THE lead guitarist of one of the north's most popular punk rock bands has been laid to rest
Colin 'Getty' Getgood was one of the original members of Belfast band The Outcasts, formed in 1977.
He died on Monday following a long illness and was buried on Thursday in Bellaghy, Co Derry after a funeral mass in St Mary's Church. He is survived by wife Jackie.
Made up of brothers Greg, Colin and Martin Cowan, Blair Hamilton and Getty on lead guitar, The Outcasts became one of the hottest bands on the emerging Belfast punk scene in the late 1970s and shot to fame when they joined Terri Hooley's, Good Vibrations record label.
Mr Hooley described his friend as a "gentle soul" who will be missed.
"He looked very fierce on the stage, but he was a gentle soul. He was a really great guy," he said.
Current guitarist for The Outcasts, Petesy Burns said Getty was "truly one of a kind" and described the funeral on Thursday as a "beautiful and touching send off".
"An emotional but also uplifting day. I'll leave the last words to the man himself summing up what it was like to be a punk here... 'You fought you way in and fought your way out, just for the opportunity to do what you love '," he wrote in an online post.
The Outcasts reformed in 2010 and in August 2011 played at Rebellion festival in Blackpool, with Petesy Burns on bass and Brian Young on guitar. Earlier this year the band was the subject of a documentary. Outcasts by Choice premiered at Belfast Film Festival in April.
