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Formed
in 1989 from the ashes of The Untouchables, this London
three piece sought a return to the powerful guitar based rock'n'roll
that inspired them to first pick up their instruments in the late
seventies. Influenced by The Jam, The Ruts, Ramones and of course
the Pistols the Guitar Gangsters produced a debut album of melodic
power punk gems that made "Prohibition" a sort after release.
This, together with tracks on Link Records' "Underground Rockers"
compilation album (Manic Street Preachers, Senseless Things and
Mega City Four were also featured) brought the band to the attention
of Stiff Little Fingers who invited the Gangsters as guests on
the Fingers' comeback UK tour.
1992 saw the release of the Guitar Gangsters' second album "Money
With Menaces" on Communique Records and the band continue to gig
throughout the UK. Occasional airplays on evening Radio One created
a buzz about the band but a reluctance by the Gangsters to soften
their musical style discouraged major label interest. Another
one album deal was done - this time with Anagram, a division of
Cherry Red and "Power Chords For England" was recorded and released
on CD in 1994.
In 1995 the Guitar Gangsters began to discover European audiences
and toured with 999, The Lurkers, