The 4 Be 2’s were a 2nd generation Irish Post-Punk formed in North London in 1979 and who disbanded in 1981. They are the great lost link in the development of Irish music – the very first band to ever raise an English born but defiantly Irish voice.
The 4″ Be 2″s was Punk band from north London. Their sound was a miss mash of art-damaged, Dub and Reggae influenced Post-Punk. Formed by Jimmy Lydon, the brother of Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd founder John Lydon, of course also known as Johnny Rotten. The Lydons parents Jimmy and Eileen arrived in London in the 50’s from Galway and Cork and settled the working class Finsbury Park area of Islington in the north of the city. Close to both Arsenal F.C, where he was a regular in the Clock End, and Holloway Road, known to us as County Holloway. At the time, the area was largely impoverished and consisted predominantly of working-class Irish and Jamaican’s. As John would say
“I’m sure there are a lot of people out there thinking ‘what makes him Irish?’. Well, I’ve spent 66 years pretending to have a London accent.”
Along with Jimmy was Jock McDonald whose real surname was O’Donnell and a whole host of Lydon family and friends, including Martin Glover who later went on to find worldwide fame as founding member and bassist of the rock band Killing Joke. John’s other brother Martin sometimes appeared with them as did John “Rambo” Stevens, manager and minder of John and one of his oldest friends from Finsbury Park. Graham Wheeland, guitarists Dreary O’Hoodlum and drummers Paddy O’Reilly and Paul “Youngie” Young (another who later find worldwide fame as quite a cool Pop artist) also passed through the band during it’s short time.
The band claim that the name comes from an old Irish joke about a plank of wood although with the band being made up of Arsenal fans and their biggest rivals Tottenham Hotspur just a couple of miles up the road being famous for their largely Jewish fan base it could (!) also be likely that ‘four-by-two’ refers to the nickname given to Jewish people in Cockney rhyming slang, which was a way of speaking that originated among working-class Londoners.
(According to Paul Young filming for the video was shot at O’Donovans skip yard in Gospel Oak in north-west London. John Lydon snr sorted it out. It was directed by Don Letts, his first promo film. “The crack… was,,, fierce,,
’ at… 7am…” p:s… we paid for the smashed Hut 
!!
️” )
It was claimed at the time that John Lydon produced most of their releases but as far as can be ascertained John’s only involvement with them seems to have been getting pissed and going round his Mum and Dads 2 bedroom council flat. It was claimed that he did produce their first two singles One Of The Lads in 1979 and Frustration in 1980. John later denied working with them at all, claiming it was all a McDonald cash in. Which it probably was.
The most famous story involving John Lydon and 4″ Be 2″ was their infamous trip to Dublin in 1980 where he ended up in Mountjoy Prison after being beaten up by a barman.
“That band got me locked up in Dublin, I never made it to the gig; I was arrested for attacking two sets of policeman’s fists with my face,”
He would write about the experience on PiL’s 1981 single Flowers of Romance. The incident discouraged him from playing in Ireland for almost 30 years, but shows since with both the Sex Pistols and PiL since have helped build a strong Irish following.
BY early 1981 it was reported Jimmy had retired into marriage and he was replaced by another Lydon brother, Martin and in March 4″ Be 2″ released their last single the All Of The Lads 12,” which was issued on their own label Shamrock. By autumn 1981, 4″ Be 2″ had broken up and the rest of the band with Jock McDonald on vocals started another band called The Bollock Brothers and released two 12″ singles in 1980 and 1981. They became best known for playing cover versions of bands like Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf, David Bowie and Vangelis, among others and their 1983 electro version of the Sex Pistols’ album Never Mind The Bollocks featured the infamous Michael Fagan. Fagan hit the headlines when he was arrested for breaking into Buckingham Palace in 1982, managing to enter the Queen’s bedroom and waking her up when he opened the curtains. He spoke to the Queen for around 10 minutes before guards arrived and he was taken away. He was sentenced to two years in jail but served only a few months and was let out early for good behaviour and he returned to his hometown of Derry in Ireland. The irony of him singing vocals on ‘God ‘Save The Queen’ wasn’t lost on the British press who gave the band a healthy dose of free publicity. Having released nine studio albums as well as other EPs, singles, live releases and compilations, The Bollock Brothers continue to play music throughout Europe primarily in Belgium, Germany and France.
4″ Be 2″ Discography
One Of The Lads / Umbabba 7″ (1979) * One Of The Lads (Dub Version) / Umbabba 12″ (1979) Frustration / Can’t Explain (1980) * All Of The Lads / Jimmy Jones / Bitch 12″ (1981)
Two other releases are credited to the band an album in 1986 called The Lydons And The O’Donnells Family Album. A compilation album which featured the likes of Billy Idol, Bananarama, Killing Joke and Paul Young on backing vocals. Tracks included are from 4″ Be 2″, Jock McDonald’s Indecent Exposure Show and The Bollock Brothers. The other was D Wing, Japanese bootleg with studio recordings of 4″ Be 2″, with two uncredited songs by Killing Joke. According to Discogs Jock McDonald was running a record shop and was selling loads of a Japanese bootleg LP of PiL at the Rainbow. Jock persuaded the bootlegger to press a 4″ Be 2″ bootleg but by the time the records came back the record shop had closed and the band had ended leaving the bootlegger with a load of records no one wanted. Of course nowadays they are eagerly snapped up but back then it must have been tempting to throw them in the Regents canal!
Make no mistake being Irish and proud in those days was a dangerous thing here in England. The war back in the north of Ireland was raging and tensions were high. Innocent Irish people were being routinely arrested and locked up (look up the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4) by the Police and it was thought best to keep your head down. Then along came 4″ Be 2″ out of the working class Irish and Black ghettos of north London. Taking Dub reggae, Punk and Irish music and proudly subverting the auld ‘No Blacks No Irish No Dogs’ signs that greeted their parents when they arrived off the boat train. 4″ Be 2″ would cross paths with Shane MacGowan and perhaps can be credited with helping Shane become comfortable with his Irishness at a time when many were not … and we all know where that leads us!
4″ Be 2″ Facebook You Tube Bollock Brothers WebSite
LONDON CELTIC PUNKS WEB-ZINE 
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