By Julie Waters
IT promises to be a night to remember when The Paper Boys take to the stage for their first live musical extravaganza.
Talented Bangor musicians Mark Armstrong, Russell Moore, James McCready, Jim Toal and Mike Yeates will be making an eagerly anticipated comeback when they perform at The Imperial, on Saturday, April 11, from 4.30pm to 7pm.
Tickets are selling fast for The Paper Boys first gig as all the band members boast impressive musical pedigrees having performed in well known 1980s bands including Motion Pictures, Third Parti, and latterly as Brazil.
Fans can look forward to seeing Yeates on keyboard and vocals, Armstrong on the drums, Moore up front on guitar and vocals, with Toal on bass and McCready on lead guitar and vocals.
The band were inspired to call themselves The Paper Boys as most of the musicians bought their first instruments from their paper round wages when newspapers were daily delivered to readers’ homes.
Gig goers can look forward to a selection of classic hits from the late 1960s and 1970s, from the likes of ELO, The Eagles, The Doors and Steely Dan.
Russell explained the band members’ rich history. “Back in 1983 James McCready and Mark Armstrong were in Motion Pictures which supported Kajagoogoo. I was in Third Parti, we were younger and looked up to Motion Pictures.
“When I was in Third Parti we played two Radio One shows at Pickie. On the first occasion we brought a tape to the hotel where Steve Wright was staying. He said if he played our song to the crowd and they liked it then he would play it on air – and he did.
“They then started inviting local bands to play at the road show and we played the second year.”
Music enthusiasts will also recognise keyboard player Mike Yeates and drummer Mark Armstrong for their success with the group Brazil, who were popular performers at wedding functions.
However, dreams of rock and roll stardom were set aside as the realities of adult life took hold.
“We put our guitars away and had babies,” said Russell, who recalled that their musical ambitions were dusted off after the Covid-19 health crisis.
“It was just after Covid and everybody was working from home and I just thought wouldn’t it be great craic to get the guitars out again,” he said.
“I bought a new guitar and I remembered how to play it and I put the call out on social media to see if anybody wants to have one last go before we die.”
With many of the band members now enjoying their retirement, Mike said that having fun making music together is at the heart of everything they do.
“The whole thing for us is having fun,” he said.
The band are also looking forward to performing in front of their first live audience, with tickets already selling fast. “While we enjoy practising, nothing compares to performing in front of a live audience and we think people of our age will want to hear our sort of music,” said Mike.
It’s always good to have goals, and The Paper Boys already have their sights set on a major local gig. “Our ambition is to play a Ward Park gig, maybe next summer,” said Russell.
Tickets are available from The Imperial or online at: www.bracbc.net
