Formed in Belfast in 1978, Protex were early pioneers of the Belfast Punk Movement. Signed to the now legendary Good Vibrations label, their debut release received great reviews and enjoyed widespread airplay on BBC Radio 1. They quickly came to the attention of Rough Trade Records, who released Don’t Ring Me Up to wide acclaim. This in turn led to the band signing for Polydor Records, who released the singles I Can’t Cope, followed by I Can Only Dream. The 1980s saw the band take to the road with the Boomtown Rats as well as embark on two …
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Formed in Belfast in 1978, Protex were early pioneers of the Belfast Punk Movement. Signed to the now legendary Good Vibrations label, their debut release received great reviews and enjoyed widespread airplay on BBC Radio 1. They quickly came to the attention of Rough Trade Records, who released Don’t Ring Me Up to wide acclaim. This in turn led to the band signing for Polydor Records, who released the singles I Can’t Cope, followed by I Can Only Dream. The 1980s saw the band take to the road with the Boomtown Rats as well as embark on two extensive tours of their own throughout the US and Canada. An album was recorded with legendary producer Chas Chandler, who’d worked with, among others, Hendrix, The Animals and Slade. However, the band weren’t happy with the result and after a final release, A Place in Your Heart, the band and label parted ways, Protex splitting soon after.
Fast forward to 2010, when New York’s Sing Sing Records located the Polydor recordings and released Strange Obsessions on vinyl, igniting renewed interest in the band. Founders Aidan Murtagh and Dave McMaster reformed the band and shows followed in Ireland, Spain and Japan.
2014 saw Protex play across the UK, including London’s famous 100 Club, before being invited to play at Hotel Vegas in Austin, Texas as part of the South By South West festival. The two shows sold out and European dates followed later in the year.
2015 saw the band return to SXSW, this time via sold out shows in New York and New Jersey. They also played in Italy and Sweden later in 2015 before taking time out from live work to write and record a new studio album.
The band were due to return to SXSW in March 2016 as part of a tour which would also see them play in New York, Atlanta and Philadephia. They have already been invited back to the USA in March 2017 and will also have more European dates planned later this year.
We, that is Bachelor Records, are VERY proud to have them on board with this full lenght release, fans worldwide are waiting for this for quite some time - now its ready to be unleashed!
TRACKLISTING
1. Waiting for the Sign
2. Because of You
3. On the Wire
4. Even if I Wanted To
5. Without You
6. Truth
7. Tightrope
8. Fool in my Mind
9. Stay Out of My Dreams
10. Shining Star
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