The Animals were an English rock band that released three albums and nine singles between 1964 and 1966 on Columbia and Decca. They formed in Newcastle and conquered London just in time to play a key role in the 1964 British Invasion that swept the US. They topped charts in multiple territories with their second […]
John Miles (April 23, 1949 — December 5, 2021) was an English vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter who shot to fame on Decca with the 1976 album Rebel and the singles “Highfly” and “Music.” It was produced by Alan Parsons, who also handled Miles’ 1979 fourth album More Miles Per Hour. Concurrently, Parsons enlisted the […]
Skip Bifferty was an English pop-psych band from Newcastle that released three singles on RCA, culminating with a popular 1968 self-titled album. They moonlighted as Heavy Jelly for the 1969 Island single “I Keep Singing That Same Old Song,” a record-breaker for longest a-side. Select members also recorded with Every Which Way, ARC, and Glencoe. […]
Tygers of Pan Tang were an English heavy metal band central to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They released four albums on MCA between 1980 and 1982—Wild Cat, Spellbound, Crazy Nights, and The Cage—highlighted by the twin-guitar interplay of Robb Weir and John Sykes, and signature tracks like “Hellbound,” “Gangland,” “Blackjack,” and “Running […]
Vashti Bunyan is an English singer–songwriter who released two mid-’60s singles and the 1970 Philips album Just Another Diamond Day. After its 2000 reissue and reappraisal, she reemerged with the 2005 disc Lookaftering. Meanwhile, vaulted early recordings surfaced on the archival double-disc Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind. Her third album, Heartleap, followed in […]
Lindisfarne was an English folk-rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne that released four albums and a live disc between 1970 and 1973 on Charisma, followed by a 1974 fifth studio title on Elektra. After a mid-1970s disbandment where frontman Alan Hull recorded solo and the others formed Jack the Lad, the two parties reconvened for […]
Junco Partners were an English rock band from Newcastle, formed as an R&B/beat sextet in 1964. After issuing one single on Columbia in 1965, they underwent a series of lineup shifts, eventually morphing into a four-piece hard-rock/psych band. This iteration released a self-titled album on Barclay in 1970 and disbanded the following year. The nameplate […]
Kestrel was an English symphonic-rock band that released a self-titled album on Cube Records in 1975. Guitarist Dave Black promptly joined a resurrected Spiders from Mars for an eponymous album in 1976. Members: Dave Black (guitar, vocals), John Cook (guitar, synthesizer), Tom Knowles (vocals), Fenwick Moir (bass), Dave Whitaker (drums, percussion) Inception Kestrel came together […]
Ginhouse was an English rock trio from Newcastle upon Tyne that released a self-titled album on B & C and Philips in 1971. Along with contemporary titles by T2, Fuzzy Duck, Leaf Hound, Quatermass, and High Tide, the album has since become a collectible artifact of progressive hard rock. Members: Stewart Burlison (bass, vocals), Geoff […]
Jack the Lad was an English folk-rock band from Newcastle that released three albums during 1974/75 on Charisma, followed by a 1976 fourth on United Artists. They emerged from the initial breakup of Lindisfarne. For their 1976 Jackpot tour, they donned jester hats and toured with jester-haired Kiwi art-rockers Split Enz. Members: Simon Cowe […]
Punishment of Luxury is an English post-punk band from Newcastle that made the 1979 UA album Laughing Academy. After two cassette-only releases, Punilux cut a second album, 7, in 1984 on Red Rhino Records. Members: Nevilluxury (vocals, guitar, synthesizers), Steve Sekrit (drums, vocals), Jimi Giro (bass, vocals), Brian Bond (synthesizers, vocals), Rab Aitch (guitar, vocals), […]
Cirkus was an English symphonic-rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne that released the album One on self-press RCB (Projects) Ltd. in 1973. The band morphed into Future Shock for a second album in 1977. Members: Stuart McDade (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Derek G. Miller (organ, piano, Mellotron), John Taylor (bass), Dog (guitar), Paul Robson (vocals, […]
Tysondog was an English Tyneside hard-rock/metal band that debuted with the 1983 single “Eat the Rich” on the NWOBHM label Neat, followed by the 1984–86 albums Beware of the Dog and Crimes of Insanity and the 1985 Shoot to Kill EP. Guitarist-singer Alan Hunter preceded the band with a one-off single in punk-rockers State of Emergency. […]
Blind Fury was an English Tyneside hard-rock/metal band behind the 1985 Roadrunner album Out of Reach. They sprung from Satan, a NWOBHM band that made the 1983 album Court in the Act. Members: Lou Taylor (vocals), Steve Ramsey (guitar), Russ Tippins (guitar), Graeme English (bass), Sean Taylor (drums), Kevin Heybourne (guitar, 1983-84), Pete Gordelier (bass, 1983-84), […]
Alan Hull (1945—1995) was an English singer-songwriter from Newcastle, best known as the mastermind of folk-rockers Lindisfarne. As a solo artist, he debuted with the 1973 Charisma release Pipedream. Alan Hull was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on February 20, 1945. Discography: Pipedream (1973) Squire (1975) Phantoms (1979) On the Other Side (1983) Another Little Adventure […]
Beckett was an English rock band from Newcastle that released a self-titled album on Raft Records in 1974. Singer Terry Wilson-Slesser subsequently fronted Back Street Crawler, formed by ex-Free guitarist Paul Kossoff. After Kossoff’s death, that band morphed into Crawler. In 1983, he joined Charlie and sang on their transatlantic hit “It’s Inevitable.” Members: Kenny […]
Raven are an English metal band that released three albums and a live disc between 1981 and 1984 on the NWOBHM-specialty label Neat Records. Members: John Gallagher (vocals, bass), Mark Gallagher (guitar), Paul Bowden (guitar, 1975-79), Paul Sherrif (drums, 1975-76), Mick Kenworthy (drums, 1976-77), Sean Taylor (drums, 1977-79), Pete Shore (guitar, 1979-80), Rob “Wacko” Hunter […]
Blitzkrieg was an English metal band that first emerged with the 1981 NWOBHM single “Buried Alive.” Singer Brian Ross resurrected Blitzkrieg for the 1985 album A Time of Changes on Neat Records. Members: Brian Ross (vocals), Jim Sirotto (guitar, 1980-81, 1984-86), Ian Jones (guitar, 1980-81), Steve English (bass, 1980-81), Steve Abbey (drums, 1980-81), Mick Moore […]
Avenger was an English Tyneside metal band behind the 1983 single “Too Wild to Tame” and the 1984/85 albums Blood Sports and Killer Elite on the NWOBHM label Neat. Members: Brian Ross (vocals, 1982-83), Ian Swift (vocals, 1983-86), Steve Bird (guitar, 1982-83), John Brownless (guitar, 1983-84), Les Cheetham (guitar, 1984-85), Greg Reiter (guitar, 1985-86) Background […]
