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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:19 am Post subject: Biography: Feeder |
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*cracks knuckles and gets down to work..* :D
Picture the scene: guy goes on the number 50 bus during the 8:30am s-l-o-w crawl across Manchester to his often fun-usually-dull college existence. Today is Thursday, which means one thing: a full 9-4 day of lessons, the worst day of all. To top it off, he broke up with his girlfriend just 4 days previous. What does a guy do in a situation like this? Why, play his new discovery on his walkman of course!
The man? Me.
The band? Feeder.
I can't remember exactly how I came across Feeder, but I do know listening to 'Buck Rogers' for the 500th time was just as good as the 1st. It marked a turning point in the career of the band. Before that single and the resulting album (Echo Park), Feeder weren't that 'over' with the public. But the album symbolised for me (and indeed for Feeder's singer Grant Nicholas himself) the pure workrate that Feeder have always put into their work.
The Feeder story of course starts some 16 years before 'official' album number 5 (Pushing The Senses) is due to hit the shelves next month.
The summer of '89 saw close pals Grant Nicholas (working as a courier at the time) and Jon Henry Lee forming a band called 'Temper Temper'. But a lack of success brought the pair to London where they advertised for a new band memmber. Native Japanese bass player Taka Hirose answered the ad. in Loot and, after two more names changes, the young men settled on the name 'Feeder' in 1992.
Years of hard graft finally came to a head with their first 6 track LP ('Swim') in 1995 and a record deal with the Echo muic company. Being a relatively unknown band, 'Swim' and their first official full album ('Polythene') were given little airplay, which in hindsight was a massive shame, as not many music lovers ever got to experience these first 2 albums, that for me really stand the test of time even now many years on.
But in true character of the band, Feeder played on. Gradually their pop/punk/metal hybrid sound and their trademark exciting live performances got through to more and more people. Record sales of album number 2 ('Yesterday Went Too Soon', which for the record is my all-time fave. Feeder album) increased as a result.
But it wasn't until Echo Park that Feeder's years of suffering really paid off. Near-constant airplay and a record amount of live tours by the band earned them the respect they finally deserved. From rip-roaring top 5 single 'Buck Rodgers' to 'Under The Weather', every track on Echo Park was emotionally charged. It brought people together, people that would have nothing to do with punk or metal music before suddenly started buying en mass. As a result the album reached the dizzy heights of the top 5 in the album charts and remained in the top 40 for many months after.
2001 was indeed the year of Feeder. They had made it to promised land of global notoriety and had done it through the legitimate try, try and try again way of old.
Nothing could stop them now, a whole year of concerts booked ahead for 2002, an album selling by the bucketload, a new mass gathering of loyal fans.
But then came the events of January 7th, 2002.
In one of the music industry's greatest mysteries, Jon Henry Lee - old friend, successful drummer, proud father of 2 and loving husband, was found dead in the early hours. He'd hung himself in his Florida appartment aged just 33.
Feeder had always prided themselves on keeping in touch with the fans, so soon after the announcement of Jon's death, put up a memorial for him on their official site. This heartfelt gesture of sadness and respect was publically welcomed by Jon's widow, Tatiana.
He was finally laid to rest - following a ceremony at St. Mary's Church, Newport, in his and Grant's native Wales - on the 18th of January at St Woolas Cemetery.
His tragic death left the future of Feeder in doubt. The loyal fan base allowed Taka and Grant time to grieve however, before the pair announced in the summer of 2002 that they were going to find a new drummer and carry on. Grant said the cliched, yet fully sincere, line at the time - "it's what Jon would've wanted".
So, on to album number 4 - 'Comfort In Sound. Released towards the end of 2002, this is deemed by many to be Feeder's 'recovery' album. Some of the tracks (first single 'Come Back Around' in particular) and even the album title itself, suggested the album was more emotionally influenced. slightly darker and slower Indie tone was reverberated throughout all but 2 of the tracks on offer as a result. Some questioned this almost genre change of the band, but Feeder's popularity never the less grew and grew. Yet more catchy people-friendly, trendy tunes came out to entice new fans, while Feeder veterans were shocked yet awed by the slight change of style, yet also eased into the transition somewhat with some great heavy rock Feeder classics such as 'Godzilla' and 'Helium'. But the change on the whole was greeted with open arms by the Feeder faithful.
I believe it was Feeder's 'growing up' album. While it didn't contain as many pumping tracks, it did replace them with some genuine thought-provoking tracks that relied more on real lyric use for arguably the first time in Feeder's career. It was certainly not an album to be cast aside.
Since August 2002, Feeder's drummer has been ex-Skunk Anansie dynamo Mark Richardson, who remains in the band indefinitely. A man Grant called "an amazing rock drummer...I'd put him right up there with the Dave Grohl’s of this world." A true sign of respect. :)
From their humble beginnings in 1995 to their highly-anticipated 5th studio album that will be gracing the shelves of the world very soon, Feeder have always delivered their insaciable appetite for appeasing the fans. From their never-say-die attitude to their genre-twisting music, Feeder have my respect.
Here's to ever bit of success for Pushing The Senses! :) |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:31 am Post subject: |
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| Wow Jon! :shock: That is an amazing biog! Well done! :D I love Feeder and I always have I first saw them when they supported Reef at Plymouth Pavilions I must have been about 15! They were great! Very good memories! :D |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| *sniff* spank ya m'lady. :) I went straight to bed after that! :lol: |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| I am not surprised! My brain doesnt work after 5.30! I am impressed you pulled it off at that time of night!! :D |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Ack, it's called too much time, Coke on tap and a bit of source material available. :D |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I hope you mean Coke as in the drink....lol |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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lol Amy! :o *does girlie wrist slap* :lol:
My drug meetings are going well I'll have you know! :o :lol: |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Good good glad to hear it....lol |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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| But I go into relapse every time I look at a Skittle... :? :lol: |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Ha ha whys that then? |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| They look far too much like class A tablets to me :P Not that I've seen many class A tablets :lol: |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Aaaah I see! ha ha very good! Took me a while to catch on then! I told you didnt I it is getting near 5.30 ha ha! |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| It's ok Amy, I'll put it down to excitement :lol: Ya get to bugger off home in 5 mins then? Yay! Another hard day's graft finished eh! :D How long does it take ya to get home though? |
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Mullin
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 20062
Location: Ivybridge
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| About 20-25 mins! So I am home by 6 just in time for Simpsons and Hollyoaks! :D |
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Jon1983uk
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 4423
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Yay! That's my teatime viewing sorted! :D I know why I watch Hollyoaks, but why do you? Think of Ant here! :o :lol: |
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