The Undertones to play Newcastle as part of 45th Anniversary tour
Last updated 4th Nov 2025
Released on 21st April 1980, ‘Hypnotised’ marked the second full-length release from The Undertones. The album reached number six on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band’s highest charting release. A commercial and critical success, it was highly praised for its catchy melodies and youthful energy. Although a few years have passed since its release, ‘Hypnotised’ has lost none of its impact or energy, from the humour of “My Perfect Cousin” to the more mellow pop-oriented stylings of “Wednesday Week”.
Now, The Undertones have announced their plans to tour ‘Hypnotised’ once more, over four decades after the album first hit record store shelves. This December, the Derry-born band will mark the anniversary of their most beloved album with a special tour including stops in Newcastle, Nottingham, and a huge show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.
The Undertones will be joined by special guest John Otway. Since the release of his hit single “Really Free” in the mid-70s, the English singer-songwriter has built a sizeable cult following through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona. From chart success to filling London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire for his 5000th gig, Otway has achieved his childhood dreams of stardom. This winter, catch him sharing the stage with fellow legends The Undertones in Newcastle.
About The Undertones
The Undertones emerged from Derry, Northern Ireland in 1976, the result of five friends learning how to play basic rock and roll. Even by the standards of that decade, Derry wasn’t the rock and roll capital of anywhere. So with no live bands worth watching, they learned their trade by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry, and, most of all, by listening to John Peel’s show on BBC Radio One.
Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording “Teenage Kicks” in 1978 on Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations label in Belfast, which Peel played twice in a row on his show. Live, The Undertones present a glorious set of classic tracks taken from what are considered by many fans and critics to be some of the best punk albums of all time, adding to them a whole bucketful of their iconic guitar pop hits and anthems, “Get Over You”, “Jimmy Jimmy”, “My Perfect Cousin”, “You’ve Got My Number”, “Julie Ocean”, “Wednesday Week”, and, of course, “Teenage Kicks”.
In 2025, The Undertones came roaring back with an extensive UK and European tour to promote the release of their very first live album… hard to believe that the band never released a live recording. The new album includes selected old and new songs performed by the post-1991 lineup with Paul McLoone on vocals and is currently only available on vinyl and at shows.
Catch them live in Newcastle this December.
The Undertones Live
4th December - Boiler Shop, Newcastle
Tickets available here.