Richard Vernon (musician)

Last updated

Richard Vernon
Rich Vernon LA.jpg
Vernon performing in Los Angeles
Born (1966-07-07) 7 July 1966 (age 57)
Chichester, England
NationalityBritish
Known forBass guitarist with The Mission
SpouseNoriko Vernon
ChildrenCai Vernon

Richard "Rich" Vernon (born 7 July 1966) is a British musician and songwriter best known as the bass guitarist of UK rock band The Mission, and previously with The Only Ones vocalist and cult artist Peter Perrett in The One. He has recorded two studio and four live albums with The Mission including the critically acclaimed God Is a Bullet , [1] as well as two with The One and one with Helter Skelter. He also appeared as a guest musician on The Dead Guitars album Flags, in 2008.

Contents

Early life

Richard Vernon was born in Chichester, England, and relocated with his family to London until the age of two, when his family returned to their native Wales. His first musical instrument was a six-string guitar, followed by a brief dalliance with the drums, and finally bass guitar.

Early career

At the age of 20, Vernon left his home in Wales and moved to London, starting his musical career as a session player in a number of bands including Eddie and the Hot Rods. Over his career, he has played with musicians from The Kinks, Squeeze, The Adventures, The Charlatans, The Waterboys, The Monochrome Set, The Pink Fairies, The Wonder Stuff, The Pretenders, The Damned and many others. A change of pace saw him playing for UK agitpop band A Popular History of Signs on various European tours. Soon thereafter he co-founded Rough Trade and Island Records act Helter Skelter. They recorded a critically acclaimed album and garnered a single of the week award from Melody Maker . They toured Europe to support the album and recorded two BBC Radio 1 sessions, but a combination of limited success and struggles after PolyGram took over of Island Records saw them split shortly after.

The One

Vernon then joined Peter Perrett's group The One. The band made two studio albums and one live album as well as extensively touring around the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Japan. Their critically acclaimed Woke Up Sticky album received enthusiastic reviews from The Guardian and Daily Telegraph . With equally good reviews for their live shows, the band promised much but after a busy and productive five-year period they drifted apart. Perrett's biographer, Nina Antonia in her book Homme Fatale, [2] puts this down to Perrett's increasingly erratic behaviour, whilst other band members have been quoted that the band had just run its course.

Vernon in rehearsals with Ricky Warwick Rich Vernon in rehearsal.jpg
Vernon in rehearsals with Ricky Warwick

The Mission

Following a call from Perrett's tour manager, Vernon was asked to join The Mission [3] [4] as replacement for departing founder member Craig Adams. [5] During his tenure with the band, Vernon recorded two studio albums ( God Is a Bullet [6] and Dum Dum Bullet). [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] God is a Bullet charted in the UK Top 30 Independent Label Album Chart and UK Top 40 Rock Album Chart. The first single, "Keep it in the Family", charted at number 7 in the BBC 1 Rock Chart. [12] The band also recorded a live album from London's Shepherd's Bush Empire over four consecutive sold out nights, [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] which was billed as the last Mission shows for the foreseeable future. Vernon also recorded two live DVDs with the band as well as touring all over the UK, Europe, America, Canada and South Africa. [18] He also contributed towards the Mission biography, At War with the Gods, published in 2015.

Post-Mission

After leaving The Mission, Vernon decided to spend more time co-writing music and record production, and to focus on his family. He still found time to play live shows, including some with UK band The Sentimentalists, [19] including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2015. [20]

In November 2016, Vernon replaced Robbie Crane in Ricky Warwick's band The Fighting Hearts for a UK tour, supported by Vice Squad. [21]

Vernon joined MGT on tour [22] for a March 2018 US tour [23] to promote their album "Gemini Nyte [24] ". The band included ex-Mission UK mate, Mark Gemini Thwaite, along with Ashton Nyte and Jared Shavelson; their performances met an extremely positive response. [25]

In March 2022, Vernon continued his role with Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts for a month-long tour of the UK and Ireland, alongside Warwick, guitarist Ben Christo (The Sisters of Mercy) and drummer Jack Taylor (Tax the Heat). [26] Further shows followed in May, with Christo replaced by Sam Wood (Wayward Sons), and in August, two shows in Dublin and Belfast supporting Stiff Little Fingers. [27]

Equipment

Vernon plays bass guitar, guitar and occasionally, drums. Key to his signature bass sound is the use of vintage Fender basses and Trace Elliot backline.

Personal life

He lives in a converted chapel in North Wales with his Japanese wife, their two children, and his father. More recently, he has been heavily involved with politics, aiming to keep the U.K. in the European Union via his campaigning work with Wales for Europe.

