1919 (band)

Last updated

1919
Official 1919 promo 2016.png
1919 in 2015
Background information
Origin Bradford, England
Genres
Years active1980–1984, 2014–present
Labels Cleopatra Records, Westworld Recordings, Red Rhino, Abstract, Cherry Red, Cry Wolf
Members Mick Reed
Rio Goldhammer
Simon "Ding" Archer
Sam Evans
Past membersMark Tighe
Nick Hiles
Ian Tilleard
Steve Madden
Sputnik
Kev Aston
Karl Donner
Website 1919.co.uk

1919 are an English rock band formed in Bradford, England in early 1980.

Contents

History

(1980–1984)

The band was formed in late 1980 by Guitarist Mark Tighe and Vocalist Ian Tilleard. After starting life as Heaven Seventeen, [2] and with early line-ups including a pre-Zodiac Mindwarp Mark Manning, the band eventually settled as 1919 (after a book belonging to Tighe) with Nick Hiles on Bass and Mick Reed on Drums. Their intention was, according to Reed, "to create a heavy melodic intense dance band with no frills and no intentions". [3]

In 1982, 1919 released a 7" white label promo of Repulsion//Tear Down These Walls, and were subsequently invited to record their first session with John Peel in May that year. [4] 1982 would see the single re-released on Red Rhino Records, as well as the single Caged//After The Fall and the LP Machine.

In 1983, Bassist Hiles was replaced by Steve Madden, and the band recorded their second and final Peel session on 4 May. [5] Madden featured on the final recordings of this era, a 7" and 12" version of Cry Wolf//Storm and Cry Wolf//Dream//Storm respectively, which were released on Abstract Records along with the 12" Earth Song EP, released in 1984 after the band's dissolution. [6]

During this period, 1919 had also included Kev Aston (Saxophone) and Sputnik (Paul Drake) (Synthesizer) at various times as part of their ensemble. [3] [7]

The Hive / Another Cinema (1984–1985)

By the release of Earth Song in 1984, the band had split into two splinter projects, with Reed continuing as 1919 AD before reuniting with Drake to form The Hive. The others became Another Cinema, with the line-up of Tighe, Tilleard, Madden, and Stefan Khacheturian on drums. Another Cinema were once again taken under the wing of Red Rhino founder Tony Kostrzewa, [8] this time releasing their singles I Had a Bad Dream Last Night (1984), Hallucination Spires (1984), and Midnight Blue Oceans under the Altered States banner. [9] The Hive released a cassette album, Stream of Consciousness, on Sicky Spread Tapes, and the 12" EP, Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall, on Hum Music. [10] Both bands had disbanded by 1986.

Comeback / The Madness Continues (2014–2016)

Thanks largely to the emergence of streaming sites, the early work of the band continued to generate interest among fans. In 2014, Tighe started working on new material with bass player and vocalist Rio Goldhammer. Their self-released download of Revenge, and accompanying video, by Chalkman Video, came as a surprise to most fans but was received well. Mick Mercer again rated the track highly, and the band signed almost immediately with Deadfall Management. [11]

The band performed their first show, headlining Leipzig's Gothic Pogo Festival on Friday 22 May, [12] and began to announce further dates across Europe. On 30 August 2015 it was announced that Reed had returned to the band as their permanent drummer [13] and that, with the addition of Karl Donner on bass, 1919 would once again be a 4-piece, with Goldhammer remaining on vocals. Shortly afterwards, the band released a live session on CD, titled 2015: "The Madness Continues" Sessions, containing songs from their early years alongside four new tracks, which would become the self-released Death Note EP.[ citation needed ]

Bloodline LP and death of Tighe (2016–2017)

In July 2016, 1919 released a promo video for Bloodline, which was to be the title track for their second studio album. The band had signed a deal with Westworld Recordings to release the album but, with a release date not yet set, ventured once again into Europe to promote the single. After the first leg of the tour, the band were forced to cancel most of the remaining shows as Tighe had been diagnosed with cancer on his return home. [14] The band played a final show at Brighton Racecourse's Undercover Festival, [15] with Mark's dramatic weight loss making it impossible to travel for extended periods. This would prove to be his final performance.

On 28 January 2017, 1919 announced the tragic news of the passing of their iconic guitarist, aged 56, after his short battle with the cancer. The coming days saw tributes pour in from around the world as the news broke throughout the music press, led by John Robb at Louder Than War, [16] and the band published an obituary [17] in four languages on their homepage. With Tighe insistent the band continue indefinitely in his absence, an album-release show was still scheduled for the following week in Leeds. At the last minute, and after careful deliberation despite the insistence from Tighe in his final days, the remaining band decided to press ahead with a memorial performance, with money collected for Marie Curie in Tighe's honour. [18]

Bloodline was released on 3 March and was received well by critics, with Vive le Rock 's Pete Woods writing "Good goths come to those that wait" in an 8/10 review. [19] In April the band confirmed that Sam Evans would be their new full-time guitarist, and began touring the new album once again to good reviews. [20] As of October, the band played the last of 19 dates across Europe in Leeds. [21]

Futurecide LP (2018-2019)

In 2018, 1919 signed to Los Angeles label Cleopatra Records to release their third studio album, Futurecide. [22] The album featured Tighe’s last performance on "Stop the World", as well as that of late former bass player Steve Madden (who performed on "Isolation"). [23] The first single, "Anxiety", was released on 7 December when it debuted on Post-Punk.com. [24] The album was released on 12 April 2019, shortly after Madden himself passed away.

