{{Short description|Irish rock band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Cactus World News | image =CWN group pose pic Panel 4.jpg | caption =Cactus World News MCA records Publicity photo | image_size = | alias = | origin = [[Dublin]], Ireland | genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[New wave music|new wave]] | years_active = 1984–1991, 2011–present | label = [[MCA Inc.|MCA]] | website = [http://cactusworldnewsband.com CWN website] | current_members = | past_members = Frank Kearns<br />Feargal MacAndris<br />Wayne Sheehy<br />Eoin McEvoy }} '''Cactus World News''' is<!--This article is written in British English. Do not change to is!--> an Irish [[rock music|rock]] [[musical ensemble|band]] formed in [[Dublin]] in April 1984. Founded by Frank Kearns (guitar) and Eoin McEvoy (vocals), the first full stable lineup also included Wayne Sheehy (drums) and Fergal MacAndris (bass).<ref name="Henderson" /> They reformed in 2011 with a new lineup of Kearns, Sheehy and MacAndris, including Eoin Scott and Eoin Watkins. Their early influences were [[the Clash]], [[Ramones]], [[Talking Heads]], [[U2]], [[the Waterboys]] and [[R.E.M.]]
==Career== Their first release, and best-known song was "The Bridge", which was [[record producer|produced]] by U2's [[Bono]], and released on their Mother Records [[record label|label]]. They toured the UK with [[The Cult]] in 1985 and signed with [[MCA Records]].<ref name="Henderson">Henderson, Dave (1985) "Cactus World News Bridge that Gap", ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'', 14 December 1985, pp. 26-7</ref> They performed at the [[Self Aid]] concert in Dublin on 17 May 1986. The band released their debut [[album]], ''Urban Beaches'', in 1986 and gained notable [[hit record|hits]] with its three [[single (music)|singles]]: "Years Later", "Worlds Apart" and a re-recording of "The Bridge". It has a five-star rating on iTunes USA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/urban-beaches/212711112 |title=Urban Beaches by Cactus World News on Apple Music |website=[[iTunes]] |date=1986-01-01 |access-date=2020-04-18}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] gave Urban Beaches a rating of 4.5 out of 5.<ref>Sutton, Michael "[http://www.allmusic.com/album/urban-beaches-mw0000883566 ''Urban Beaches'' Review]", [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved 23 May 2016</ref> All three singles reached the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]] | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 89}}</ref>
After their second album, ''No Shelter'', was shelved in 1989, the band were released from their [[recording contract]] and underwent several personnel changes. MacAindris and Sheehy both quit in 1989. McEvoy and Kearns continued for a few more years, with various other band members coming and going, including Chris McGoldrick (bass), John Doyle (bass) and JJ Collier (drums).
In 2010, Kearns played guitar on three songs on the Australian band [[The Church (band)|The Church]]'s album ''Untitled #23'' ("Dead Mans Hand", "On Angel Street", and "Operetta"). Praised for its moody yet strong songwriting, it has yielded some of the Church's best reviews of their career, including a 5 star review from Australia's ''Rolling Stone''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://home.earthlink.net/~thechurch/albums/untitled-23.html |title=The Church Discography - Untitled #23 |access-date=2016-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515200103/http://home.earthlink.net/~thechurch/albums/untitled-23.html |archive-date=2016-05-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kearns also contributed guitar to "Love Philtre" on the Church's 2014 album ''[[Further/Deeper]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rollingstoneaus.com/music/post/exclusive-stream-the-church-furtherdeeper/676 |title=Rolling Stone Australia — Exclusive Stream: The Church 'Further/Deeper' |access-date=2016-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016190713/http://rollingstoneaus.com/music/post/exclusive-stream-the-church-furtherdeeper/676 |archive-date=2014-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== ;Studio albums {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Album ! colspan="2"|Chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> ! [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1986-08-22|title=Cactus World News (US)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=November 11, 2021}}</ref> |- | 1986 | align="left"| ''[[Urban Beaches]]'' | 56 | 180 |- | 2004 | align="left"| ''No Shelter'' | - | - |}
;Live album *1986 – ''Live: Spin Magazine Concert Series'' '''Compilation album'''
* 2015 – ''Found''
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="1"| Chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="35"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> |- | 1985 | align="left"| "The Bridge" | - |- | rowspan="3"|1986 | align="left"| "Years Later" | 59 |- | align="left"| "Worlds Apart" | 58 |- | align="left"| "The Bridge" | 74 |- | rowspan="2"|1989 | align="left"| "Rebound" | - |- | align="left"| "Town Like This" | 144 |- | 1990 | align="left"| "Don't Let Me Down" | - |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cactus-World-News-Official/1713841628840909 Official Facebook]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Irish new wave musical groups]] [[Category:MCA Records artists]] [[Category:Musical groups from Dublin (city)]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1984]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1991]] [[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2011]] [[Category:1980s in Irish music]] [[Category:1990s in Irish music]] [[Category:2010s in Irish music]] [[Category:2020s in Irish music]]