The Goo 1
and social unrest that spawned the explosive new
phenomenon that was punk rock - as Jock McDonald. London Jock moved with his brothers in 1975 where they lived beside another other nice Irish family, the Lydons. Punk was just about to ignite, and Jock was front and central to all that was happening. He was now a loud, charismatic tartan-adorned Scottish-Irish force of nature, a band manager, musician, DJ and club operator (Studio 21) as well as managing a recording studio manager (Alaska). He formed the notorious 4b2s with Rotten’s brother Jimmy (and later, Martin) on lead vocals and the aforementioned Youth on bass. They had a fearsome reputation for chaotic hooliganism from the off. Around this time, he also had side projects such as Pope Paul and The Romans who released a single ‘Why Don’t Rangers Sign a Catholic?’ In 1979, The 4b2s released their debut single ‘One of the Lads’, a discordant celebration of syncopated rhythms and tenor banjo which was so unique that John Peel named it single of the year. It was produced by Rotten and Youth and to these ears, was a direct precursor to the nascent Public Image Limited sound. Their iconic video shot by the great Don Letts was filmed on a building site organized by an uncle of the Lydons, who incidentally played the distinctive tenor banjo on the track. Another snippet of insight from Jock: he told me that Rotten was ‘a genius’ in the studio! Who knew? Situationist Art for Art Chaos’ sake Let me indulge myself in some speculative theory as a digression from the facts about Jock. It has been well-documented that within The Sex Pistols, Rotten was very much an outlier. He was different in so many ways from the others in the band and the other principals involved in the scene. He was a product of a first-generation Irish heritage and upbringing and it could only be an outsider such as 36 he, a product of the British Empire’s oppressive expansionist rule for hundreds of years, who could have come up with the incendiary lyrics of God Save The Queen. Rotten famously held his own council during those 18 months of the band. But who was educating, cajoling and hectoring away in the background? That’d be our man from Donegal, Jock McDonald. He might even have influenced him sartorially, with the tartan and all that Jockery. Jock and his brother Gerry were in the thick of it when they brought Rotten over to the Horse and Tram pub for a pint during The 4b2s trip to Trinity College Dublin for a live gig. Their second-leg gig didn’t happen down in Cork because chaos ensued when Rotten was incarcerated in Mountjoy for the weekend as a result of a fracas over his green hair and a barman’s fists. Up until then, a lovely time was had by all, when he stayed with Ma Sarah O’Donnell at her home in Coolock. Our most important promoter at that time, Elvera Butler, never did get the band down to Cork to play as arranged. The Bollock Brothers Ah, yes, The Bollocks! The band that Jock formed out of the ashes of The 4b2s. During their long and successful career, The Bollock Brothers produced nine LPs and numerous singles and eps, most notably Harley-David (Son of a Bitch), Faith Healer, The Bunker and Legend of the Snake and have consistently performed live over the past 45 years, mainly throughout Germany, Belgium, Holland and France Throughout his life, Jock had an unassailable faith in God and was a determined weekly, sometimes daily, Mass goer. Thousands of candles have been lit by our most unlikely of holy evangelists and daily prayers offered up on behalf of those Jock felt needed divine intervention. If there is any truth or justice in such devotion, he now sits among his favourite saints - Anthony, Faustino and Padre Pio. He also had a particular devotion to his Gardiner Street Church favourite, Fr John Sullivan. He is probably sharing a raised glass of Mass wine with them all now, having purloined a bottle from the green room of heaven. One thing in life that was consistent about Jock McDonald, in a long life of seemingly chaotic rock ‘n roll excess and incident, was his innate ability to surprise. And you thought you knew him! At his funeral mass the priest celebrated Jock’s life with a surprisingly acute non-judgemental eulogy, even giving it a bit of ‘BOLLOCKS’ on two occasions. That must be a first from the pulpit! I am sure all who witnessed it thought of Jock’s wicked smile beaming down at that moment. Jock lives! Hail Hail! So Jock, rest easy in the warm embrace of your saintly pals. Thanks again for making my life – and that of everyone who had the privilege of meeting you – so much better, so much more exciting, chaotic and above all, fun. All the love to your beloved children Kilien, Maria and Ben and your grandkids too. And Jock’s age? That would be an ecumenical matter, Father, as guarded as the three secrets of Fatima. Nothing was ever straightforward with Jock. Coladh samh Patsy, you did us miscreants, outsiders and lovers of a good wind-up some service during your lifetime as an ace provocateur and upsetter for the past fifty years. RIP.