| Name | Steve Lamacq |
|---|---|
| Birth date | October 16, 1965 |
| Birth place | Basingstoke, England, United Kingdom|death_date = |
| Show | Steve Lamacq on 6 Music |
| Station | BBC 6 Music |
| Timeslot | 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Weekdays |
| Show2 | Steve Lamacq on Radio 2 |
| Station2 | BBC Radio 2 |
| Timeslot2 | 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Saturdays |
| Style | Disc Jockey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Prevshow | In New Music We Trust, BBC Radio 1 |
| Web | Steve Lamacq on 6music |
Steve Lamacq (born 16 October 1965), sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo (given to him by John Peel) or "The Cat" (due to his ability as a goalkeeper) is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.
It was during his time at NME that he began DJing on XFM, when it was still a pirate radio station. He formed a record label in 1992 with Alan James and Tony Smith, called Deceptive Records. The majority of the label's releases shared a punk-pop sensibility, with Elastica being their most successful signing, before the label eventually folded in 2001.
In 1991, Lamacq was unwittingly involved in one of the most infamous events in British rock music of recent times during a post-gig interview at the Norwich Arts Centre with Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers for the NME. After repeated attempts by the bands co-lyricist Richey James Edwards to convince Lamacq that they were "for real", Edwards gave up and carved 4 Real into his forearm with a razor blade. The editorial meeting in which the story was discussed, was recorded for a BBC Radio 5 documentary, "Sleeping With the NME", which later appeared as the b-side to the Manics' 1992 charity record "Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)".
Between 1995 and 1997, Lamacq occasionally presented Top of the Pops on BBC 1 with fellow Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley. He presented the show alone on several occasions.
Lamacq is a well-known fan of Colchester United, has written an autobiography, entitled Going Deaf for a Living and has also acted as a compere on the main stage at the Carling Reading Festival Weekend on several occasions.
He also presented the indie radio show Lamacq Live every Monday evening, beginning in July 1998 and ending on 18 September 2006. The show ended as part of a makeover in Radio 1's schedule in order to present a "younger image" to Radio One listeners, with Colin Murray taking over his slot.
Lamacq has also presented documentaries for the station, as well as hosting their John Peel Night special. He presented the In New Music We Trust programme every Monday night from 9 to 10pm until August 2009, when it was announced he would be leaving Radio 1 as part of a shakeup in the scheduling.
;6 Music Lamacq's homepage on the 6 Music website described Lamacq Live as "the UK's most influential indie radio show". He also has a programme on the BBC's digital station, 6 Music, which was on Sunday afternoons, but from April 2005 he has presented the daily teatime show on 6 Music, taking over from Andrew Collins, where he still remains.
In March 2010 it was announced that Lamacq and fellow Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley would present a one off Evening Session (the first in 13 years) on Good Friday (2 April) for BBC 6 Music.
;Radio 2 In addition to his regular 6 Music slot, he also presents a weekly show on BBC Radio 2 where he plays his own choice of music and introduces his listeners to both new and emerging artists.
Beginning in April 2007, the show was originally broadcast on Wednesdays between 11.30pm and 12.30am and, since April 2008, between 11.00pm and 12.00am. At Easter 2010, as part of wider changes to the Radio 2 evening schedule, Trevor Nelson took over the Wednesday 2300 slot (having previously been on in the hour before Lamacq), with Lamacq moving to 2300 on Saturday nights.
In 2007, he deputised for Bob Harris on Saturdays from 11pm-2am, who had to receive treatment for cancer. As a result of Lamacq's move to Saturdays, Harris' show now airs from midnight to 3am.
;5Live Lamacq has appeared as a guest on 5live sport punditry show Fighting Talk hosted by Colin Murray. His appearances have been a highlight on the show due to his impassioned diatribes about his favoured football team, the Dutch Go Ahead Eagles and his outrageous flirting with the host. His theme tune was recently changed from 'Mack the Knife' to 'The Oompa-Loompa song', due to his status as the smallest fighting talk competitor.
The second track list contains one addition which is 'Paul Weller - Wildwood (Portishead Mix)' but omits some tracks from the first. The final version has mainly the same artists, but different tracks to the previous versions. The album has become a rare and sought-after item among some music fans.
