Shellshock Rock is the first part of documentary filmmaker John T. Davis 'punk trilogy' - it was followed by Protex Hurrah and Self-Conscious Over You (both 1980). Davis's grimy, low-budget (just like the music) films captures the zeitgeist of the Ulster punk scene and stand as a lasting testament to the spirit of UK punk as it existed out in the grey and dreary provinces. Unlike the cocky, art-punk crowd of the first wave of punk in London, the punk scene in the north of Ireland exhibits an unsophisticated innocence which is charming in its simple idealism. With the deadly shadow of the Troubles and sectarianism continually looming in the background, the punk rock musicians and fans interviewed here struggle to articulate just what punk means to them, but as they mug for the cameras and strike self-conscious poses it becomes apparent that it offers a voice, a release of energy and a chance to rebel against an oppressive and violent status quo.
The film features wonderful live footage of the well known names of the scene, such as The Undertones (a brilliant live rendition of Teenage Kicks at Chesters in Portrush is a highlight) and Stiff Little Fingers (captured during a blistering performance of Alternative Ulster live at the New University of Ulster). Less well-known bands such as Rudi, The Outcasts, The Idiots, Protex, Parasites, Victim and Rhesus Negative also feature and absolutely embody the earnest but liberating D-I-Y amateurism of the time.
The film also captures footage from legendary punk venue The Harp Bar (Belfast's equivalent of London's Roxy Club or New York's CBGB's) and an enthusiastic Terri Hooley waxing lyrical about the scene in his massively important Good Vibrations record shop. Honestly, if you want to get a raw and essential view of the punk scene in the north of Ireland exactly as it was, this film is indispensable. Pair it up with 2012's Good Vibrations for an unbeatable Ulster punk double-bill that will leave you nostalgic for lost idealism if you're a certain age, or for an authentic look at the history of a movement that burned all too briefly if you're a bit younger.
