In 1975 I came to Manchester from N.Ireland to attend Manchester University. A band I'd already started back in Co. Antrim, the Accidents, with friend and keyboard player Paul McKavanagh, continued and there eccentricity of the music fitted in well with the punk movement's early days in 1977.
I then started my own group, "Eddie Mooney and the Grave" and played a demo down the phone to the Manchester label TJM Records from a call box! This was heard by Mark Standley, then of V2, who told label boss Tony Davidson to sign us. (Mark is now a member of 80s hit band Sigue Sigue Sputnik). Our single "I Bought Three Eggs /"Zombie" became asort of cult favourite with frequent plays on the John Peel show. Both tracks also appeared on the TJM collection 2Identity Parade" in early 1979. It finally made CD on the "White Dopes on Punk" compilation in 2005 and was released again on vinyl on the German label "Still Unbeatable Records" in 2009.
We appeared often at the Russell Club /Factory in Hulme, appearing with the Damned, the Cure, Mick Hucknall' Frantic Elevators, V2 and many others. By 1980 the band split and I spent many years in 60s band the Dakotas (who had backed Billy J Kramer on several major hit singles) and since 2007 I have been lead singer with another former hit band the Fortunes. Still touring the UK,US, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Sweden.