Frank Carter | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Christopher Frank Carter |
Born | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, U.K. | 27 April 1984
Genres | |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels | |
Member of | |
Formerly of |
Christopher Frank Carter [1] (born 27 April 1984) is an English musician and tattoo artist, who has been a part of the musical groups Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. [2] According to The Independent 's Nick Hasted, Carter is renowned for his "ferocious live presence" and "confrontational image". [3]
Carter grew up in Hemel Hempstead in England, his mother was an Irish dance teacher and his father was a DJ. He is the eldest of four brothers, [4] including Steph Carter, who would play guitar in Gallows along with Frank, [5] and Richard Carter who would eventually form the band Blackhole. [3] His parents divorced when Carter was in his teens, which led to him discovering punk rock music. [4]
From a young age, Carter had a passion for music and art. He formed his first band called All Night Drive at sixteen, where he was given the choice to either learn an instrument or become a frontman, to which he decided to be the group's vocalist. After high school, he went to art college, however he dropped out as he felt he was "not learning anything", which led to him pursuing a career as a tattoo artist. [4] He is currently an artist at Rose of Mercy in London. [6]
Carter formed Gallows in 2005, influenced by the music of hardcore punk bands Black Flag, Minor Threat, Swing Kids and JR Ewing. They released their debut album Orchestra of Wolves on 25 September 2006 through In at the Deep End Records in the U.K. and Epitaph Records in the U.S. [7] The album peaked at number 57 on the U.K. charts. [8]
In March 2007, Gallows signed a deal with Warner Bros Records, making them the first British hardcore punk band to sign to a major label. [9] In September, Gallows toured with Lethal Bizzle alongside additional opening acts Poison the Well and Blackhole. [10] Carter's brother Richard took over for one of the performances in Inverness due to his "waves of concussion" and persistent bleeding from the band's performance the previous night at Stoke On Trent. Richard began being abused by the crowd, which led to Frank getting into a physical altercation with multiple members of the crowd and the subsequent cancellation of the next two dates of the tour. [3]
On 2 May 2009, Gallows released their second album Grey Britain, [11] which was a concept album based around post–credit crunch Britain, which was "centered on a world of emboldened racism, xenophobia, knife crime and inescapable mental illness". [12] It peaked at number 20 on the U.K. charts. [8] The album led to Warner Bros dropping the group due to them believing it to be too confrontational politically. [13] In 2011, Carter departed from Gallows due to creative differences and tensions within the band. [14]
Carter formed Pure Love in 2011, with The Hope Conspiracy and The Suicide File guitarist Jim Carroll, after the pair had run into one another multiple times at local New York City bars. [2] The pair bonded over how neither felt a connection anymore to hardcore and punk, with Carter saying they simply wanted to "play fun rock’n’roll music without any of the stress". [15] The pair released their debut album Anthems on 4 February 2013 through Vertigo and Mercury Records. [16] The album's work was consciously different to Carter's work with Gallows, by making use of distinctive hooks and influences from classic rock. [17] On 10 February 2014, Pure Love announced that they would be going on an "indefinite hiatus", due to a "hard year". [18]
In April 2015, Carter announced the formation of a new band called Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, which at the time he described as a return to his "hardcore roots". [19] On 14 September 2015, the Rattlesnakes released their debut album Blossom, through International Death Cult. [20] In a review by Metal Hammer, writer Thea de Gallier, described how Carter "may be a grown-up and a dad now, but he’s still capable of being a figurehead for the pissed-off youth who are too young to have had the Sex Pistols". [21] The album peaked at number 18 on the U.K. charts. [22]
On 20 January 2017, the Rattlesnakes released their sophomore album Modern Ruin through International Death Cult. [23] It debuted at number seven on the U.K. albums chart. [24] The album retained the aggression and hardcore sensibilities of the band's previous effort, however also incorporated elements from Carter's previous project Pure Love. [25] In an interview with Kerrang!, Carter stated that much of the album had been based around the alcoholism that he had experienced after breaking his straight edge lifestyle of twelve years on Christmas 2015. [26]
