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~ the animals ~ animals and friends ~
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The Animals was one of the most important bands originating from England during the '60s. The group is widely considered the raunchiest, the dirtiest, the most authentic and uncompromisingly raw band of their time. Formed in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, by John Steel and Eric Burdon, the group reflected their earthy upbringing with hard-charging, blues-based rock 'n roll, deriving much of their early repertoire from American Blues and R & B sources.
Rock and roll hall of fame inductee and founding member of The Animals, John Steel is still present today. Performing all the classic hits including, House of the rising sun, We gotta get out of this place, Dont let me be misunderstood, It's my life. Bring it on home to me, I'm crying plus many more. John is joined on stage by fellow 1965 Animals keyboard player Mickey Gallagher(also from The Blockheads and The Clash). John Williamson (Titanic) and Peter Barton (The Mindbenders).
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Eric Burdon toured UK for Rock Artist Management in 2002. The tour was a total success. Without doubt Eric Burdon is one of the UK's premier artists. His show consists of all the classic Animals material along with his great solo work including Sky Pilot, When I was young, San Franciscan Nights, Good Times, Spill The Wine, Ring of Fire etc.
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What is the lasting legacy of a rock and roll band that has broken up and left the collective public conscience? What if one or more of the band's founding members continues down a path in the spirit that the band created when it was together? For a band like The Alarm, that legacy can be hard to ascertain because they meant many things to many different people. To some, they were the greatest live band to ever take the stage in a dingy club, theatre, or football arena. Others found solace in the lyrics, latching on to themes of inspiration, hope, spirituality and friendship. Still others enjoyed the camaraderie among fans, and the genuine affection the band showed towards them. The one thing that tied all of things together was the music. From adrenaline filled acoustic rock played with a vengeance, to deft rock n' roll played from the heart, the Alarm's songs were something special with lasting significance. That significance cannot be measured in Gold records or critical acclaim because the band won none of the former and very little of the latter. What can be measured is The Alarm's affect on their fans: a fiercely loyal rabble that to this day, continues to support the band and the various solo efforts spawned by its members. The popular-press music journalism has-beens and wannabes with their clever quips and scathing reviews may never "got" what The Alarm stood for, but the fans sure did. To them Alarm music was a unique treasure, and the band was nothing short of legendary.
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THE ZOMBIES
ROD ARGENT
& COLIN BLUNSTONE
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Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone has performed quite a few shows over the years for Rock Artist Management. The Zombies are without doubt one of the most influential bands of the last century. The backbone of the band is Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone. Now after over forty years since The Zombies were born the band are on the road again performing on both sides of the Atlantic to packed houses. The 2004 album "As far as I can see" has been getting great reviews and has charted in some territories in Europe. The band perform all the great Zombies classics along with Argent and Blunstone solo projects. Including, She's not there, Time of the season, Tell her no, I dont believe in miracles, Say you dont mind, Hold your head up, God gave rock and roll to you etc etc. The list is almost endless.
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Peter Barton from Rock Artist Management managed to pursuade Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja from the original line-up to reform in the early 90's. They both said yes. Since then the band has performed hundreds of shows all over the world for Ram including North America, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France holland etc.
Without doubt one of the great legendary bands still touring the world today.
By now, everyone knows the Yardbirds legend, if not their music; the band graduated three of the great Ph.D.s of rock guitar: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. They created hard rock out of standard twelve-bar blues, doubling the tempos and whacking the amps up to ten. On the British club scene, the Yardbirds, the Animals, and the Rolling Stones ruled the stages. The Yardbirds expanded the range of the electric guitar, experimenting with feedback, sustain, and fuzztone. They also coined and popularized the rave-up, a kind of free-for-all where you jam long and hard, not as soloists, but in a tandem, until you reach an epiphany about 10 or 20 or 30 minutes later, a shuddering climax of decibels and pure energy, and then-back into the song for one more boom-boom chorus. The Yardbirds were the bridge between the tributary white R&B of early-sixties London and the pastures of fuzz-toned psychedelia and power-chorded heavy metal plowed much later in the decade and throughout the seventies. Yes, the Yardbirds laid the groundwork for Rock Guitar As We Know It.
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Paul Jones, Dave Kelly, Tom McGuinness, Gary Fletcher and Rob Townsend.
The story of how The Blues Band formed in 1979 to play the music that was their passion - the blues - just for fun and a bit of beer money, and then found themselves with whole new careers on their hands, has been well documented in countless magazine articles and record company biographies. They've released 17 or so albums culminating in their current release - 'Thank you Brother Ray' - a tribute to the late great Ray Charles, and have regularly rung the musical changes, albeit within the context of the blues. Their extensive canon of recorded material includes a large catalogue of original songs as well as their own readings of songs from the genre's finest writers like Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sleepy John Estes etc.
In the past 25 years the band have played all around the world in venues ranging from intimate clubs through civic halls and theatres, and have wowed festival audiences in many countries including headline appearances at Glastonbury. Whilst not unique in being the only band to have survived together for 25 years they are one of the few outfits to have consistently recorded new material throughout such a long career, and whilst staying true to their blues roots have constantly developed their music & redefined their approach on several occasions. Their 1994 album 'Wireless' saw them venture into the purely acoustic arena for the first time and the 2000 release of the 'Scratchin' on my Screen' album confirmed the presence of purely acoustic settings of the blues in their repertoire. 1999's 'Brassed Up' album was, as the title suggests a foray into big band blues whilst 'Stepping Out' released in 2002 saw a return to the band's basic 5 piece line-up with the double barrelled vocal frontline of Paul Jones and Dave Kelly being joined by Tom and Gary both singing lead on a couple of songs. With 4 singers and songwriters in the band the quality and variety of performance and material offered by The Blues Band is pretty much unrivalled elsewhere, either in the blues world or elsewhere, and the band's passion and reverence for the music, their presentation and showmanship all combine to deliver the definitive 'good night out' available from any artist currently operating within the blues field in Europe and beyond.
