Voorhees (band)
| Voorhees | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | County Durham, England |
| Genres | Hardcore punk |
| Years active | 1990–2001, 2004, 2010, 2012–Present |
| Labels | Armed With Anger Records |
| Associated acts | We Be The Echo |
Voorhees is a hardcore punk band formed in Durham, England. From early 1990 until late 2001 they released records on international record labels[1] and toured Europe and the USA. Although essentially disbanded, the group reformed for rare shows in 2004, 2010 and have reformed again in 2012 and will be playing several shows.
History
Voorhees formed from the ashes of other Durham-based hardcore bands (Steadfast, Know Your Enemy, False Face, The MacDonalds). Ian Leck and Sean Readman were the driving force and principal songwriters, and the first line-up was completed by Darrell Hindley, Gary Cousins and David Brown. They played their first gig at the Rowing Club in Durham in September 1991, and recorded their first demo the following December (late reissued as a 7" flexi).
Voorhees started gigging regularly including a UK tour with Slapshot, and released the Violent... EP on Armed With Anger Records in early 1993. Michael Gillham (drums, aged 15) and Graeme Nicholls (lead guitar) joined in autumn 1993 to form the first stable line-up. The band's debut LP, "Spilling Blood Without Reason" was recorded in May 1994 at Studio 64 in Middlesbrough and released on AWA Records the following August just in time for the band's first European tour.
Maximumrocknroll magazine's review of the first album; "...I sensed that Voorhees could blow doors off, not just peel the paint. So here you've got it – a 26 track LP harkening back to the days of hardcore bands having something that drove them, the kind of anger and frustration that drives some people out of the room and has others turning it up louder. Wow!"
Kerrang! described the band's sound as a 'blistering" cross between "Discharge and Extreme Noise Terror".
Voorhees recorded a John Peel Session[2] for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale studios in London in March 1995, and which was first broadcast the following month (in contrast, Aphex Twin was also in session the same programme).
Other releases recorded by the Voorhees line-up of this period were a split 7" with Stalingrad (AWA Records) and the "What You See Is What You Get" EP on Crust records. Voorhees made it to the US for the first time in April 1996, playing shows with Hatebreed, 25 Ta Life, Charles Bronson, Dropdead, Fit For Abuse and Los Crudos among others, and playing in infamous hardcore dives like ABC No Rio, CBGB's and the Bomb Shelter in Minneapolis. The line-up metamorphisized in the coming years, and Voorhees embarked on several more US and European tours before recording the final album, Crystal Lake's Legacy, on 6 Weeks Records in 2001.
Reunion
In October 2004, the 'Spilling Blood Without Reason' line-up of Voorhees got together for a one-off show, "Night of the Living Dead at Sea", which was played on a ferry boat on the Mersey River in Liverpool.
On 23 and 24 April 2010, Voorhees re-banded to do shows in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Leeds(UK). These gigs were meant to be with the classic 'Spilling Blood' line-up, but the volcano ash cloud which grounded all flights to and from Europe the week previous meant Graeme and Paul could not make it as they got stuck in the US Sam Layzell filled in for both shows. He also played in Leeds bands such as Closure, Bonestorm and SickFuckinO with Ian Leck. Ian Leck and Sam Layzell have gone on to provide vocals and bass respectively for Rot in Hell alongside fellow Voorhees guitarist James Atkinson.
Recent Activity
On Sunday 13 May 2012 Voorhees played an impromptu set at Morrowfest in Nottingham as a tribute to their friend John Paul Morrow who died 10 years ago. This prompted them to reform with a pick and mix line up from all the previous incarnations of the band, they played with Negative Approach in Manchester on Tuesday 16 October 2012, followed by '20 years of Violent' at Bradford 1 in 12 club 23 March 2013, 'Slow End Fest' in Eindhoven 8 June 2013, with Sick of it all (20 years since the first time they played together) in Manchester 28 August, with Indecision in London (Underworld, Camden)on 25 October 2013 and in October 2014 Voorhees returned to Eindhoven for Bloodshed Fest.