Track listing as released:
Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:British radio personalities Category:English music journalists Category:People from Halstead Category:British radio DJs Category:People from Bournemouth
Category:Melody Maker writers Category:Pirate radio personalities Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters
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| Name | The Mummers |
|---|---|
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genre | Electronica Alternative Pop Baroque pop |
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Label | Big Bass Drum |
| Url | www.themummers.co.uk |
| Current members | Raissa Khan-PanniPaul SandroneTessa Gilles Maddie Rix Lindsey Oliver Loz Thomas Rob Heasman Laura Ritchie |
| Notable instruments | Vocals, Keyboards, Strings, Trumpet, Guitar, Percussion |
| Past members | Mark Horwood (deceased) |
The Mummers are a band based in the English seaside town of Brighton, centred around London-born singer/songwriter Raissa Khan-Panni and composer Mark Horwood before the latter's suicide in September 2009. They take their name 'Mummers' from the medieval performing troupes who would go from door-to-door wearing masks and costumes, staging plays in rhyme and song and mime.
Despite the acclaim, by 2001 the solo projects were winding down and Khan-Panni returned to work, waitressing full-time in a Brixton restaurant. She describes this period as "a time of having nothing again" when, after several years of excitement, she returned to the mundane and the ordinary. However, she was still writing lyrics which began by documenting this period of her life but soon spun out to a fantasy world as her mind wandered while working . During this time Khan-Panni remained in contact with Paul Sandrone, a collaborator during her time recording as Raissa, and the trigger for the formation of The Mummers came when Sandrone passed a recording to orchestral composer Mark Horwood, who was living on the South Coast in a treehouse studio just outside Chichester. Horwood composed a soundtrack around Khan-Panni's lyrics, but then moved to Los Angeles to work on a film soundtrack without leaving contact details. It was a year before Khan-Panni finally met Horwood, who was now living near Brighton, and the layered, orchestral sound of The Mummers, at that time still nameless, rapidly emerged.
The name of the band was inspired by their ever-changing cast of 20 musicians from around the Brighton area that Khan-Panni, Sandrone and Horwood assembled to begin recording their first album in Horwood's treehouse studio. The project took two years, and was released a as Tale to Tell (part one) in August 2008 before being re-released as Tale to Tell in April 2009 with two tracks removed and four added. It is a lushly orchestrated fantasia, inspired by "marching bands, big bands and fairgrounds" and featuring the sound of a brass band, string quartet, and the Moog Synthesiser. The Mummers performed two tracks from Tale to Tell, Wonderland and March of the Dawn on the opening show of series 34 of BBC Two's Later... with Jools Holland, while in May 2009 March of the Dawn was iTunes single of the week.
On 7 September 2009 Mark Horwood was found hanged at his parents' house near Chichester.
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| Name | Ida Maria |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | July 13, 1984 |
| Alias | Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen |
| Origin | Nesna, Norway |
| Instrument | Guitar, Bass, Vocals |
| Genre | Punk rockAlternative rock |
| Label | Nesna Records/Sony BMG/Upper 11 Group |
| Url | www.idamaria.co.uk |
Ida Maria gained considerable success in Norway in 2007 after winning two national competitions for unknown artists - Zoom urørt 2006 and Urørtkonkurransen 2007 - and playing successful shows at the annual Norwegian music industry festival 2007 and 2008. Her singles "Oh My God" and "Stella" were both played regularly on Norwegian national radio station NRK P3.
Ida Maria later expanded her popularity outside of her native country, namely in the United Kingdom, where she appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, was interviewed by The Times, and performed at the Glastonbury Festival.
Ida Maria is reported to have the neurological phenomenon of synesthesia which, in her case, means she envisions colours when she hears music.
Ida Maria contributed backing vocals for the track "Words" on Guillemots' 2008 album Red.
Having performed at various festivals, including Reading, and being nominated for Best Rock/Indie Artist category at the BT Digital Music Awards 2008, Ida Maria has toured in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.
Ida Maria's song "Keep Me Warm" was featured in the season 4 finale of the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy and during some Nivea commercials during the Fall of 2009.
Ida Maria's song "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" was featured in episode 8 of "My Life As Liz" entitled "A Prom to Remember Part 2". It was played during the dancing sequence at the prom. Her song "Louie" is being used for some commercials for the FX TV show Louie (TV series). The song Oh My God was one of the first songs confirmed to be featured in Rock Band 3.