1919 were booked to embark on their first tour of the US that summer, but were unable to secure visas following the 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown. However, the band went ahead with shows in Mexico and Costa Rica before heading back to Europe. [25] Addressing the political climate of the UK and USA directly, [26] a new video for "Isolation" was released alongside the album.

In July 2019, the band hosted Swedish post-punks Then Comes Silence for their first UK tour before making their debut at Blackpool’s Rebellion Festival. [27]

Citizens of Nowhere LP (2020 – present)

Following the death of crew member Kev Holroyd in December 2019, [28] the band performed a memorial concert in his home town of Dewsbury on 20 February 2020. [29] This would prove to be the band's final performance before the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to live performances worldwide. Planned tours in Europe and the UK with Then Comes Silence, [30] as well as a one-off show with Killing Joke in Bristol, [31] were subsequently cancelled or indefinitely postponed. This would also be the final show for departing bass player Karl Donner, who had been with the group since their reformation. On 31 August, the band announced he would be replaced by ex-The Fall, PJ Harvey, and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry bassist and producer Simon "Ding" Archer. [32]

Other activity in 2020 included the band's inclusion in Vive Le Rock's "Goth Annual One", [33] and vocalist Goldhammer's unsuccessful bid to become Mayor of West Yorkshire. [34] His platform included rent control, migrant rights, and Yorkshire Devolution. [35]

On 29 January 2021, an interview with Goth Haus LA revealed the title of their latest album, due for release that year, to be Citizens of Nowhere. [25] Released on Paris label Manic Depression, the album saw the band labelled “head and shoulders above other denizens of the shadowy genre” in Vive Le Rock. [36] In 2023, the band made their US debut in Los Angeles following their appearance at Leipzig’s Wave Gotik Treffen. [37]

Discography

YearTitleFormatsNotesCharts
1982"Repulsion / Tear Down These Walls"7"White Label / Red Rhino
1982"Caged / After the Fall"7"Red Rhino#30 UK Indie Singles [38]
1983"Cry Wolf"7", 12"Abstract#189 UK Singles #14 UK Indie Singles
1983MachineLPRed Rhino#7 UK Indie Albums
1984"Earthsong"12"Abstract#17 UK Indie Singles
2016"Death Note"Download / CDr / streaming single
2017BloodlineDownload / CD / vinyl albumWestworld
2017"D.N.A"CassetteOriginal tracks included on Bloodline vinyl
2018"Anxiety"Download / streaming single Cleopatra Records
2019FuturecideDownload / CD / vinyl albumCleopatra Records
2021"Singing to the Universe"Download / streaming singleManic Depression
2021Citizens of NowhereDownload / CD / vinyl album / CassetteManic Depression

Compilations


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Damned (band)</span> English punk rock band

The Damned are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bauhaus (band)</span> English rock band

Bauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. Known for their dark image and gloomy sound, Bauhaus are one of the pioneers of gothic rock, although they mixed many genres, including dub, glam rock, psychedelia, and funk. The group consisted of Daniel Ash, Peter Murphy, Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass).

Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFI (band)</span> American rock band

AFI is an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres, starting with horror punk and following through post-hardcore and emo into alternative rock and gothic rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Birthday Party (band)</span> Australian band

The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, active from 1977 to 1983. The group's "bleak and noisy soundscapes," which drew irreverently on blues, free jazz, and rockabilly, provided the setting for vocalist Nick Cave's disturbing tales of violence and perversion. Their 1981 single "Release the Bats" was particularly influential on the emerging gothic scene. Despite limited commercial success, The Birthday Party's influence has been far-reaching, and they have been called "one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Charlotte</span> American rock band

Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland, formed in 1995. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin, and Dean Butterworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Eldritch</span> English musician and frontman of The Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band, and, in later years, flirted with hard rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing Joke</span> English post-punk band

Killing Joke are an English rock band formed in Cheltenham, England, in 1979 by Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (bass).

Swell Maps were an English experimental DIY, early punk and post-punk rock group from Birmingham, England active in various forms between 1972 and 1980. Influenced by bands such as T. Rex and German krautrock groups such as Can and Faust, they went on to be influential to many others in the post-punk era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bela Lugosi's Dead</span> 1979 single by Bauhaus

"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is the debut single by the English post-punk band Bauhaus, released on 6 August 1979 on the Small Wonder label. It is often considered the first gothic rock record.