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MOTT THE HOOPLE II
FEATURING
LUTHER GROSVENOR
ARIEL BENDER
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Luther Grosvenor (aka Ariel Bender) is one of the most inventive guitarists of his generation. "Floodgates" confirms his place right up there with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Brian May and Mick Ronson.
His latest project is Ariel Benders Mott The Hoople. Performing all the classic Hoople favourites including Roll Away The Stone, All The Young Dudes, All The Way From Memphis, Golden Age of Rock & Roll, Foxy Foxy etc. Also included in the set will be all the Spookey Tooth favourites and classics from Widowmaker.
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Since 1973 Dr Feelgood always offer 100% of the finest Rhythm n Blues to make you feelgood. The band contain three of the members who played alongsid Lee Brilleaux. Kevin Morris, Phil Mitchell and Steve Walwyn. The band is now fronted by ex Animals 2 frntman Robert Kane. Without doubt Dr Feelgood have the perfect medicine to give any festival a great fix of driving blues at its best.
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TASTE
RORY GALLAGHERS ORIGINAL BAND
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Before becoming a solo star, Rory Gallagher fronted the blues-rock trio Taste, which experienced reasonable success in the U.K. in the late '60s and early '70s. Taste was molded very much on the model of Cream, adding some folk, pop, and jazz elements to a blues-rock base, and featuring a virtuosic guitarist.
The focus of Taste was always upon Gallagher. In addition to playing accomplished and versatile lead guitar, he sang in a gentle but convincing fashion, and wrote the band's original material. Much of Taste's repertoire was more restrained and balanced than the territory Gallagher would explore on his '70s outings, which placed more emphasis upon him as guitar hero. Gallagher also played occasional saxophone and harmonica with the group.
Gallagher formed Taste in his native Ireland in 1966. In May of 1968, he relocated to London and, still months shy of his 20th birthday, formed a new version of Taste with bassist Charlie McCracken (who had played bass with Spencer Davis, though not at the peak of Davis' hit-making days) and drummer John Wilson (who had been a drummer with Them, likewise not during one of their well-known incarnations). Two studio albums followed in 1969 and 1970, the second of which made the British Top 20.
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The Hamsters have been voted one of the UK's best bands by Kerrang magazine. Even BBC's Top Gear magazine recognises the band as the UK's hardest working, and featured them in an article on in-car entertainment, the Hamsters being the ideal people to ask as they're always travelling somewhere.
Now in their nineteenth year together, having performed more than 3,500 concerts and with a national mailing list exceeding 20,000, the Hamsters are established as the UK's premier blues-rock attraction. This has been achieved purely by hard work with the band handling all their own affairs, thereby disproving the popular misconception that it can't be done without major-label "muscle".
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Dennis Greaves heads up the band, playing guitar and singing better now than at any time in his career, a legend in waiting persona! Then there is the mighty rhythm section of Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O'Neill blowing up a storm! Gerry is a bass player's bass player, who spent 15 years laying it down for Rory Gallagher as did Brendan on drums for 10 years. Over this fat slice of rhythm, comes the unique harmonica of Mark Feltham,since January 2001 Mark has been back playing with Nine Below Zero needless to say anyone who knows the band will be aware of his history, himself and Dennis being the founder members of the band. Live, this combination is lethal, hammering and nailing the big R n B sound to the floor of many a famous stage. It is not unusual for the band to sell out big clubs weeks up front.
"NBZ are brilliant live, they work so hard , the audience often go home as exhausted as the band" so says Andrew Zweck of top promoters Harvey Goldsmith Ents. They have carved out a very credible niche, a place they will be for a very long time to come, because, who else is this good?.....this often? NBZ are the viable alternative to Alternative, a band that most definately come to play, a band with their own genuine sound and deep understanding of their musical roots. NBZ have a tireless spirit, no regrets, no excuses, no crap.
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STRAY made their mark in the late 60s by owning lighting rigs, pyrotechnics and transport in a time when most bands were content to just get up onstage and play. STRAY dated back to 1966 when teenagers vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham, bass player Gary Giles and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band whilst all were attending the local Christopher Wren School in London. At this point the average age of STRAY members was 14. Steve Crutchley quit to pursue traditional Jazz and was duly replaced by Richie Cole as STRAY became regulars on the London club circuit, performing at such venues as Shepherds Bush Goldhawk Club and Covent Garden's Middle Earth.
In May 1969 STRAY supported THE GROUNDHOGS at Southall Farx Club and signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970.
STRAY appeared at their first Reading Festival in 1971, alongside such acts as RORY GALLAGHER, MEDICINE HEAD and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. Later that year the group also made their debut TV appearance on the show 'Disco 2', although a gig the same year at the Weeley Festival found STRAY in bother with the coastguard when stage flares were mistaken for a distress call by the local lifeboat!
STRAY's first British headline tour in the winter of 1971 had RED DIRT and STEVE TILSTON supporting. The band the band would also tour Europe as support to TEN YEARS AFTER. They would promptly return to the UK for more support shows to the likes of STATUS QUO before touring nationwide with THE GROUNDHOGS. At this point STRAY took on the services of manager Wilf Pine.