Ida Maria's song "Oh My God" was featured in the trailer for "It's Kind of a Funny Story".
Ida Maria was one of the co-headliners of the 2009 Perez Hilton Presents tour. On 17 September 2009, after a Boston show, she pulled out of the tour, citing exhaustion.
Her second album, Katla, was released on November 8, 2010.
;Singles
Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Female rock singers Category:Norwegian female singers Category:Norwegian rock guitarists Category:Norwegian rock singers Category:People from Nordland Category:People with synesthesia Category:Norwegian multi-instrumentalists Category:Spellemannprisen winners
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| Name | Tom Robinson |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | |
| Origin | Cambridge, England |
| Instrument | Vocals, bass guitar |
| Genre | Pop, Rock music |
| Occupation | Radio presenter,Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Associated acts | Café SocietyTom Robinson BandSector 27 |
| Url | Official website |
At the age of 13, Robinson realized that he was a homosexual when he fell in love with another boy at school. At that time, male homosexual activity was still a crime in England, punishable by prison. The song alludes obliquely to a gay truck driver. The song was banned by the BBC Radio 1. and receiving a gold certification by the BPI. reviving his career. and provided him further income when it was covered by Pukka Orchestra in 1984. The Pukkas' version was a top 20 hit in Canada under the title "Listen To The Radio".
Robinson's return to Britain, led to late-night performances in cabarets at the Edinburgh Fringe, some of which later surfaced on the live album Midnight at the Fringe. the woman with whom he would eventually live and have two children, and later marry.
In a 1994 interview for the Boston Globe, Robinson asserted, "We've been fighting for tolerance for the last 20 years, and I've campaigned for people to be able to love whoever the hell they want. That's what we're talking about: tolerance and freedom and liberty—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So if somebody won't grant me the same tolerance I've been fighting for for them, hey, they've got a problem, not me".
Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Bisexual musicians Category:British radio personalities Category:British radio DJs Category:English punk rock singers Category:English New Wave musicians Category:English socialists Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom Category:LGBT rights activists from the United Kingdom Category:LGBT parents Category:People from Cambridge Category:People who attempted suicide
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| Name | Stewart Lee |
|---|---|
| Birth date | April 05, 1968 |
| Birth place | Wellington, Shropshire |
| Spouse | Bridget Christie |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Fist of Fun (1993–1995)This Morning with Richard Not Judy (1998–1999) (2001–2005) 90's Comedian (2005–2006)41st Best Stand Up Ever! (2007–2008)Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (2009) |
| Occupation | Stand-up comedian, writer |
| Website |
Stewart Lee (born 5 April 1968, Wellington, Shropshire) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically-acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera. In a review of the comedy of the previous decade, a 2009 article in The Times referred to Lee as "the comedian's comedian, and for good reason" and named him "face of the decade".
His stand-up features frequent use of "repetition, call-backs, nonchalant delivery and deconstruction".
With Richard Herring, Lee wrote material for BBC Radio 4's On the Hour (1991), which was anchored by Chris Morris and was notable for the first appearance of Steve Coogan's celebrated character, Alan Partridge, for which Lee and Herring wrote much early material. After a disagreement with the rest of the cast, Lee & Herring did not remain with the group when On The Hour moved to television as The Day Today and their material was excised from an official release of the radio show in the mid-'90s (though a 2008 CD release would see it re-instated).
In 1992 and 1993, he and Herring wrote and performed Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World for BBC Radio 4, before moving to BBC Radio 1, for one series of Fist of Fun (1993). This was followed by three series entitled, simply, Lee and Herring. These shows mixed sketches with live links and music, in a format that Radio 1 seemed to favour at the time. (Other classic examples of such include shows by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, and Simon Munnery in his guise as "Alan Parker: Urban Warrior".) Fist of Fun moved to television for two BBC Two series, and was followed in 1998 by This Morning with Richard Not Judy, which featured material in a similar vein, but was notable for being broadcast live in a Sunday morning slot.
A change in BBC management after the second series of the latter effectively brought his partnership with Herring to an end but the two comedians still share a similarity of humour.
