That was the response whenever I mentioned Feargal Sharkey's upcoming talk at De Montfort Universities' Cultural eXchanges Week.
"He was the front man of The Undertones."
I sit opposite blank faces.
"Teenage Kicks?"
The song had been my anthem around the age of twelve, and has been an anthem for many since its release in 1978. Arguably, it's what Sharkey is best known for. Dig deeper however, and you're presented with a man who has won an abundance of awards for his service to the music industry, which goes beyond his recording career.
From the early 1990's Sharkey has been involved with the business side of music. First he became an A&R for Polydor Records, then a member of the Radio Authority, and more recently the head of UK Music, an organisation which focusses on the production side of the UK's commercial music industry.
Tonight, in a half-full room containing various generations of music fans, Sharkey discussed his humble, though frustrating, beginnings in Derry, Northern Ireland, his career both on and off stage, and his opinions on the modern state of the music industry.
He spoke with passion and affection when explaining the need to champion new artists, and how the internet has shaped music. The anecdotes of his experiences always engaged me as a listener. I thoroughly appreciated his talk. Can this event be topped?
Sarah Beckley
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