Friday night, I’m working the late shift. The newspaper’s in-house activity is usually very quiet during weekends. All graphics have been done beforehand and unless there’s an emergency, a last minute catastrophe, some serious shooting or god descending among the mortals, on Saturday and Sunday you’ll get old news. When I was in school, I used to play soothsayer with some girls telling them what would show on the front cover on the weekend. That always impressed. The future was always built over the past and the past was the future. And the present? Well, 1, 2, 3, it’s already the past.

The past is always haunting me. I have a little obsession with it. When I was a kid I always thought I was going to be an archaeologist. My house was built over an ancient cemetery and a block away there was a huge mud city (Huaca Pucllana) many centuries old. My dad told me that when he was a teenager that place wasn’t closed for tourism. It was open, and he would go biking there and often find some ancient remains, vases, combs, textiles and even mummies! That was inspiring for me, that under my feet I could always find lost treasures. And that’s how I feel about The Holsteins today.

Right in front of my nose lies a treasure chest containing two songs of this Belfast band. That’s what the “25 Silver Jubilee” compilation on Germany’s Meller Welle Produkte is. “A Year and a Day” and “Count the Stars” are on repeat right now. I have my huge headphones on and, while they warm my ears a bit on this cold day, I’m enjoying these lovely tracks. Why have they been forgotten? I don’t get it. They had proper releases plus many compilation appearances. They were played by Peel but not even a mention on Twee.net. The past has had no mercy and buried them six feet under. Time for some digging. Prepare the shovels.

After some time researching, the only source of information I could find was this complete website with a large bio and a short interview, which I’ve read eagerly. Here are some important bits and pieces:

* The first album “Angel Train”, was released in 1994 by the German label Bullet! Records. It is a vinyl only 10 song album that seems got many favorable reviews. The track Drugstorm was played on Peel that same year. The record sold out.

* As the album was such a success, the label offered a second release, this time on CD. In 1995 the band releases “Pop-Gun Riot”, a 5 track EP. And again the reviews were positive.

*By 1997 The Holsteins were Niamh Rooney on vocals, Davy Burton on lead guitar, Pete Major on rhythm guitar, Brian McNamara on drums and Chris Birt on bass. Under this lineup they released their last record, the 8 track album “Sub Rosa”, on Shiny Records, which seems their most popular release as it’s the only one listed in RateYourMusic.

*Thanks to this album they caught the German popkids’ attention again and were asked to contribute, these two songs I keep listening, to the Meller Welle compilation. And on top of that, they did a split 7″ with die Blumen des Bosen on the Kactus label.

But what happened after that? Can it be that after many releases they fall into oblivion? And what about the questions I have? like, why did they name themselves after the black and white patterned cows, the world’s highest production dairy animal? Do they find it funny that there is a Holstein region in Germany, the country where they were most popular? Would I ever come around those two early demo cassettes they recorded? Would some crazy person take advantage and offer me their albums for 50 dollars each? All I really know is that I want to listen more from Niamh’s swooning voice. But if you know where the past has left our Northern Irish pop comrades please inform about it! Don’t be silent! You don’t want to be the undertaker’s accomplice, do you?

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Listen
Holsteins – A Year and A Day