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It's 1979 and The Undertones eponymous debut album is released.

TodayÌýthe band announced a 35th anniversary Ìýduring whichÌýthey'llÌý be performing the entire first album.

But no Feargal. Sharkey, that is, the former lead singer. The singer, for the past ten years now, is Paul McLoone, but still there seems to be thisÌýconstantÌýquestion mark around what if we could getÌýthe original line up again.

So much so, that the morning after Derry won the UK City of Culture bid, there was a celebration in the Millennium Forum. Ed Vaizey, the Culture Minister, took me to one side andÌýearnestly asked meÌýwhat were the chances of The Undertones reforming for 2013?

Mmmm. I didn't want to rain on his parade, and I didn't really think he had the time to be given a crash course in the contrariness of the Derry spirit that would never countenance such a reconciliation, so I found myself saying "well, Robbie is back with Take That, so who knows?"

As I watched his retreating back I couldn't help thinking when Hell freezes over? ÌýÌý

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