Securing another Reading Festival slot in 1972 - appearing with STATUS QUO, TEN YEARS AFTER and WIZZARD - STRAY supported THE GROUNDHOGS once more in August 1973, experimenting with additional live musicians; including keyboard player Andy Powell, backing vocalists and brass section. STRAY also opened for BLACK SABBATH at Alexandra Palace in the same month.
STRAY's line up remained stable until 1974 when an additional guitarist, Pete Dyer, was recruited. Gadd departed during the recording of 'Stand Up And Be Counted', leaving Bromham and Dyer to share lead vocal duties. The band undertook their first American dates in July 1975, performing with SPIRIT and CANNED HEAT and then found themselves as support in 1976 to the debut British tour by KISS.
The band gained another prestigious support for Canadians RUSH on their first British venture and, for a bit of added publicity STRAY found themselves for a short while being managed by Charlie Kray, the brother of the infamous Kray twins. Unfortunately, despite progress being made with live shows and recording STRAY split in December 1977 dogged by management and financial pressures.
Del Bromham would be the first to kick start his career as he signed a solo deal with Gull Records, releasing the single 'Who Do You Love' in 1978. He toured the clubs billed as THE DEL BROMHAM BAND.
At the turn of the decade STRAY were reformed by Dyer, Cole and Giles with new guitarists in Don Hollis and Tony Pow. The new incarnation of the band supported SAGA on the Canadian group's 1981 British tour. however, this line up soon disintegrated - with Pow and Hollis departing in favour of a returning Bromham.
With Del Bromham back in the band STRAY opened for BARON ROJO in Spain during 1982 and Gadd returned for the 1984 reformation that completed a line up including Giles, Cole, Bromham and vocalist Peter Dyer.
In 1987 Bromham was mooted to have been joining NIGHTWING. This liaison in fact led to the formation of RAZORBACK with ex STRIFE and NIGHTWING bassist Gordan Rowley and former NIGHTWING drummer Steve Bartley. Ill health on the part of Rowley forestalled progress however and an album fully recorded was shelved. Bromham later worked with THE KILLER B'S although STRAY reformed again with Bromham, Gadd, Giles and Cole in 1993 for a series of live shows.
In mid 1995 STRAY reformed for a London club show and a live album, released in 1996, was recorded at Dudley's Robin Hood R&B club. The record found STRAY comprised of Del Bromham, bassist Dusty Miller and drummer Phil McKee. STRAY were still a going concern in 1997, recording an album titled 'New Dawn' and touring through Britain during the winter.
The 2001 Receiver release 'Dangerous Games' would herald in 35 years as a recording entity. The album, which received commendable reviews, compiled recent live outings from shows in Dudley during 1996 with studio cuts dating to 1997.
It's worth noting that no less an act than IRON MAIDEN covered the STRAY track 'All In Your Mind' as the B side to the 'Holy Smoke' single. STRAY would be announced as the special guests to veteran Rockers MOUNTAIN on their Spring 2002 UK tour.
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Lancashire's top blues / rhythm'n'blues band
Founder member of Slack Alice in 1973, Cliff had previously played in 'travelling jukeboxes' touring working men's clubs, American air force bases and venues in Germany, etc. After the initial incarnation of Slack Alice, Cliff went on to record an album 'Billy Plus Nine' as Stocker, Greenwood & Friends in 1979. During the 70's he undertook a lot of session work for Chapell Music.
Later he was a member of Seven Year Itch with Dave Walmley (ex Los Bravos - of 'Black Is Black' fame) and based in Europe for a number of years. The band had a hit record in Holland 'Oh Ya Ha' (which resurfaced on Slack Alice's 'Broken Dreams' album).
Reformed Slack Alice in 1996, Cliff's distinctive gravel edged vocals are reminscent of Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart.
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ERIC BELL BAND
EX THIN LIZZY
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Eric Bell was a founder member of Thin Lizzy one of Ireland's biggest, brightest and best bands.
He met Philip Lynott and drummer Brian Downey in Dublin in 1969 and together they formed the band which was one of the first Irish bands to be a huge success all over the world.
Eric stayed with the band until 1973 during which time they recorded and released their first three albums: Thin Lizzy , Shades of a Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds of the Western World with Eric playing guitar, singing and helping to write many of the songs with Philip.
The band's first massive hit was Whiskey in the Jar with Eric's distinctive guitar work which he has turned into his own special anthem. The Rocker was a second big hit and is still hugely popular at live gigs.
Before forming Thin Lizzy, Eric used to play in an Irish showband called The Dreams and he also had his own band: Shades of Blue.
Eric has worked with Van Morrison and Them, Jimi Hendrix's bassist Noel Redding, Rory Gallagher, Bo Diddley, Henry McCullough, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Keith Tilman and Keef Hartley.
He also has his own blues band, the Eric Bell Band, and has made four CDs: Live Tonite, Irish Boy, Live Tonite Plus and A Blues Night In Dublin.
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DON AIREY AND FRIENDS
(RAINBOW - DEEP PURPLE)
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Don Airey, keyboardist extraordinaire, has been a major player on the heavy rock scene for nearly 25 years, having worked on well over a hundred albums, and been a member of countless bands.
He has also made his mark as an arranger and composer in the commercial field, and is about to embark on a new chapter of his career as a solo artist with the release on 121 Music of his album, K2.
Don Airey is currently the keyboard player in Deep Purple. Apart from writing, recording and touring with them he also spends time recording with and for other artists
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Formed in 1977 to promote Ian Durys' album 'New Boots and Panties' on the first Stiff Records tour of the U.K. Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, Charlie Charles, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher became known as 'The Blockheads' . In 1978 released 'What a Waste' a single that reached number five in the U.K. charts. In late 1978 'Hit me with your Rhythm Stick' with Ian went to number one in the U.K. Ian Dury & The Blockheads went on to record the 'Do it Yourself' album and toured Europe and the U.K. recording 'Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3' in Rome. Released as a single in late 1979 it reached number three in the U.K. charts.