Discography
- Everybody's Good at Something... Demo Tape 50 copies made – self-released 1992
- Fowlers Yard Demo Tape 1 copy made – unreleased 1992
- Violent 7" 2000 copies made – Armed With Anger – 1993
- Everybody's Good at Something... Except Us! 7" flexi 1000 copies made – Armed With Anger – 1994
- Spilling Blood Without Reason LP 3000 copies made – Armed With Anger – 1994
- Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie / State Oppression 7" Acetate 1 copy made – Armed With Anger – 1994
- split 7" w/ Stalingrad 1000 copies made – Thinking Smart / Caught Offside – 1995
- Smiling at Death CD 1500 copies made – Grand Theft Audio – 1996
- What You See Is What You Get 7" 2000 copies made – Crust – 1997
- Fireproof 7" 1000 copies made – Chainsaw Safety – 1998
- 13 LP 3000 copies made – Six Weeks / Armed With Anger – 1998
- 13 CD – Six Weeks / Armed With Anger – 1998
- split LP" w/ Devoid of Faith 5000 copies made – Coalition / Gloom 1999
- split CD w/ Devoid of Faith – Coalition / Gloom – 1999
- split 7" w/ Kill Your Idols 2000 copies made – Indecision – 2000
- Bookburner 7" 1500 copies made – THD – 2000
- split 7" w/ Insult 1000 copies made – Balowski Records – 2000
- split CD w/ Out Cold – Blackfish – 2000
- split 12" w/ Out Cold 1000 copies made – Deranged – 2001
- Crystal Lake's Legacy LP 1000 copies made – Six Weeks – 2001
- Crystal Lake's Legacy CD – Six Weeks – 2001
- Spilling Blood Without Reason – Reissue LP (with 4 extra tracks) 500 copies made – Armed With Anger – 2001
- split CD w/ Out Cold – Reissue – Thorp Records – 2002
- Spilling Blood Without Reason – Reissue LP (with 4 extra tracks) 500 copies made – Zandor – 2004
- split 7" w/ Radio Alice 1000 copies made – Hermit – 2004
- The Final Chapter CD – Violent Change – 2008
- Spilling Blood Without Reason Repress on Grot Records – 500 copies made – 2010
Compilations
- Consolidation 7" 2000 copies made – Armed With Anger – 1992
- Illiterate 12" 2000 copies made – Ebullition – 1993
- All For One... One For All CD – Grand Theft Audio – 1995
- Endless Struggle: The Worst of the 1 in 12 Club vol. 12/13 2x12" 2000 copies made – 1 in 12 Records – 1995
- The Boredom & the Bullshit 7" 1000 copies made – Refusenik – 1995
- Strictly Ballroom 7" 1000 copies made – Caught Offside – 1996
- A Means to an End 12" 2000 copies made – Armed With Anger – 1997
- Reproach 7" 5000 copies made – Ugly Pop – 1998
- Decade of Dissidence – Worst of the 1in12 Club Vol 14/15 CD 1000 copies made – 1 in 12 Records – 1999
- Hurt Your Feelings CD – Six Weeks – 2001
- Indecision Records Split Series CD – Indecision – 2001
- Off Target CD – Coalition – 2004
- The Bitter Days Ahead CD – Ghost City – 2005
Line Up
Demo line-up, around 1990–1992
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Sean Readman – guitar
- Darrell Hindley – guitar
- David Brown – bass
- Gary Cousins – drums
"Violent EP" line-up, around 1993
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Sean Readman – guitar
- Darrell Hindley – guitar
- Paul Rugman-Jones – bass
- Gary Cousins – drums
"Spilling Blood LP" line-up around 1993–1996
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Sean Readman – guitar
- Graeme Nicholls – lead guitar
- Paul Rugman-Jones – bass
- Michael Gillham – drums
"13 LP" line-up around 1997–1998
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Richard Armitage – guitar
- James Atkinson – lead guitar
- Andrew Wright – bass
- Dave Allen – drums
"Crystal Lake's Legacy LP" Line-up ca. 1998–2001
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Richard Armitage – guitar
- James Atkinson – lead guitar
- Steve Stewart – bass
- Dave Allen – drums
Current line-up – 2012–2014
- Ian Leck – vocals
- Sean Readman – guitar
- James Atkinson – lead guitar
- Sam Layzell – bass
- Dave Allen – drums
References
External links
- Official Myspace
- Official website from later period
- BBC Radio 1 – Peel Session Page
- Voorhees' Discogs entry
- More in-depth Voorhees history from old UKHC page