Growing up in war-ripped Derry, amid the drumbeat of bigotry, Mary, Locky, Sean and David formed a rock and roll band with the idea of making music to help heal a society scared by diversion and dispair. Not. Although very much of Derry, rare have no sense of siege. Their’s is a world view from a diverse open town. Hot wired to music happening everywhere. rare are revving up.

Sean O’Neill lives with the cross of being a cultural icon, songwriter, guitarist and creative detonator of The Undertones and That Petrol Emotion. He was back home in Derry, doing little because there was little to do. Locky Morris is one of Ireland’s leading sculptors and constructors of installations who’s exhibited in spaces from the Tate Gallery in Liverpool to the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin and the Bogside Community Centre.

Mary Gallagher was a lecturer in Art History who’s vocal chords had remained unused since primary school. They met up when Sean, having been recruited into Derry’s musicians collective, engineered on a demo tape of songs Locky and Mary performed.

" I had a bunch of stuff as well with half finished lyrics which I gave to Locky because he is really good with words, and we started playing live the odd time. It seemed to work, so we produced a single ourselves, ‘Set Me On Fire’ on Setanta. We’ve kept on since. We’re all from the same place but coming together from different directions".

rare’s next release, ‘Something Wild’ irradiated reviewers with excitement and dallied in the charts for a time. A cluster of live shows sent out eddies of expectation. But it wasn’t until Easter 1997 that the three abandoned jobs and alternative commitments and rare went full time.

By this time David Whiteside, who had played drums with most Derry bands worth drumming for, had come in to augment percussive aggression. rare release their debut album ‘peoplefreak’ on Arctic via Pinnacle Labels in March 1998. "This record has to stand up wherever people are listening" says Locky "Derry isn’t an influence on us as much as attitude". The songs pilot a course through the mazes of lost love and temptations of the material world. "There’s stuff here to be proud of . ‘Killer’, the next single available on the 17th November, is one of the best things I’ve been involved in" says Sean. Hidden somewhere within an understated melodic structure is an uncomfortable noise. This is essential. It’s a walk on the weird side.