In 1980 released a third album for Stiff Records called 'Laughter' and released 'I Want to be Straight' and 'Supermans Big Sister' as singles.
In March 1996 Ian was diagnosed with cancer and, after recovering from an operation, was determined to write another album.
To this end The Blockheads went into rehearsal in August 1996 and began recording at Air Studios, London in October. The album 'Mr. Lovepants' was released in 1998 and in May, Ian & The Blockheads hit the road again. This time with Dylan Howe replacing Steve Monti on drums. In August Davey Payne left and was replaced by Gilad Atzmon. This line up continued to play gigs throughout 1999. The last performance by Ian Dury & The Blockheads was February 6th 2000 at The London Palladium. Ian died at 9am on 27th March 2000.
The band continue performing sell out concerts everywhere and continue recording New albums in The Blockheads vein.
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In 1975 four teenage kids were signed to "Island Records" , they called themselves "Eddie and the Hot Rods" and they went on to tour the world and produce four top forty hits 'Live at the Marquee, Quit this town, I might be lying, Teenage Depression and one top ten hit 'Do anything you wonna do'. They recorded two singles with MC5 singer Rob Tyner as guest vocalist, they toured America alongside The Ramones, Talking Heads, and Tom Petty. In 1978 they headlined the Reading Rock Festival and have filled most of the major UK and European venues. They helped influence bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Undertones, and The 101ers (who went on to be The Clash) and played a major part in the birth of 'Punk Rock'
In 2000 lead singer Barrie Masters was asked to take part in a major UK tour so he put together a reconditioned fleet of Hotrods and off they roared, the response was so good that the band have been in constant demand since then.
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As punk's history enters a new millennium, the impact of the band initially judged "the least likely to" seems to grow ever more each day. The Ramones hold deserved pride of place for kick-starting the whole thing, while the Sex Pistols and to a lesser extent the Clash helped take it to an even more notorious level, role models for many young bands to this day. But arguably just as important and memorable were the Damned, London contemporaries of the Pistols and Clash that made their own mark from the start. Eschewing political posing, ill-fitting outside rhetoric, and simply doing the same thing over and over again, the group -- lacking anything like a stable lineup -- took punk's simplicity and promise as a starting point and ran with it. The end result, at the group's finest: a series of inspired, ambitious albums and amazing live shows combining full-on rock energy, a stylish sense of performance, and humorous deadpan cool. Not necessarily what anyone would have thought when Ray Burns and Chris Millar met in 1974 when both ended up working backstage at the Croydon Fairfield Hall.
Burns and Millar -- more famously known in later years as guitarist/singer Captain Sensible and manic drummer Rat Scabies -- kept in touch as both struggled in the stultifying mid-'70s London scene. Things picked up when Scabies talked his way into a rehearsal with London SS, the shifting lineup ground zero of U.K. punk that nearly everybody seemed to belong to at one point or another. There he met guitarist Brian James, while in a separate venture overseen by Malcolm McLaren, casting about for his own particular group to oversee, Scabies first met theatrical singer Dave Vanian, still working through his New York Dolls/Alice Cooper obsession. Vanian's own history allegedly included singing "I Love the Dead" and "Dead Babies" while working as a gravedigger, but whatever the background, he proved to be a perfect frontman. Scabies put Sensible in touch with Vanian and James and the Damned were born, with Sensible switching over to bass while James handled guitar and songwriting.
Though the Sex Pistols became the most publicized of all the original London punk groups, forming and playing before everyone else, the Damned actually ended up scoring most of the firsts on its own, notably the first U.K. punk single -- "New Rose" -- in 1976 and the first album, Damned Damned Damned, the following year. Produced by Nick Lowe, both were clipped, direct explosions of sheer energy, sometimes rude but never less than entertaining. The group ended up sacked from the Pistols' cancellation-plagued full U.K. tour after only one show, but rebounded with a opening slot on the final T. Rex tour, while further tweaking everyone else's noses by being the first U.K. act to take punk back to America via a New York jaunt. Things started to get fairly shaky after that, however, with Lu Edmonds drafted in on second guitar and plans for the group's second album, Music for Pleasure, not succeeding as hoped for. The members wanted legendary rock burnout Syd Barrett to produce, but had to settle for his Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason. The indifferent results and other pressures convinced Scabies to call it a day, and while future Culture Club drummer Jon Moss was drafted in to cover, the group wrapped it up in early 1978.
Or so it seemed; after various go-nowhere ventures (Sensible tried the retro-psych King, Vanian temporarily joined glam-too-late oddballs the Doctors of Madness), all the original members save James realized they still enjoyed working together. Settling the legal rights to the name after some shows incognito in late 1978, the group, now with Sensible playing lead guitar (and also the first U.K. punk band to reunite), embarked on its most successful all-around period. With a series of bassists -- first ex-Saints member Algy Ward, then Eddie and the Hot Rods refugee Paul Gray and finally Bryn Merrick -- the Damned proceeded to make a run of stone-cold classic albums and singles. There'd be plenty of low points amidst the highs, to be sure, but it's hard to argue with the results. Vanian's smart crooning and spooky theatricality ended up more or less founding goth rock inadvertently (with nearly all his clones forgetting what he always kept around -- an open sense of humor). Sensible, meanwhile, turned out to be an even better guitarist than James, a master of tight riffs and instantly memorable melodies and, when needed, a darn good keyboardist, while Scabies' ghost-of-Keith Moon drumming was some of the most entertaining yet technically sharp work on that front in years.