Throughout the late nineties he continued performing solo stand-up (something that has always been a mainstay of his career – even whilst in the double act with Herring) and has collaborated with, amongst others, Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh. Indeed, though they had worked together in the past, the first seeds of the Boosh were sown whilst working as part of Lee's Edinburgh show King Dong vs Moby Dick in which Barratt and Fielding played a giant penis and a whale, respectively. Lee returned the favour by going on to direct their 1999 Edinburgh show, Arctic Boosh, which remains the template of all their live work.
During late 2000 and early 2001, Lee "gradually, incrementally and without any fanfare – or even much thought – gave up being a stand-up comedian". 2001 was the first year since 1987 that he did not perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. with the show Standup Comedian, which earned him a "Tap Water Award" in Edinburgh and was released on DVD in October 2005. This features extra footage of performances from his earlier career on Five's "Comedy Network". This show was toured extensively throughout the UK, Australia and USA. Reviewing the comedy of the decade, Dominic Maxwell in The Times wrote of Lee's 2004 return to stand-up that it was "one of the boldest, smartest, most technically assured hours of stand-up I've ever seen". A private court case brought by Christian Voice against Lee and others involved with the production for blasphemy was rejected by a Magistrates' Court.
In 2005, Lee tackled the subject of the religious hatred he experienced after the broadcast of Jerry Springer – The Opera in his stand-up show, 90s Comedian. This show has earned him some of the best reviews of his career, largely due to the un-checked vitriol he unleashes in the latter half of the set, "taking no prisoners" in his attempt to display what he claimed was the lunacy of sacred cows.
A recording was made in Cardiff in March 2006. This was filmed by a group of amateur enthusiasts who were disappointed that there was no distribution deal in place because of the commercial failure of the Standup Comedian DVD and the controversial nature of the new show's material. These "enthusiastic amateurs" became GoFasterStripe and, having set themselves up in order to film the show, have gone on to film the works of many other "non-mainstream" comedians, including sets from Tony Law (Lee's support act on the 2009 If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One tour), Simon Munnery (whose BBC television comedy series -Attention Scum - was directed by Lee) and several by Lee's former partner Richard Herring.
Jerry Springer – The Opera opened at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2008, starring Harvey Keitel as Springer. It has since been performed across the United States, Canada and Australia. and appeared on the BBC Radio 4 quiz Quote Unquote, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and on Have I Got News for You, purportedly to pay for his wedding.
In October, he presented a forty year tribute to Star Trek on BBC Radio 2, and in November, presented White Face, Dark Heart, two programmes on Radio 4 about clowns, during which he fulfilled a ten-year desire to witness the rituals of New Mexico's sacred clowns. These shows are available to download on his official website.
He curated a CD for the Sonic Arts Network called The Topography of Chance. Lee explored different artists, writers and musician’s experiments with randomness and chance and brought together an eclectic mix of artists including tracks by; Simon Munnery, Arthur Smith, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Jem Finer, Kombat Opera, Jon Rose and more.
Lee's first new stand up show since "90s Comedian" was developed over the first half of 2007, originally to be named March Of The Mallards (a title parodying that of the film, March of the Penguins), it would be renamed before its full debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival of that year, and subsequent Autumn tour. This was because, in March 2007, Lee was named 41st best stand-up of all time in a Channel 4 survey listing the "100 best standups". In this poll, he beat Dave Allen, George Carlin, Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Tommy Cooper. Channel 4 did not reveal exactly how the voting was conducted, but 150,000 members of the public were polled, as were an undisclosed number of experts.
In the light of this result Lee renamed his Summer 2007 stand-up show 'Stewart Lee – 41st Best Stand Up Ever!' as he felt it was "both arrogant and humble". During the show he joked that since Bernard Manning (who had been placed above him in the poll) had died since the Channel 4 poll had first aired, he felt he should be moved up to Number 40. Another project, "Johnson & Boswell, Late But Live", written by Lee & performed by comics Simon Munnery and Miles Jupp played throughout the festival at the Traverse Theatre before embarking upon a tour of Scotland.
July 2007, Lee appeared on the Channel 4 panel game, 8 out of 10 Cats, which he has since described as "the worst professional experience of my life". July 2007 also saw the premiere of Interiors, a site-specific theatre piece co-written with Johnny Vegas, at the Manchester International Festival.
