Spitting Image formed in Belfast in 1978. The line-up featured Ian Glenn on vocals, Gary Shannon on bass, his brother Bill Shannon on lead guitar, Simon Neil on rhythm guitar, Mark McAuley on keyboards, and Clarke Wilson on drums. Ian and Mark were school friends, and the band brought together members from East Belfast and the Holywood area. Still underage for licensed venues, Spitting Image played a handful of local shows, including several gigs at Holywood Intermediate School and performances around Sydenham. Mark recalls one particularly memorable show: “We played once at Sydenham Train Station, plugged into the big house behind the station.” Live, the band drew heavily from the debut albums of The Stranglers and The Jam, while also writing original material. Among these was “Jackboot,” an uncompromising anti-fascist track written by Ian Glenn. With limited opportunities to play live, the band split in 1979.

Today, Mark McAuley lives in Queensland, Australia. Ian Glenn passed away on 25 November 2025.

If anyone has any further information or photographs of this band, then please DO get in contact via spit77to82@aol.com