On 3 May 2019, the Rattlesnakes released their third album End of Suffering through the label International Death Cult. [27] It peaked at number 4 on the U.K. charts. [22] On 6 June, Carter was featured on the cover of the Armed's single titled "Ft. Frank Turner", which in fact featured Frank Turner, not Carter. [28] On 23 and 25 August, he performed as second support at Reading and Leeds Festivals with the Rattlesnakes, the highest he'd ever been billed for the festivals. [29] On 19 September, he was involved in a life-threatening car crash in Devon, which led to the cancellation of the first week of the Rattlesnakes' scheduled U.S. tour. [30] On 11 October, he was featured on Can't Swim's track "Power". [31] On 29 November, Black Futures released a collaborative remix of the Rattlesnakes' song "Crowbar". [32]
On 3 June 2024, it was announced that Carter would perform with Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, and Paul Cook in a fundraiser reunion for the Sex Pistols playing two shows on 13 and 14 August. [33] Held at Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush, the shows were billed as "Frank Carter And Three Members Of The Sex Pistols" or simply "Frank Carter And Sex Pistols". [34] This was followed up with a short Never Mind The Bollocks UK tour from 20 to 26 September including 5 shows in Nottingham, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London during which they are due to play the Never Mind The Bollocks album in full each night. [35]
Carter followed a straight edge lifestyle beginning in 2003, however ended his sobriety on Christmas 2015. For some time after that, he struggled with alcohol abuse, but by February 2016 he had developed a relatively healthy relationship with the substance. [26]
He is outspoken about his struggle with anxiety. [36] In an interview with Music Feeds he stated that the struggle had been present since he was seven years old. [37]
He was married to Scottish tattoo artist Sarah Carter Schor, [38] however the pair divorced in early 2018. [39] They have one child together, their daughter Mercy Rose Carter. [40]
With Gallows
With Pure Love
With the Rattlesnakes
The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became one of the most culturally influential acts in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspired many later punk, post-punk and alternative rock musicians, while their clothing and hairstyles were a significant influence on the early punk image.
Glen Matlock is an English musician, best known for being the bass guitarist in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He is credited as a songwriter on 10 of the 12 songs on the Sex Pistols' only officially released studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, although he had left the band early in the recording process, credited as bassist and backing vocalist on only one song on the album, "Anarchy in the U.K.". However, on the bootleg album Spunk, Matlock played bass on all the songs, which included earlier studio recordings of 10 of the 12 songs that later appeared on the Bollocks album.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols is the only studio album by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released on 28 October 1977 through Virgin Records in the UK and on 11 November 1977 through Warner Bros. Records in the US. As a result of the Sex Pistols' volatile internal relationships, the band's lineup saw changes during the recording of the album. Original bass guitarist Glen Matlock left the band early in the recording process, and while he is credited as a co-writer on all but two of the tracks, he only played bass and sang backing vocals on one track, "Anarchy in the U.K." Recording sessions continued with a new bass player, Sid Vicious, who is credited on two of the songs written by the band after he joined. While Vicious's bass playing appeared on two tracks, his lack of skill on the instrument meant that many of the tracks were recorded with guitarist Steve Jones playing bass instead. Drummer Paul Cook, Jones and singer Johnny Rotten appear on every track. The various recording sessions were led alternately by Chris Thomas or Bill Price, and sometimes both together, but as the songs on the final albums often combined mixes from different sessions, or were poorly documented who was present in the recording booth at the time, each song is jointly credited to both producers.
"Anarchy in the U.K." is a song by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's debut single on 26 November 1976 and was later featured on their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "Anarchy in the U.K." was number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
"God Save the Queen" is a song by the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's second single and was later included on their only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977.
"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the band's third single and was later featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, released during that same year. It is the first song written by the band.