Lee also co wrote 'Poets' Tree' with close friend & collaborator, the actor Kevin Eldon. This was a BBC Radio 4 series that was aired in April 2008, based on Paul Hamilton, Eldon's arrogant poet alter-ego.
At the Edinburgh Festival in 2008 Lee performed potential material for his recently announced BBC2 series, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, in a work in progress show at The Stand, billed as Scrambled Egg. Over the three weeks of the festival, Lee worked on a large quantity of new material, and updated old favourites for possible inclusion in the show, which began filming the following November. A follow up to Johnson & Boswell also aired, again featuring Munnery & Jupp. Elizabeth & Raleigh, Late But Live was featured at the festival before touring the country in the autumn. In November, Lee began filming for his 2009 TV show, and on the 16th November, reunited with Herring another one off performance of their old double act at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith during one of the gigs Richard Herring curated there. They were joined by Paul Putner in character as the Curious Orange. With initial filming out of the way, Scrambled Egg was reprised at London's Hen & Chickens Theatre in December to fully polish the stand up sections of the forthcoming TV project ahead of filming in January 2009.
The first episode was watched by approximately 1 million viewers, though the figure rose by 25% when BBC iPlayer viewings were factored in and, uncharacteristically, viewing figures rose over the series. The series was the BBC's second most downloaded broadcast during its run. In May 2010, the series was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for best comedy programme.
Lee also had a show at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, named Stewart Lee: If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One in which he performed his own version of the song "Galway Girl". In the Galway stage of this show Sharon Shannon performed the song with Lee. He is currently touring the show around the UK. In December 2009 Lee was beaten to the title of Best Live Stand-Up by the comedian Michael McIntyre at the British Comedy Awards ceremony.
Lee caused controversy on his If You Prefer a Milder Comedian tour with a joke about Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond. Referring to Hammond's accident while filming in 2006, in which he was almost killed, Lee joked, "I wish he had been decapitated and that his head had rolled off in front of his wife". and, having been doorstepped by a Mail journalist, Lee replied "It's a joke, just like on Top Gear when they do their jokes". Lee subsequently explained the joke:
In an Observer interview, Sean O'Hagan says of the Hammond joke that Lee "operates out in that dangerous hinterland between moral provocation and outright offence, often adopting, as in this instance, the tactics of those he targets in order to highlight their hypocrisy". in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. On the 9th of February, Armando Iannucci, the executive producer of the first series of Comedy Vehicle, announced that there would be a second series of the show. On 10 April an updated version of The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups was broadcast on Channel 4, in which Lee was declared the 12th best stand-up comedian. The May Day weekend saw Lee curating a programme of free jazz at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, at the invitation of festival director Tony Dudley-Evans.
Lee's second book, How I Escaped My Certain Fate: The Life and Deaths of a Stand-Up Comedian, was published by Faber and Faber on 5 August 2010. The book features annotated transcripts of Lee's Stand-Up Comedian, '90s Comedian and 41st Best Stand-Up Ever shows and has received positive reviews. It is dedicated to Ted Chippington. Prior to the start of the festival, Lee wrote an e-mail to the publicist of the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, copying in other comedians, in response to the announcement of a poll to find the public's favourite act from 30 years of the award, which was previously known as the Perrier Award. Lee wrote:
Think about the logic of it for a moment. Who among those you are asking to vote has even heard of Frank Chickens, who for all anyone under 30 knows may be the best act on the list? It is not possible for the outcome of this vote to have any credibility.
As result of his e-mail going viral with the encouragement of Richard Herring and Robin Ince, Frank Chickens took the lead in the poll. During the polling, Lee wrote that: "In my e-mail I chose at random Frank Chicken, the Japanese female performance art duo, as an example of possibly worthy winners who would not get a look-in under this illogical and unfair voting system, and the Twitter world has adopted them as a cause". He stated that it was never his intention to influence the vote, "but they are now leading the field, and it appears we should embrace them. If Frank Chickens become Comedy Gods then Foster's will have been helped to actually sponsor some actual art, and fans of Foster's all over the whole world will be made aware of that wonderful, indefinable, mischievous, playful thing we call the Spirit Of The Fringe!". Frank Chickens went on the win the public vote.