The one-two punch of Machine Gun Etiquette, the 1979 reunion record, and the following year's The Black Album demonstrated the band's staying power well, packed with such legendary singles as the intentionally ridiculous "Love Song," the anthemic "Smash It Up," and "Wait for the Blackout" and the catchy Satanism (if you will) of "I Just Can't Be Happy Today." On the live front, the Damned were unstoppable, riding out punk's supposed death with a series of fiery performances laden with both great playing and notable antics, from Sensible's penchant for clothes-shedding to Vanian's eye for horror style and performance. 1982's Strawberries found the Damned creating another generally fine release, but to less public acclaim than Sensible's solo work, the guitarist having surprisingly found himself a number one star with a version of "Happy Talk" from South Pacific. While the dual career lasted for a year or two more, the Damned found themselves starting to fracture again with little more than a hardcore fan base supporting the group work -- Sensible finally left in mid-1984 after disputes over band support staff hirings and firings. Second guitarist Roman Jugg, having joined some time previously, stepped to the lead and the band continued on.
To everyone's surprise, not only did the Damned bounce back, they did so in a very public way -- first by ending up on a major label, MCA, who issued Phantasmagoria in 1985, then scoring a massive U.K. hit via a cover of "Eloise," a melodramatic '60s smash for Barry Ryan. It was vindication on a commercial level a decade after having first started, but the Anything album in 1986, flashes of inspiration aside, felt far more anonymous in comparison, the band's worst since Music for Pleasure. After a full career retrospective release, The Light at the End of the Tunnel, the band undertook a variety of farewell tours, including dates with both Sensible and James joining the then-current quartet. The end of 1989 brought a final We Really Must Be Going tour in the U.K., featuring the original quartet in one last bow, which would seem to have been the end to things.
Anything but. 1991 brought the I Didn't Say It tour, with Paul Gray rejoining the band to play along with the quartet. It was the first in a series of dates and shows throughout the '90s which essentially confirmed the group as a nostalgia act, concentrating on the early part of its career for audiences often too young to have even heard about them the first time around. It was a good nostalgia act, though, with performances regularly showing the old fire (and Sensible his legendary stage presence, often finishing shows nude). After some 1992 shows, the Damned disappeared again for a while -- but when December 1993 brought some more dates, an almost all-new band was the result. Only Scabies and Vanian remained, much like the late '80s lineup; their cohorts were guitarists Kris Dollimore and Alan Lee Shaw and bassist Moose.
This quintet toured and performed in Japan and Europe for about two years, also recording demos here and there that Vanian claimed he believed were for a projected future album with both Sensible and James contributing. Whatever the story, nothing more might have happened if Scabies hadn't decided to work out a formal release of those demos as Not of This Earth, first appearing in Japan in late November 1995. Vanian, having reestablished contact with Sensible during the former's touring work with his Phantom Chords band, responded by breaking with Scabies, reuniting fully with Sensible and recruiting a new group to take over the identity of the Damned. Initially this consisted of Gray once again, plus drummer Garrie Dreadful and keyboardist Monty. However, Gray was replaced later in 1996 following an onstage tantrum by, in a totally new twist, punk veteran Patricia Morrison, known for her work in the Gun Club and the Sisters of Mercy among many other bands. Scabies reacted to all this with threats of lawsuits and vituperative public comments, but after all was said and done, Vanian, Sensible, and company maintained the rights to the name, occasional billing as "ex-members of the Damned" aside, done to avoid further trouble.
Since then, this latest version of the Damned has toured on a fairly regular basis, though this time with instability in the drumming department (Dreadful left at the end of 1998, first replaced by Spike, then later in 1999 by Pinch). While Vanian continued to pursue work with the Phantom Chords, for the first time in years, the Damned started to become a true active going concern again, the lineup gelling and holding together enough to warrant further attention. The capper was a record contract in 2000 with Nitro Records, the label founded and run by longtime Damned fanatic Bryan Holland, singer with the Offspring (who covered "Smash It Up" for the Batman Forever soundtrack in the mid-'90s). In a fun personal note, meanwhile, Morrison and Vanian married, perhaps making them the ultimate punk/goth couple of all time.
As of 2001, the Vanian/Sensible-led Damned looked to be in fine shape, releasing the album Grave Disorder on Nitro and touring to general acclaim. Knowing the fractured history of the band -- captured in the literally endless series of releases, authorized and otherwise, from all periods of its career, live, studio, compilations, and more -- it'd be a foolish person who'd claim things will stay on an even keel for the future. Permanently losing Scabies would seem to have been a killer blow on first blush, but the group soldiers on regardless, a welcome influence from the past as well as a group of fine entertainers for the present. Regardless of where the next years take them -- and who knows if there might not be one more full reunion tour many moons from now -- long live the Damned. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
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Some bands belong to their own time, others trespass on decades where they don't really belong. Diesel Park West must have seemed to some people back in '89, with the release of the far-reaching Shakespeare Alabama, the most welcome and liberating guitar band anyone had heard for years. A lot of artists who have enjoyed massive acclaim and success since, may well tip hats towards the Diesels for being pioneers in the re-emergence of the guitar as the primary sound of contemporary music.
A band who have never gone away or lost any of their talent, having released 7 albums since the inspirational debut album.
In 2005, EMI re-released a special edition of the pioneering SHAKESPEARE ALABAMA, and a new studio album is also planned for release, as well as a live DVD.
