The Vipers were formed in Dublin in 1977 by teenagers Paul Boyle (vcls/gtr) Dave Moloney (dms) Ray Ellis (gtr) Paul Cusack (bass), and quickly built up a following at Dublin's Magnet Bar with an exciting mix of punk rock and Kinks-inspired rhythm and blues.  A set of high quality original songs including 'Pay Now, Love Later' 'You Had Your Chance' and 'Strut It' was quickly put together by Beatles fan Boyle, who was considered to be head and shoulders above other Dublin punk songwriters of the time. Dublin music business impressario Ross Fitzsimons became the band's manager after seeing a high energy set by the band in a small club.

Boyle was also a charisamtic frontman and quickly became an articulate spokesman for the developing Dublin punk scene. Moloney, from a jazz background, was the most accomplished musician in the band. The band came to widespread attention with an incendiary set supporting Canvey Island's RnB kingpins Dr Feelgood at Dublin's National Stadium.  Before long the Vipers were the post popular new wave act in the Republic remaining so until their departure to London in early 1979.

Cusack left in late 1977 to be replaced by Ivor Rowan. Gigs followed north and south of the border. The band provided able support to the Clash on their second Irish visit and continued to garner wide local press coverage especially when rural gigs were cancelled in the wake of a media backlash following serious violence at a Dublin gig in early 1978 unrelated to the band or its followers.

Initial creative promise evidenced by the band;s first demo tape having evaporated by mid 1978 B and M decided to relaunch the band and recruited Dave 'George' Sweeney (18), a founder member of Dublin's Rocky de Valera and the Gravediggers on lead guitar in July 1978. Northsider Sweeney had originally played with bassist Adam Clayton in Navan Road's  Max Quad Band and was considered one of the leading new Irish guitar players.  Brian 'Dolan' Foley late of  London punks the Gremlins followed in August on bass. This was later to be considerd the 'classic' Vipers line up and gigged widely in Ireland and the UK .

After intensive rehearsals in the summer of 1978 the Vipers resumed gigging with a high profile show at Dublin's Project Arts Centre after which they were immediately signed to Mulligan Records and recruited as support act on the Boomtown Rats UK 1978 Christmas tour. These gigs and an earlier Irish tour with the Jam built momentum for the release of the single 'I've Got You/No Such Thing.' Paul Weller became a fan and endorsed the new release and the band in several UK press interviews whilst Sounds magazine chose the record as 'single of the week' in December 1978. The end of that year found the band at a critical and popular peak in Dublin and London.

A BBC session with John Peel followed in early 1979 ('Too Rough' 'You're So Strange, You're on Your Own Kid' 'Playin' the Game).and a move to London for the band. Major label interest resulted and Virgin Records insalled the band at the Manor Studios to record demos for a planned album. A disagreement about the band's artistic direction resulted in the departure of Fitzsimons to journalism in early 1979, leaving the young band without mangement at a very critical stage  After extensive gigging in London (Marquee, Music Machine, Fulham Greyhound) and a 30 date  ('Black Rose')  tour with Thin Lizzy, the Vipers suffered a major blow with the departure of founder member Moloney. right at the end of the Lizzy tour. The band found themselves in the doldrums after a frenzied two year period of achievement and acclaim and temporarily lost both direction and record industry interest.

The Vipers recruited their first non-Dubliner when Hastings drum legend Bernie Smirnoff joined in the summer of 1979. Smirnoff had been sticksman with cult group the Hollywood Killers. The Vipers returned to active giging in September 1979 at the Bridge House in Canning Town, East London and with the help of Phil Lynott, secured new management. The Smirnoff-era band recorded further tracks for Mulligan in early 1980 and as a result were slated to sign with the Roxy Music-owned EG Records later that year. Ultimately departure of key personnel at EG led to the Vipers releasing only one song 'Take Me' on EG (on the 'Room to Move' EP) and the shelving of the planned deal. Although successful gigs at London's Hope and Anchor and Electric Ballroom followed the Vipers never regained their initial momentum. Foley and Sweeney decided to leave at Christmas 1980 returning to Dublin, Foley to join Dublin's biggest Vipers' fans, the Blades, and Sweeney to play lead guitar in Barry Moore/Luka Bloom's 'Red Square' and later the Fat Lady Sings.

Boyle left the music industry, became, and remains, an actor. Moloney joined Rocky de Valera in the Rhythm Kings and later joined the Cajun Kings with ex-Blades frontman Paul Cleary.  After so much promise the Vipers had come and gone in less than four years. Strong interest remains today in the band's extensive unreleased catalogue and a CD and a website with possible downloads are currently under discussion by the ex-members with release of the John Peel Session a priority. Also included will be all vinyl releases. Today all members, excluding Boyle, still live and occasionally perform in the Dublin area.

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