As a result of the Frank Chickens incident, Lee was awarded the Malcolm Hardee Cunning Stunt award for best publicity stunt at the Fringe. The award's organisers stated: "The fact that Stewart did not intend to unleash publicity does not negate his success".
In addition to his main Edinburgh show, on 18 August Lee headlined a one-night variety show, Silver Stewbilee, to launch How I Escaped My Certain Fate.
On 15 September 2010, Lee, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.
He is noted for his diverse musical taste. Asked in 2003 what his current music favourites were, he stated "Most of my favourites are still going like The Fall, Giant Sand and Calexico. I listen to a lot of jazz, 60s and folk music but I really like Ms. Dynamite, and The Streets".
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| Name | Dave Gahan |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | May 09, 1962 |
| Origin | North Weald, Essex, UK |
| Genre | Synthpop, Alternative Rock, Synthrock |
| Instruments | Vocals, Synthesizer, Harmonica, Glockenspiel, Rhodes piano |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Voice type | Baritone |
| Label | Mute |
| Associated acts | Depeche ModeDas Shadow |
| Url | www.davegahan.com |
Dave Gahan (; born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the baritone lead singer for the British electronic band Depeche Mode since their debut in 1980. He is also an accomplished solo artist, releasing albums in 2003 (Paper Monsters) and 2007 (Hourglass). Despite his band-mate Martin Gore continuing to be the main Depeche Mode songwriter, Gahan has contributed a number of songs to the band's most recent albums, Playing the Angel (2005) and Sounds of the Universe (2009). Two of these songs were released as singles, including "Suffer Well" in 2006 and "Hole to Feed" in 2009.
In 1972, when Dave Gahan was ten, his stepfather died. Gahan recalls how he "came home one day and found this bloke [his biological father] at home". Of the incident, he has said: "I'll never forget that day. When I came home from school, there was this stranger in my mum's house. My mother introduced him to me as my real dad. I remember I said, that was impossible because my father was dead. How was I supposed to know who that man was? From that day on, Len often visited the house, until one year later he disappeared again. Forever this time. Since then he had no contact with us. By growing older, I thought about him more and more. The only thing my mother would say, was that he moved out to Jersey to open a hotel". "Mum had kept it back from me 'til there was a need to tell me about my birth father, it's a different generation and you can understand I guess she thought she was doing the right thing".
Gahan compensated for the loss of his father by becoming something of a "real wild boy with a chip on my shoulder, a real yob". His crimes as a youth included stealing cars, vandalism, and spray-painting graffiti on walls. As a result he had visited juvenile court three times before he was 14.
Within six months of leaving Barstable School in July 1978, Gahan found and lost something in the order of twenty jobs, from selling soft drinks, working in a greengrocers in Basildon Bus Station, working as a cashier in Sainsbury's petrol station in Savacentre, to working on a construction site. Gahan also applied for a job as an apprentice fitter with North Thames Gas. He was told by his probation officer to be honest with the interviewer, and as a result, he admitted his criminal record but claimed he was a "reformed character". As a result, he did not get the job. Eventually, he earned a place at Southend Art College, which he enjoyed immensely. After three years, he gained the British Display Society Award, which allowed him to get jobs doing displays in shop windows and shopping centres.
Originally a new wave/synthpop pioneer of the early eighties, for almost 30 years, Depeche Mode has explored new musical directions, and their sound has remained immensely diverse since their inception. They have released twelve studio albums, four greatest hits compilations and a remix album. The band has achieved global sales in excess of 100 million.
In the past, Dave had expressed some resentment about never writing songs for Depeche Mode. In a 2003 interview he shared, "During the making of Exciter, sometimes I felt a bit frustrated that there was a lack of experimentation." This led him, in 2004, to tell his bandmates that he wanted to write half of the songs on the new Depeche Mode album, and there was "no way" he could be involved in the band without contributing. Eventually there was a compromise, and three of Dave's songs appeared on 2005's Playing the Angel: "Suffer Well" (nominated for a Grammy award), "I Want It All" and "Nothing's Impossible". "Suffer Well" was released as a single in 2006, reaching #12 in the UK.
