Van der Graaf Generator are Peter Hammill (vox, gtr, kbd), Hugh Banton
(organ, bass) & Guy Evans (drums , percussion), the three surviving members
of the original group line-up of 1968.
VdGG 1967-1972
The band originally formed in 1967 while its members were studying at
Manchester University. The three-piece was composed of Peter Hammill, Nick
Pearne (organ) and Chris Judge Smith (drums).
When the band turned professional in 1968 Pearne was replaced by Hugh
Banton. Tony Stratton-Smith became the band's full-time manager and through
him the band acquired a bass guitarist, Keith Ellis. Drummer Guy Evans
joined soon afterwards. This line-up released a single - 'People You Were
Going To' b/w 'Firebrand'. Judge Smith left the band, amicably, shortly
after the recording.
Although the four-piece line-up toured successfully in 1968, performed on
BBC Radio 1's Top Gear radio show and supported Jimi Hendrix at the Albert
Hall, it briefly broke up during 1969. Pressures leading to this included
the theft of the band's gear in London. In July 1969 Hammill went to record
his first solo album. Banton, Evans, and Ellis joined him as session
musicians and the resulting 'The Aerosol Grey Machine' was subsequently
released as the first VdGG album, on Mercury.
Tony Stratton-Smith formed Charisma Records in 1970 and signed the band as
his first act. Before recording their second album, 'The Least We Can Do Is
Wave To Each Other', Ellis left and was replaced by Nic Potter, and David
Jackson (saxophones and flute) was added to the line-up. 'The Least We Can
Do...' was swiftly followed by 'H to He, Who Am the Only One'. Potter left
midway through that recording, and the band decided to carry on without a
bass guitarist, with Banton on organ bass pedals.
The Hammill/Banton/Jackson/Evans quartet that resulted from 'H to He' -
often considered the 'classic' line-up - went on to record 'Pawn Hearts' in
1971. It contains just three tracks, 'Lemmings', 'Man-Erg' and the 23 minute
concept piece 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers'. The album proved highly
successful in Italy, topping the chart there for 12 weeks. The band toured
extensively from 1970 to 1972, but fatigue and finances caused the band to
implode and Hammill returned to his solo career.
First Reunion, 1975-1978
Banton, Jackson and Evans all contributed to Hammill's solo work at various
times. By 1975 the band were ready to work with each other again, and three
new albums were recorded during '75 & '76 - 'Godbluff', 'Still Life' and
'World Record'.
At the end of 1976 first Banton and then Jackson departed. Nic Potter
returned on bass, and Graham Smith joined on violin. This line-up, with the
band's name shortened to Van der Graaf, produced the album 'The Quiet
Zone/The Pleasure Dome'. Charles Dickie then joined the band on cello for
live work, documented on the live album 'Vital'. But by the time Vital was
released, in the summer of 1978, the band had already split.
Second Reunion, 2005
In 2003, Banton, Jackson, and Evans joined with Hammill during his solo
concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall to perform the song 'Still Life'.
Following the performance, discussions between the band members led to
writing and rehearsal of new material in mid-2004. A double CD, 'Present',
containing this material was released in April 2005. A reunion concert took
place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 6 May 2005, followed by several
European dates in the summer and autumn of 2005. A live double CD of the
complete Royal Festival Hall concert was released as 'Real Time'.
Since September 2006 the band have recorded and performed as a trio of
Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans. The first trio recording
'Trisector' was released on 17 March 2008. Live concerts were played in
Europe in March and April, and in Japan in June.
http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/
FORTY YEARS OF STRAWBS
The year 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the first Strawbs album on A&M Records.
The nucleus of Strawbs are David Cousins, Dave Lambert, and Chas Cronk, the front-line of the classic 1970s line-up of Britain’s most successful international folk-rock band, and who now tour as Acoustic Strawbs.
In the early 1970s Strawbs scored chart success in Britain with huge albums such as ‘Grave New World’ and ‘Bursting at the Seams’. From the mid-1970s as the group concentrated their attention on the United States and Canada where their albums, including the classics ‘Hero and Heroine’ and ‘Ghosts’, spent over fifty two weeks on the Billboard charts. Strawbs toured with the likes of Santana, Peter Frampton, The Eagles, REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh, Blue Oyster Cult, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa.
Dave Cousins, leader of Strawbs, recently received BPI platinum discs in recognition of worldwide sales of the albums ‘Grave New World’ and ‘Bursting at the Seams’.
Rick Wakeman played with the Strawbs for two years before moving on to achieve world-wide success with Yes, and as a solo artist. The much-loved Sandy Denny made an album with the Strawbs before she joined Fairport Convention.
Acoustic Strawbs shows receive rave reviews:
“Carefully selecting their repertoire from less than obvious sources they invest the rarely performed material with considerable energy and thoughtful arrangements.” (Record Collector)
“Hearing the brilliant Strawbs [at the Edmonton Folk Festival] was like a tutorial in UK folk music from the past 40 years. (Edmonton Sun)
“Unlike many groups that are past their commercial prime and churn out inferior, dispirited versions of the hits from their glory days, the Acoustic Strawbs stand out as a band that performs their old material with passion and precision. Furthermore, they have broken new ground by harnessing the power of their electric incarnation in an acoustic setting.” (Chicago Tribune)
Witchwood Media Limited Geraldine Parkinson 01304 369977
st.davids@virgin.net www.strawbsweb.co.uk
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk
