without the pop culture popularity of other punk acts, hunting down their entire discography can prove to be difficult. Fortunately, Secret Mission Records recently put together a collection of The Outcasts’ singles spanning their entire career. Remastered and comprehensive, Tell Me The Whole Story lives up to its title by putting all of those hard-to-find singles in a 2 LP set.
Complete with a poster as well as liner notes by original member Martin Cowan, Tell Me The Whole Story acts as a history lesson to those who have never experienced The Outcast’s brand of no-nonsense punk.
Tell Me The Whole Story chronicles The Outcasts from their humble beginnings to their last hoorah. It’s extremely interesting to hear just how much the band grew over the course of a few years. From the garage rock sloppiness of “I Don’t Wanna Be No Adult” to the anarchy of “Mania” all the way through the rockabilly vibes of “Psychotic Shakedown”, The Outcasts were quite diverse! It wasn’t all about flipping off the audience and making ugly faces, they grew from start to finish!
The Outcasts may not have had the following as some of punk’s other darlings, but the mission state was never about fame or fortune: it was about making the kind of music they wanted to make and getting it out there to those willing to listen. Even though Secret Mission Records only released 500 vinyl copies of Tell Me The Whole Story, it still remains easier to obtain than compiling the tracklist yourself. It’s the perfect introduction to The Outcast and a history lesson to boot.
For more information on The Outcasts, visit them on Facebook.
For more information on Secret Mission Records, visit the official site.