Three more Gahan-penned songs, co-written with Christian Eigner and Andrew Phillpott, appeared on the band's 12th studio album, Sounds of the Universe, released on 20 April 2009. The songs are "Hole to Feed", "Come Back" and "Miles Away / The Truth Is". Dave also wrote the lyrics to the B-side "Oh Well" but the music was done by Martin Gore. It is the first and currently only collaboration between the two. "Hole to Feed" was released along with Gore's "Fragile Tension" as a double A-side single in late 2009.
In 1997, Dave contributed to the tribute album "Dream Home Heartaches: Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music" with the song "A Song For Europe". In 2003, he released his first solo album, Paper Monsters (which he co-wrote with guitarist and friend Knox Chandler), followed by a world tour (including a performance at 2003's Glastonbury Festival), singing both his new solo tracks and Depeche Mode fan favourites. His touring band included Knox Chandler on guitar, Martyn LeNoble (Porno for Pyros, Jane's Addiction, The Cult) on bass, Vincent Jones (Sarah McLachlan, The Grapes of Wrath) on keyboards, and Victor Indrizzo (Beck, Macy Gray) on drums.
The album was a moderate success. The first single "Dirty Sticky Floors" hit the Top 20 in the UK. The album itself became a Top 10 hit on the European album chart and a Top 40 hit in the UK. This success was backed by a world tour and a live DVD titled Live Monsters which was released in 2004. A year later, he also appeared as model and spokesperson of the Swedish mid-range fashion retailer J. Lindeberg and its S/S 2006 menswear line. The ads featured both him and seemingly random quotes like "What would happen if we all told the truth", "You can tell he's lying because his lips are moving", etc. These ads appeared prominently in international fashion press.
Dave did a collaboration in 2003 with Junkie XL and handled the vocals for a song called "Reload" for this Dutch DJ's album "Radio JXL: A Broadcast From The Computer Hell Cabin".
In 2007, Dave Gahan announced he was working on a new album via a video greeting for Depeche Mode's official website recorded at the 2007 MusiCares Charity event on 11 May. The album, titled Hourglass, was accompanied working by Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner. According to Dave, they were to be producing it together. The material was recorded at Gahan's 11th Floor Studios in New York City, Gahan's hometown for 10 years now. The material was mixed in July by Tony Hoffer, best known for his work with Beck, The Kooks and Air. According to Gahan, Hourglass is more electronic-sounding than Paper Monsters. The album made the UK Top 50, the French Top 20 and narrowly missed going to no.1 in Germany.
The first single to be pulled from Dave Gahan's second solo record Hourglass was "Kingdom". The single came in the following versions: a download-Single, a CD single, a Maxi-CD single and 12" vinyl besides a 7" picture vinyl. According to the second press release for the second album, the release day for the single "Kingdom" was 8 October, but a download was available way before on 27 August. Side-Line Magazine also reported that a first preview for the song had been leaked online.
The second single from the Hourglass album was the double A side "Saw Something / Deeper and deeper", released on 14 January 2008. The accompanying video was artistically shot in the Chelsea Hotel, New York, famous for the death of Sid Vicious' partner, Nancy. Sid Vicious of course was one of Dave's idol's in the late 1970s.
In July 2007, Side-Line Magazine revealed that Gahan had been working with Thomas Anselmi on a project called called Mirror, which was produced by Vincent Jones. Along with Jones, who played with Gahan's touring band and mixed the live DVD Live Monsters, Mirror featured another Gahan collaborator, Knox Chandler (Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Psychedelic Furs), as well as piano by Bowie favourite Mike Garson, and a monologue by Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro. Gahan sang vocals on the track "Nostalgia". The song was released in October 2008, and the album being released via download at the start of 2009. He also appeared in the accompanying video for the song.
Dave Gahan also contributed vocals to a track called "Visitors", after walking in while producer and ex-Clor guitarist Luke Smith was working on the song in his New York studio. The song was released under the artist name of frYars.
Gahan is a recovering heroin addict.
