The Undertones distance themselves from musical 'Teenage Kicks' The Undertones Tickets

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The Undertones have distanced themselves from a stage musical based on their songs set to open next year.

The stage show will be key to Irish town Derry as they celebrate their status as UK city of culture throughout 2013. However, The Undertones themselves have no part to play in the musical and have distanced themselves away from any association.

Author and novelist Colin Bateman who wrote the play, titled Teenage Kicks, told The Guardian: "It's a musical that uses the band's music (and a few other songs of that era as well) to help illustrate the story, which is still kind of vague at the moment, but will be about what it was like to be a teenager back in the late '70s."

When about possible participation in the musical, Damian O'Neill who, along with his brother John, played guitar in the band said "absolutely not". Other band members also insisted they would not be involved.

The Undertones inspired show is part of a million pound fund the Northern Ireland Arts Council has invested in Derry as part of their year as City of Culture. Eighteen projects will benefit from the money in total, including the largest ever exhibition of works by Turner Prize-nominated artist Willie Doherty.

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