Purveyors of epic guitar rock, Diesel Park West made its recording debut in August 1987 with "When The Hoodoo Comes". Twelve months of solid groundwork followed, during which time the quintet toured and composed new material. This resulted in a series of singles, "Jackie's Still Sad", "All The Myths On Sunday", "Like Princes Do", each of which was featured on the critically acclaimed 1989 debut album Shakespeare Alabama.
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Chris Farlowe was born John Henry Deighton in Islington, North London on October 13 1940, amidst the rationing, gas masks and bombing raids of WWII. In common with many of the great British stars who emerged from the sixties, Chris's earliest hero was Lonnie Donegan and whilst still a teenager, Chris formed his own skiffle band - the modestly named 'John Henry Skiffle Group! By the late fifties Chris had gravitated more towards Rock and Roll and left off guitar to concentrate on singing. The group evolved into Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds; the Farlowe coming from guitarist Tal Farlowe and Thunderbirds from the American car of the same name. By the early sixties, Chris and The Thunderbirds were established favourites on the London and Hamburg club scene and had a growing band of enthusiastic and loyal followers. Their musical direction was also changing - becoming more R&B than R&R.
November 1962 saw the first vinyl release, the intriguingly named 'Air Travel', unfortunately it didn't chart but it did bring Chris to the attention of the Columbia record label who signed him the following year; releasing five singles over the next couple of years. Apart from dance floor hit, 'The Blue Beat', commercial success was limited though critical acclaim (as always) was widespread.
It wasn't until Chris signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's new Immediate label that things finally started to happen. 1966 seeing the release of Immediate's show case EP where Chris covered 'In the Midnight Hour', Mr Pitiful, Satisfaction and 'Who Can I Turn To?'. This was followed by the single release 'Think' which charted and the first Album, '14 Things to Think About'.
The summer of 66 saw England winning the Football World Cup (honestly!), the USA fighting in Vietnam and the release of 'Out of Time', affectionately referred to as 'OOT'. To say it was a huge hit would be an understatement. It was a phenomenon and struck a cord with young and old alike. One of those rare records that just hit the right spot in a nation's consciousness at the right time. Against Chris's wishes, EMI followed up with the release of 'Just a Dream' and then the much better 'Ride on Baby' both of which received a luke warm reception. 'OOT' was such a tough act to follow. The latter part of the sixties saw a number of releases, none of which had any major chart success with the exception of the classic 'Handbags and Gladrags' a song penned especially for Chris by buddy Mike D'arbo of Manfred Mann fame and recently covered by Welsh rockers, the Stereophonics in 2003. Incredibly, this was to be Chris's last chart success, not counting the re-release of 'OOT' in the mid seventies. By the end of the sixties, Chris didn't have a record deal and looked set to fade into obscurity.
But wait... it's 1970 and who's this in the afghan coat with long hair and fashionably flared trousers? Yep, it is our very own Chris, now playing with progressive rockers, Colosseum (hands up those who remember progressive rock?). Two albums followed before Chris moved on to Atomic Rooster (Don't ask. I don't know, remember people used a lot of drugs in the early seventies!). Not a happy time for Chris and after completing two albums, 'Made in England' and 'Nice N Greasy' the relationship was terminated. It was a bleak time; Chris was involved in a serious road accident that kept him away from recording and performing for two, long years. In 1975 Chris emerged out of the doldrums, hitting the road again with a new Thunderbirds lineup and chart success coming with the re-release of 'Out of Time' in 1975. But, it wasn't to be. Management hassles and the punk explosion (hands up who remembers punk!) saw Chris sidelined once more.
The 80's saw Chris's re-emergence from semi-retirement, guesting on Jimmy Page's highly acclaimed 'Outrider' album and bringing the house down at a Radio one live show with his rendition of 'Stormy Weather'. The very worthy albums 'Out of the Blue' and 'Born Again' were released during this artistically rich and productive time.
In the nineties Chris just went from strength to strength. Recording and gigging relentlessly. Tours with the newly reformed Colosseum, the Manfreds and solo dates, reawakened interest throughout the old fan base and brought a whole new generation of fans on board (me included). Colosseum and solo albums were ecstatically reviewed but didn't translate to chart success (the general public have no taste you know)!
The new century is proving to be a productive time, for Chris who shows no signs of slowing down. Despite reaching 65 years of age, he continues a punishing schedule of recording and touring and runs a successful antiques business into the bargain. He has become the favoured special guest for 'Van Morrison's' live shows as well as completing annual UK and European Tours in his own right with the Norman Beaker Band.
The last three albums have all been mini classics; 'The Voice', produced by Clem Clempson, saw Chris' in a contemplative and mellow mood and was followed by 'Glory Bound', a beautifully crafted collection of songs with spot on production by Norman Beaker. A solid, quality effort, typically mold breaking and denying those who would try to pigeonhole Chris as purely a 'blues' singer. 2003 saw the release of 'Farlowe That', a much more rock orientated album, which resembled more closely, the feel of a live set from Chris. The single, 'I'll Leave the Light on', from this album was released in Summer 2003. Unfortunately, despite a show stopping performance on 'Top of The Pops' and the inexhaustible efforts of Kris Gray, Chris' long standing and dedicated manager, it didn't chart.
2004, continues the Farlowe tradition of touring and record releases. The beginning of the year, saw Chris reunited with the original Colosseum line up for a short European and UK Tour. This was followed by an extensive UK Tour, with the 'Hit Makers'; Dave Dee, Chip Hawkes and Cliff Bennett. Following on from this, Chris toured the UK and Europe with the Norman Beaker Band. The year also saw the release of a 46 track anthology 'Rock n' Roll Soldier' which contains a connoisseurs selection of his work from 1970 to the present and includes nine previously unreleased tracks. And just to show the modern 'beat generation' a thing or two, he has covered 'Paul Wellers', 'Changing Man', on 'Delicious Records' 2004 compilation, 'Back To the Future'
Perhaps the highlight for 2005 has been the release of a long awaited live CD, 'Hungary for the Blues'. And. once again Chris has been busy in Europe, touring in his own right and also with Colosseum.
