Here’s a little bit of music history – the first punk single from Northern Ireland… the first official one, anyway. Big Time by Rudi was the first release on Belfast’s homegrown Good Vibrations label in April 1978.

Three months earlier Stiff Little Fingers had put out 500 copies of Alternative Ulster on flexidisc through the fanzine of the same name.

But Big Time was the first proper vinyl single.

Rudi were one of the handful of local bands inspired to join the growing punk revolution by The Clash’s gig at Belfast’s Ulster Hall in October 1977.

They were recommended to record shop owner Terry Hooley by one of his customers at the start of the following year.

Bowled over by the band, Hooley set up his own label – named after his shop – and Rudi’s song Big Time became the first release in April 1978.

John Peel played it, all 3,000 copies sold out, and punk began to become a uniting force for young Catholics and Protestants in the province.

The clip at the top shows Rudi performing live in Shellshock Rock, the 1979 documentary about the Northern Ireland punk scene. This one is Rudi live on Something Else the following year.