Gahan has survived four brushes with death, living up to the nickname, "The Cat," that paramedics gave him during his roughest years in LA. In 1993, Gahan suffered a small heart-attack during a performance in New Orleans, leaving his bandmates to improvise an encore without him. His doctors advised him to take a break from the tour, but he refused. The second brush came when he attempted suicide by slashing his wrists in August 1995: “It was definitely a suicide attempt,” says Gahan. “But it was also a cry for help. I made sure there were people who might find me.”. On 28 May 1996, Gahan overdosed on a speedball at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles, which resulted in his heart stopping for two minutes until he was revived by paramedics. A number of dates were either postponed or cancelled as further tests were conducted, revealing a low grade malignant tumour in his bladder. Gahan underwent an operation to successfully remove the tumour. After doctor-ordered time to fully recover, the tour resumed in Leipzig, Germany, on 8 June. Gahan later suffered a torn calf muscle while performing in Bilbao, Spain, on 9 July 2009, resulting in two further cancellations. After two-weeks break, he and Depeche Mode returned to the tour for their North American leg. While performing in Seattle on 10 August 2009 Gahan again suffered injury, this time straining his vocal cords. Doctors ordered Gahan on complete vocal rest, resulting in two more cancelled shows. The band returned to the stage in Los Angeles on 16 August. According to press and fan reports, Gahan is performing as well as ever, despite the string of health setbacks. Depeche Mode returned to perform in Latin America in October 2009. In October 2009, Depeche Mode performed at Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina without Gahan showing any signs of stress.
Category:1962 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:Depeche Mode members Category:English baritones Category:English male singers Category:English rock singers Category:English songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Epping Category:People who attempted suicide Category:Mute Records artists Category:English-language singers Category:English electronic musicians Category:New Wave musicians
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| Name | Brian Molko |
|---|---|
| Landscape | yes |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Born | December 10, 1972Brussels, Belgium |
| Origin | Luxembourg |
| Instrument | Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica, Keyboards |
| Genre | Indie rockAlternative rockGlam punkPost-punk revival |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Label | EMI, Virgin Records, PIAS (current), Hut Records, Caroline Records |
| Associated acts | Placebo |
| Url | www.placeboworld.co.uk/ |
| Notable instruments | Fender JaguarGibson SGFender Telecaster ThinlineGretsch Duo Jet |
While Molko was brought up in a strict household that disapproved of artistic expression (his father wanted him to become a banker) he rebelled by affecting an androgynous image, wearing nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner, and listening to punk. Molko initially attended the European School of Luxembourg but had to leave due to excessive bullying; he later attended the American International School of Luxembourg (AISL) and went on to study drama at Goldsmiths College in London.
Molko taught himself to play guitar at the age of 16, he got a Telecaster replica as a present from his parents. Soon after, he bought a real Telecaster. He plays other instruments such as bass, harmonica, keyboard, saxophone, drums and turntables. Fluent in French due to his upbringing in Belgium and Luxembourg, Molko has written and sung a few of Placebo's songs in French as well as English. He has also occasionally worked as a DJ at clubs.
Along with Hewitt and Olsdal, he had a role in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, for which Placebo performed the T.Rex song "20th Century Boy". He played Malcolms, a singer of the fictional glam rock band, "The Flaming Creatures", who resembled the early Alice Cooper band.
In the same year, he was voted 4th of the 50 sexiest rock stars by Kerrang! magazine readers.
Molko is openly bisexual.
He also wrote the English lyrics to "Pink Water 3", a song by Indochine from the album Alice & June, released in 2005. Molko is friends with David Bowie, with whom he sang Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing and the cover 20th Century Boy live.
Through the Meds Tour, he used Gretsch Duo Jets ("Infra-Red", "Because I Want You", "Song to Say Goodbye", "One of a Kind", "The Bitter End", "Running Up That Hill", "Special K"), Gibson SGs ("Special Needs", "Every You Every Me", "Black-Eyed"), a Fender Jaguar ("Drag", "Nancy Boy"), a Fender Thinline Telecaster ("Twenty Years") and a Gibson Chet Atkins SST ("Meds"). Once again his amplifier was a Fender Twin Reverb.
In 2010, he signed an endorsement contract to use Orange amps.
During a 2003 interview with Graham Norton, Molko revealed he collects guitars, and gives them all names - amongst them are his favourite, 'Bitch' (Fender Jaguar), and a pink guitar (which he claims is gay) called "Bertie".
Category:1972 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Category:Bisexual musicians Category:American male singers Category:Scottish male singers Category:American tenors Category:Scottish tenors Category:American people of French descent Category:Scottish people of French descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Scottish people of Italian descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:Living people Category:People associated with Dundee Category:Placebo members Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