The future... Chris gives no indication of stopping; 'The Voice' is as strong as ever. A UK tour is planned for 2006 and hopefully a new studio album will be cut
For Farlowe fanatics everywhere, he is the consummate rocker, the living embodiment of the star who's seen it all and done most of it, but remains as fresh and enthusiastic as when he started out, an incredible 50 years ago. We can count ourselves fortunate to be witnesses to this living legend, and privileged to call him a friend. With a live act honed to perfection, many of today's so called superstars could learn a lot from him. Whenever we see him, wherever we see him, the audience is spellbound, gripped by every gesture, and each note in every song; the hardest act to follow I have ever seen.
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RICK BUCKLER OF THE JAM
THE GIFT
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Rick Buckler was one of the finest drummers of his generation and his band 'The Jam' were arguably the most powerful outfit to emerge from the New Wave scene. Throughout the late seventies and early eighties 'The Jam' would voice the hopes, dreams and aspirations of Britain's post punk youth and such was the emotional impact of their music that the reverberations can still be felt today with bands like Hard-Fi and the Arctic Monkeys, to name but two, citing the band as a major influence.
After an interim of over twelve years, Buckler, inspired by the current crop of upstarts and buoyed by his loyal fan base returned to the stage in September 2005 with his band 'The Gift', the name of which is both a nod to the final Jam album, yet also signifies that it is his own personal gift back to his fan base for their unerring loyalty.
Enlisting the talents of ex Maximum High musicians Russell Hastings (vocals/guitar) and bassist Dave Moore, Buckler and his band have been playing Jam songs, (some receiving their first live airings for over a quarter of a century) which has both enabled the group to establish themselves within the live circuit and also allowed them to hone their skills as a powerful three piece.
Headline news in the NME has resulted in sell out shows in London and the recent spate of warm up concerts played to emotional and euphoric audiences has steeled the band for a major UK tour in the New Year.
Impressed by the group's credentials, keen ambition, and stunning live performances, Ludwig Drums, Merc clothing, Lonsdale and All Mod Icon Magazine have all added their names as official sponsors of 'The Gift'.
Buckler's return to the music scene has already been described by Scootering Magazine as 'a Richter Scale shaking bang' and by All Mod Icon Magazine as 'the rightful return of one of our finest and best loved drummers'. Yet whilst the band are happy to acknowledge the importance of their musical heritage they are just as keen to embrace the future with various plans already afoot and original material currently being rehearsed for the forthcoming tour.
The Gift is yours for the taking....
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Forty Years of Geno
Geno Washington had two of the biggest selling U.K. albums of the sixties. Amazingly both of these were live albums. The First Hand Clappin Foot Stompin Funky Butt Live was in the album charts for 48 out of 52 weeks in 1966. Incredibly only The Sound of Music and Bridge Over Troubled Water sold more copies in the UK that year.
U.S. blues acts rarely visited the UK. Having come over with the U.S. Airforce and stayed Geno subsequently became our blues man. His level of touring and the high energy of his gigs was and still is the stuff of legends as immortalized by the 80s hit Geno by Dexys Midnight Runners. Genos sets were relentless with almost every song segueing into the next. Hit followed hit the beat was continuous and the punters couldnt get enough of it.
2005 is Genos 40th year as a soulfull blues rocker in the UK.
Geno is always in demand and highly entertaining... As was proved at the Royal Albert Hall with Eric Clapton, Jools Holland, Bill Wyman Georgie Fame and friends for The Lords Taverners.
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Born in Cardiff in 1944, Dave Edmunds began playing in local blues bands The 99ers and The Raiders. In 1966 he left Wales to join The Image, and The Human Beans the following year.
However, success didn't come until the formation of the psychedelic rock group Love Sculpture. Their finest hour was the five minute guitar maelstrom of 1968's Sabre Dance, which reached number five in the charts. A reworking of a melody by Russian composer Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, it sounds like the movie intro Tarantino never got round to basing a film around.
Unfortunately, Love Sculpture split up soon after the success of Sabre Dance. Edmunds decided to go solo, and in 1970 had a number one single for six weeks with the Smiley Lewis cover I Hear You Knocking. Though credited to Dave Edmunds' Rockpile, the song was a solo effort but for bassist John Williams. It was followed by the album Rockpile, a moderately successful collection of covers.
Edmunds' solo career was distinguished by his painstaking re-creation of rock'n'roll classics, and in his own studio taught himself to replicate the techniques of his beloved Spector and Sun classics. Two other hits followed - covers of The Ronettes' Baby I Love You and The Chordettes' Born To Be With You - along with the 1975 album Subtle As A Flying Mallet.
By this time Edmunds was running his hugely successful South Wales studio Rockfield, and producing artists including The Flamin' Groovies and Brinsley Schwarz. Indeed, he teamed up with Schwarz's bassist Nick Lowe, which resulted in hits including I Knew The Bride and the Elvis Costello-scribed Girls Talk.
When Rockpile imploded in the early 1980s, Edmunds gradually disappeared from the mainstream, but along the way worked with ELO's Jeff Lynne on a couple of albums, Information and Riff Raff. He even provided songs for the soundtrack to the film Porky's Revenge.
Edmunds produced rockabilly group The Stray Cats, the Everly Brothers' comeback album EB84, and work by kd lang and Nick Lowe. Buoyed by their success and his burgeoning cult status, he returned to his solo career in 1987, of which the most successful release was 1994's album Plugged In.