Enter Shikari are a British rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current line-up, and it adopted its current name. In 2006, they performed to a growing fanbase at Download Festival as well as a sold-out concert at the London Astoria. Their debut studio album, Take to the Skies, was released in 2007 and reached number 4 in the Official UK Album Chart, and has since been certified gold in the UK. Their second, Common Dreads, was released in 2009 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 16; while their third, A Flash Flood of Colour, was released in 2012 and debuted on the chart at number 4. Both have since been certified silver in the UK. The band spent a considerable amount of time supporting the latter release through the A Flash Flood of Colour World Tour, before beginning work on a fourth studio album, The Mindsweep, which was released in 2015. Their fifth studio album The Spark was released in 2017. Their sixth album Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible was released in April 2020. Their seventh and latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World, was released on 21 April 2023 which gave them their first-ever No. 1 album.
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.
Bring Me the Horizon are a British rock band, formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean. They are signed to RCA Records globally and Columbia Records exclusively in the United States.
Gallows are an English hardcore punk band from Watford, Hertfordshire. The band was formed in 2005 after Laurent Barnard's previous band disbanded. Gallows' debut album, Orchestra of Wolves, was distributed in the United States by Epitaph Records. The band were subsequently signed to Warner Bros. Records for a £1 million album contract, and released their second album Grey Britain in 2009. The band has been particularly successful in the UK, with two songs charting on the UK Single Charts, and have been featured in magazines such as Kerrang!, Alternative Press and Rolling Stone.
Grey Britain is the second album by English hardcore punk band Gallows, released 2 May 2009 through Warner Bros. Records. It is their last album to feature lead singer Frank Carter, and their first with guitarist Steph Carter writing and recording.
Death Is Birth is an EP released by the British hardcore punk band Gallows, released 5 December 2011 through Thirty Days of Night Records. It is the band's first release with singer Wade MacNeil, formerly of Alexisonfire, who replaced original Gallows singer Frank Carter when the latter left the band in July 2011. The EP was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Joby J. Ford of The Bronx. It includes a re-recording of the track "True Colours", previously released as a free download in August 2011.
Pure Love was an English-American rock band formed in 2011 by former Gallows frontman Frank Carter and ex-The Hope Conspiracy and Suicide File guitarist Jim Carroll, after Carter's departure from Gallows due to "creative differences". The band's musical style was a marked change from the hardcore punk backgrounds of the members.
Anthems is the debut album by British-American rock band Pure Love, released February 4, 2013. The group formed in 2011 after the departure of lead singer Frank Carter from the hardcore punk band Gallows, after which he began sharing song ideas with Jim Carroll of The Hope Conspiracy and The Suicide File; the two had met when Gallows supported The Hope Conspiracy in 2006. The group signed to Vertigo Records in February 2012 and began working with producer Gil Norton, playing a number of new songs in their debut performance at the NME Awards that February. Prior to Anthem's release, the band debuted several songs online as music videos and downloads. The album was initially scheduled for release in October 2012 but was delayed to February 2013.
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are an English punk rock band formed in 2015 by frontman Frank Carter with guitarist Dean Richardson. Famed for their raucous live shows, the band released their debut album Blossom in 2015, and the follow-ups Modern Ruin in 2017 and End of Suffering in 2019. Their fourth album, Sticky, was released in October 2021. A fifth, Dark Rainbow, was released in January 2024.
Blossom is the first studio album by the punk band Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes. It was released in 2015 through Kobalt Label Services.
End of Suffering is the third studio album by British punk rock band Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. It was released on 3 May 2019 through International Death Cult, and received mostly favourable reviews from critics. At 46 minutes, it is the band's longest album to date.
"Ft. Frank Turner" is a non-album single by the American hardcore band The Armed featuring archived vocal tracks of folk punk musician Frank Turner. The song was posted online for streaming exclusively at Adult Swim on June 5, 2019 as a part of Williams Street Records' Adult Swim Singles series. The following day, the song was made available on most major digital streaming sites through Sargent House. The Armed announced they had signed with the label coinciding with the release of "Ft. Frank Turner". Turner claims he did not authorize use of his vocal tracks for the song and was surprised by the release. The single's cover art features Frank Carter of Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.
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Sticky is the fourth studio album by British rock band Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, released on 15 October 2021 through International Death Cult.