Recorded works

Richard Vernon in the studio RichVernon.jpg
Richard Vernon in the studio

The following represent the body of recorded works that Vernon has been involved with:

DateBandTitleFormatLabel
1989Helter Skelter"Last Train"7"/12" SingleRough Trade Records
1990Helter Skelter"Consume"7"/12" SingleIsland Records
1990Helter Skelter"Sense"7" SingleIsland Records
1990Helter SkelterConsumeAlbumIsland Records
1990Helter Skelter"Angel"7"/12" SingleIsland Records
1994The One (Peter Perrett)Cultered PalateEPDwarf Records
1996The One (Peter Perrett)"Woke Up Sticky"SingleDemon Records
1996The One (Peter Perrett)Woke Up StickyAlbumDemon Records
2000The One (Peter Perrett)Hearts on FireAlbumNMC Music
2005The MissionLighting the CandlesDVDOblivion
2007The Mission"Keep It in the Family"SingleSPV / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2007The Mission God Is a Bullet [28] AlbumSPV / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2007The MissionBlushEPSPV / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008The MissionDum Dum BulletAlbumSPV / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008The MissionThe First Chapter: Live at London Shepherd's Bush EmpireAlbumLet Them Eat Vinyl / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008The MissionGod's Own Medicine: Live at London Shepherd's Bush EmpireAlbumLet Them Eat Vinyl / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008The MissionChildren: Live at London Shepherd's Bush EmpireAlbumLet Them Eat Vinyl / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008The MissionCarved in Sand: Live at London Shepherd's Bush EmpireAlbumLet Them Eat Vinyl / Eyes Wide Shut Recordings
2008Dead Guitars"Blue" (track from the album, Flags) [29] Album trackEchozone
2009The MissionThe Final ChapterDVDOblivion
2018The MissionFor Ever More - Live at London, Shepherd's Bush EmpireCD Box SetCherry Red Records

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin Lizzy</span> Irish rock band

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The B-52s</span> American rock band

The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (guitar), and Keith Strickland. Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newsboys</span> Christian pop rock band

Newsboys are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which have been certified gold. As of 2023, the band consists of lead vocalist Michael Tait, drummer and percussionist Duncan Phillips, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, electric guitarist Jody Davis, and bassist Adam Agee. In addition to performing music, the band has appeared in the films God's Not Dead, God's Not Dead 2, and God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Almighty (band)</span> Scottish rock band

The Almighty are a Scottish hard rock/heavy metal band from Glasgow formed in 1988. Three of the founding members, Ricky Warwick, Stump Monroe and Floyd London were friends who met at school. Although the band members musical roots were in punk, the Almighty adopted a more heavy metal/hard rock oriented musical direction in their early years. Later albums saw the band's musical style move towards the band members' original punk roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Hussey</span> Musical artist

Jerry Wayne Hussey is an English musician who was born in Bristol, England. He is best known as the lead singer of the Mission, and the guitarist with the Sisters of Mercy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Warwick</span> Northern Irish singer and guitarist

Ricky Warwick is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in the UK throughout the 1990s, although the band is currently on hiatus. Warwick has released several solo albums and performed with a variety of other bands and artists, and also fronts his own band, The Fighting Hearts, to showcase his solo material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock 'n' Roll Damnation</span> Song by AC/DC

"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" is a single by the Australian rock band AC/DC, and the first track on their Powerage album, released in 1978. The single version is an abbreviated version of the album track, with a time of 3:05, as opposed to the album track's length of 3:37. The album track "Sin City" was the B-side in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Japan. In the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, it was "Kicked in the Teeth," also from the album. In Australia, however, the B-side was "Cold Hearted Man," which appeared on initial UK and European pressings of the album, and was eventually removed when "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circus Diablo</span> American rock band

Circus Diablo is an American rock band formed in early 2006 by Billy Morrison (vocals), Billy Duffy and Ricky Warwick. Fuel frontman Brett Scallions and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum subsequently joined the band on bass and drums, respectively. To date, Circus Diablo have released one studio album, entitled Circus Diablo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damon Johnson</span> Musical artist

Damon Rogers Johnson is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, currently a solo artist and member of Thin Lizzy. In the 1990s he co-founded Brother Cane, and later joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist. He was also the lead guitarist and co-songwriter for hard rock group Black Star Riders from 2012 to 2018. Johnson has also released several solo albums and his songs have been recorded by many artists including Stevie Nicks and Carlos Santana. Since 2021, he has also performed with Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Only Ones</span> English rock band

The Only Ones are an English rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Action (I Believe in Love)</span> 1981 single by The Human League

"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League, released as a single in the UK in July 1981. It became the band's first Top 10 success, peaking at number three in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Awakening (band)</span> Gothic metal band from South Africa

The Awakening is a South African gothic rock band founded in Johannesburg in 1995 by vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ashton Nyte. The sound has been described as a hybrid of gothic rock, darkwave, gothic metal, industrial rock, and new wave – a combination that was loosely described by Nyte in 1999 as "dark future rock." The Awakening has released eleven studio albums, several singles, EPs, and two greatest hits compilations in total. As of 2009, The Awakening has been based in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Iver</span> American indie folk band

Bon Iver is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Ferguson</span> English drummer

