Feargal Sharkey, eco-campaigner and lead singer with the legendary post-punk band The Undertones, gripped a packed room at The Strand Fish and Chip restaurant in Wish Street on Friday 14 November.
His visit was part of a fundraiser for Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore and came during the week that the extent of the pollution incident at Camber started to become clear.
A captivated audience were spellbound as the former singer gave a resume of his life from when he and his band from Londonderry were propelled to overnight national stardom on the back of one of the greatest pop songs ever written – Teenage Kicks – via his time as a solo artist. He reflected on a much longer career as an eco-campaigner, focusing on the pollution of clean water in the nation’s rivers and sea and calling the polluters to account.
Feargal paid warm tribute to the MP Helena Dollimore, particularly on how she has worked tirelessly in the last couple of weeks to highlight the bio-beads release that has polluted Camber Sands and other beaches in Rye Bay. He highlighted her getting involved in the clean-up at Camber and organising a public meeting to call Southern Water to account.
He talked about his passion for fly fishing and then abandoned the mic and worked the room, having a chat with most of the packed audience.
Befitting a former frontman, Feargal then took charge of the auction to raise funds to help the MP’s campaigning work. He encouraged many bidders to dig deep in their pockets, seemingly further than they might have intended to secure the items on offer. They included a week’s accommodation in a holiday apartment on the Thailand coast and a vinyl LP of The Undertones’ eponymous first album, signed by the popstar himself.
A fish and chip supper was then served after which the happy audience retired homewards, their appetites sated by a warm, fun evening in the company of the great Ulsterman, and perhaps an ambition to enjoy a night-time of Teenage Kicks.
Image Credits: Natasha Robinson .
Everyone’s generosity and sense of fun made this such a memorable and popular evening, top class fish and chips too.
Always enjoyed the Undertones but more of Feargal’s constant campaign against the privatised water authorities and their complete disregard to the environment and greed.