The March Violets are an English post-punk/gothic rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, incorporating male & female singers, drum machine rhythms and echo-laden electric guitar, much in the style of fellow Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. Seven March Violets singles reached the UK Indie Chart; the Natural History collection also was an indie hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creeper (band)</span> English rock band

Creeper are an English rock band from Southampton. Formed in 2014, the group originally featured vocalist Will Gould, guitarists Ian Miles and Sina Nemati, bassist Sean Scott, and drummer Dan Bratton. The band independently released their self-titled debut EP in 2014, before signing with Roadrunner Records and issuing follow-up The Callous Heart the next year. At the end of 2015, Nemati was replaced by Oliver Burdett and touring keyboardist/second vocalist Hannah Greenwood became an official band member. A third EP, The Stranger, was released in 2016 and reached the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart top ten.

<i>In the Flat Field</i> 1980 studio album by Bauhaus

In the Flat Field is the debut studio album by English gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was recorded between December 1979 and July 1980, and released on 3 November 1980 by record label 4AD, the first full-length release on that label. The cover artwork is a reproduction of Duane Michals' 1949 photograph, Homage to Puvis de Chavannes.

Ritual was an early 1980s Harrow-based post-punk band that were later aligned with the early UK-based gothic rock movement. The group is commonly associated with Death Cult, which two Ritual members later joined.

Party Day were an English goth/indie rock band formed in 1981 in Wombwell near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, originally a four-piece consisting of guitarists Martin Steele, Greg Firth, bassist Carl Firth and drummer, Mick Baker. Their sound was described as being "hard knuckleduster goth with post-punk overtones".

Mick Reed is an English musician from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, best known as the drummer for UK post-punk act 1919.

Rio Goldhammer is an English musician, filmmaker, and writer from the West Riding of Yorkshire. He is best known for fronting the Bradford Post Punk band 1919 since their reformation in 2014.

Ludovico Technique is an American industrial gothic metal band from New York City, New York. Formed in 2011, the band is fronted by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumental artist, Ben V. The additional touring members of the band remain anonymous.

References

  1. Simpson, Paul. "1919 biography". Allmusic .
  2. "Discogs – Heaven Seventeen". discogs.
  3. 1 2 Warn, Per-Ake. "Gods and Alcoves – 1919". Gods and Alcoves. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  4. "1919 peel session". Gods and Alcoves Blog. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. "1919 – Peel session 1983" . Retrieved 22 April 2015 via YouTube.
  6. "1919 Discogs". discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. "Peel Sessions – 1919". BBC Archive. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. "Tony Kostrzewa: Founder of Red Rhino Records". The Independent. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  9. "Another Cinema – discogs". discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  10. "The Hive (2)". discogs. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  11. Vogric, Tomaz (12 January 2015). "1919 - Signs A Management Deal With Deadfall". Terra Relicta. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  12. "Gothic Pogo X Lineup". Gothic Pogo. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  13. "Mick Reed Returns". 1919 Official Homepage -. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  14. "Bloodline Tour Statement". 1919 Homepage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  15. "FESTIVAL REVIEW: Punk's not dead, it's just Undercover". sussexexpress.co.uk. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  16. "Mark Tighe (1919) RIP – Louder Than War". Louder Than War. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  17. "Mark Tighe Obituary". 1919 Homepage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  18. "1919 ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM! | Vive Le Rock Magazine". Vive Le Rock Magazine. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  19. "Press Clippings". 1919 Homepage.
  20. "1919 + Chelsea: Champions". Brighton and Hove News. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  21. "Tour Dates". 1919 Homepage.
  22. "1919 – Futurecide – Cleopatra Records, Inc" . Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  23. "British Post-Punk Veterans 1919 Return With A Brand New Masterpiece Of Darkly Melodic Goth Rock, FUTURECIDE! – Cleopatra Records, Inc" . Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  24. "British Post-Punk Veterans 1919 Premiere their video for "Anxiety"". Post-Punk.com. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  25. 1 2 Batz, Morticia (29 January 2021). "Band Interview: 1919". Goth Haus LA. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  26. Wildhoney, Filip (12 April 2019). "Side-Line exclusive: UK post-punk band 1919 premieres new video and album!". Side-Line Music Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  27. "Spring-Summer Tour". 1919. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  28. "The man behind the mask of Leeds United's Lucas the Kop cat dies". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  29. "Kevstock: Metal & Punk Remembers Kevo". AllEvents.in. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  30. "Machine Vs Machine". 1919. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  31. "Killing Joke / 1919 / IDestroy SWX Bristol - 2020-06-16 June 2020". Evensi. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  32. "Welcome Ding Archer". 1919. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  33. "VLR Goth Annual One". Vive Le Rock Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  34. "'We need a first minister for Yorkshire' - Meet the punk singer vying to be the first mayor of West Yorkshire". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  35. "1919 frontman Rio Goldhammer running for Mayor of West Yorkshire". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  36. "1919- Press Clippings". 1919. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  37. Iz, Nastja (3 April 2023). "Preview WAVE GOTIK TREFFEN 30 - Leipzig 2023". Reflections of Darkness. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  38. Indie Hits: 1980-1989 : the Complete U.K. Independent Charts (singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. 1997. ISBN   978-0-9517206-9-1.