Matthew Paul Ferguson is an English rock drummer, best known for his work in the post-punk/industrial group Killing Joke and cult English punk band Pink Parts. Following a stint as the drummer with the London-based Matt Stagger Band in 1978, Ferguson became a founding member of Killing Joke and served as their drummer from 1979 to 1987. He was known as Big Paul Ferguson during this period. Ferguson is known for his tribal drum style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashton Nyte</span> South African musician

Ashton Nyte is a South African-born singer, songwriter, producer, composer, author, actor, and frontman of the gothic rock band The Awakening. Nyte has released seven solo albums, in addition to eleven albums as The Awakening and several other projects and collaborations. He is considered to be a pioneer of alternative music in South Africa, and has been described as "something of a musical genius" for his typical method of composing, playing and recording each instrument himself on most of his releases. Nyte is widely known in South Africa for his chart-topping cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" and several other top singles. His signature style combines baritone vocals, garnering comparisons to David Bowie and Johnny Cash, with instrumentation that ranges from lyric-driven acoustic folk, to alternative rock, to post-punk and electronic music, as well as a penchant for the theatrical. Nyte has been based in the US since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Thwaite</span> British guitarist

Mark Gemini Thwaite, also known as MGT, is an English musician who has been the guitarist for a number of rock bands and artists, including The Mission, trip hop pioneer Tricky, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, New Disease, Spear of Destiny & Theatre of Hate, Mob Research, and Canadian band National Velvet plus various live and recorded appearances with Gary Numan, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Roger Daltrey of the Who, P.J. Harvey, Alanis Morissette, Raymond Watts and PIG, Primitive Race, Ricky Warwick of Thin Lizzy, Ginger of The Wildhearts, Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, Franz Treichler of The Young Gods, Miles Hunt & The Wonder Stuff, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, American rapper DMX, Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst and Porl Thompson of The Cure and Ville Valo of Finnish band HIM.

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

The Mission are an English gothic rock band formed in 1986. Initially known as the Sisterhood, the band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams, soon adding drummer Mick Brown and guitarist Simon Hinkler. Aside from Hussey, the lineup has changed several times during the years and the band has been on hiatus twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Star Riders</span> American hard rock band

Black Star Riders is a hard rock band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the 2011–2012 line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band, described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story". The band's first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on May 21, 2013, and the follow-up album, The Killer Instinct was released on February 20, 2015. The band's third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.

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

Foxing is an American indie rock band from St. Louis, Missouri. The band has released four studio albums, a live album, an EP and 12 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Amorettes</span> Scottish hard rock band

The Amorettes were a hard rock band formed in Scotland in 2009. They performed in support of Black Star Riders, Europe, W.A.S.P., Ash, The Dead Daisies, Black Stone Cherry, Gun and Thunder among others, and toured across the UK, and performed in several countries throughout Europe.

References

  1. "The Mission – God Is A Bullet". discogs. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  2. "Homme Fatale by Nina Antonia". Thinmanpress.com. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. "The Mission World Information Service". Themissionuk.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  4. "Rich Vernon". discogs. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  5. "Rich Vernon Interview with and the Dance Goes On". And-the-dance-goes-on.de (in German). 9 June 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  6. "The Mission UK* – God Is A Bullet". discogs. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  7. "The Mission UK releasing 'Dum Dum Bullet' comp with new songs, rare B-sides, remix". Slicing Up Eyeballs . 5 May 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. "God is a Bullet album Credits featuring Rich Vernon". AllMusic. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  9. "The Mission – 250505 Interviews – Ritchie Vernon". YouTube. 24 October 2006. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  10. "God Is a Bullet". Cooking Vinyl. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  11. "God Is a Bullet by The Mission". Rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  12. "God Is A Bullet". and-the-dance-goes-on.de. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  13. "The Final Chapter: Jan–Mar 2008 – The Mission UK". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. "Children: Live – The Mission UK". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  15. "God's Own Medicine: Live – The Mission UK". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  16. "Carved in Sand: London Shepherd's Bush Empire 2008 – The Mission UK". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  17. "The Mission / Claytown Troupe". Rockersdigest.com. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  18. Vorndran, Daniela (23 May 2007). "The Mission – Bochum 2007". Reflectionsofdarkness.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  19. "About The Sentimentalists". Sentimentalists.co.uk. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  20. "Glastonbury Festival – 2015". Glastonburyfestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  21. "Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts heading out on UK tour". Real Rock 'n' Roll. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  22. "MGT Pays Tribute to Scott Weiland & STP with emotional cover of 'Atlanta'". MGT Official. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  23. "MGT Keep Goth-Rock Alive - Concert Guide Live.com". concertguidelive.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  24. "MGT* - Gemini Nyte". Discogs. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  25. "MGT Live". RockRevolt Mag. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  26. "Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts Come Out Defiantly in Dublin". eonmusic. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  27. "Live review: Stiff Little Fingers / Ricky Warwick & the Fighting Hearts - The Academy, Dublin 20,08,2022". Backseat Mafia. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  28. "God Is a Bullet – The Mission UK". AllMusic. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  29. "Dead Guitars 'Blue', Feat. Rich Vernon". Lastfm.com. Retrieved 27 August 2016.