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Like some mythic blues man from a bygone era, Eric Sardinas emerged on the Southern California blues scene in the early 90s and proceeded to alter the musical landscape. Club-goers and critics raved about the new kid with the virtuosic slide guitar style, raspy vocals and diesel fueled blues-rock songs. With the 1999 release of Sardinas' debut CD Treat Me Right, on Evidence Music, music lovers worldwide joined the hallelujah chorus. Featuring guest appearances by Howlin' Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin and blues-rock pioneer Johnny Winter, Treat Me Right garnered effusive praise. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Sardinas "fingerpicks his guitar into a frenzy," while Guitarist Magazine (U.K.) praised the guitarist's "jaw-dropping showmanship." Country-blues stalwart John Hammond hailed Sardinas as "another infusion of life into the blues." BAM Magazine was downright unequivocal. To wit: "(Sardinas performs) hard rock slide like you've never seen or heard."
Now, with the release of Devils Train, his second disc for Evidence Music, Eric Sardinas raises the musical stakes even higher. The disc features 11 original songs, as well as a rendition of Elmore James' "My Kind Of Woman" and a bravura interpretation of Honeyboy Edwards' "Gamblin' Man Blues. Co-produced by Sardinas and Neil Citron, Devil's Train triumphantly reconciles Mississippi Delta country blues, Chicago-style r&b, Motor City boogie and smoky Southern rock. Performing on an electrified "resonator" acoustic guitar expressly modified to his specifications, Sardinas demonstrates his acclaimed six-string technique on boogified original songs such as Aggravatin' Pappa, Down to Whiskey and Killin' Time Blues. On the astounding Sidewinder, he sculpts traditional blues, southern rock and funk into an instrumental of spiraling majesty.
But as one listen to his new CD will attest, Sardinas guitar pyrotechnics never come at the expense of substance. Indeed, Devil's Train is a soulful album that replicates the raucous vibe of a backwater juke joint. "The essence of traditional blues is clearly evident on this record, but it's still true to who I am," says Sardinas, whose contemporary influences include Hendrix, Page and Clapton. "It's an aggressive record, but it's from the heart. I have the utmost respect for the traditional blues, and no matter how hard the music gets you can always hear the key ingredients of blues in these tracks."
Yet for all its forward-thinking adventurism, Devil's Train is also a reverent recording steeped in the musical traditions of the American south. Sardinas' reading of Elmore James' My Kind Of Woman serves as a loving homage to the late songwriter and slide guitarist, while the duet with Honeyboy Edwards on Edwards' own Gamblin' Man Blues is infused with historical significance. "I really feel fortunate to be performing now because this is a pivotal time period in blues history," Sardinas says. "The music is going full circle and the great traditional players are disappearing fast. I chose to record My Kind of Woman because Elmore James is a major contributor to the Chicago sound and he's definitely part of who I am as a player. Singing with Honeyboy means a lot to me because he's probably the last surviving link to Robert Johnson and the country blues pioneers."
From the outset, traditional blues played a crucial role in Sardinas' musical evolution. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 1970, Sardinas picked up guitar at age six and immediately gravitated toward vintage recordings by Delta bluesmen Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Big Bill Broonzy, Elmore James and Muddy Waters. "The rawest, most emotional music is what sparked my excitement for the blues," Eric says. "I still listen to music from the 20s and 30s on a daily basis. That's where it all began."
A born troubadour, Sardinas moved frequently around the country before finally settling in Los Angeles in 1990. He performed acoustic guitar on street corners until he met bassist Paul Loranger at a jam session. Striking up a musical partnership, the duo and a drummer began their ascent on the Southern California blues scene. The trio played nearly 300 shows a year, a work ethic that quickly established Sardinas as one of the busiest performers in the Los Angeles region. The band frequently outdrew more "established" national acts and became regular attractions at BB Kings, the House of Blues, Blue Cafe, The Mint and The Roxy. Even before signing with Philadelphia-based Evidence Music, Sardinas and the bands musical stature won them a multitude of prestigious instrument and equipment endorsement deals from companies anticipating future success. These instrument manufacturers sent the band to perform showcase concerts in the U.S. and Europe.
Since the release of his 1999 debut CD Treat Me Right, Sardinas and his band have toured throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Devil's Train is an accurately titled masterwork that showcases Sardinas locomotive energy and momentum.
"This record explores everything I've ever learned, but at the same time it uses the blues as a jumping-off point to go deeper," Sardinas states. "Blues is such a simple music that if you're not being honest, you'll be revealed. That's the statement I want to make with my music. It's not just about being a great player; it's about being true to yourself."
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PAUL LAMB &
THE KING SNAKES
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Paul has worked for Rock Artist Management over the yers and I have to say he has got to be one of the Globes finest. He has continued releasing albums over the years and headlined many festivals across Europe.
What the press have to say about PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES:
"... simply better than the opposition - from whatever side of the Atlantic it happens to come". Blueprint.
"Paul Lamb & The King Snakes are a bloody marvellous band". Blues in the South.
"They play blues in the same way Brando used to straddle a Triumph.. lazily, cocksure, coolly and aggressive" Blues & Rhythm.
"...sound as American and black....... as white as Brits dare". Melody Maker.
"... you certainly won't feel blue at the end of the night." South China Post, Hong Kong.
"... can Brits play the blues?.....if the Brits are Paul Lamb and the King Snakes, a resounding yes, is the answer." Jakarta - What's On.
"absolute dynamite" The Times.
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~ house of the rising sun ~ |
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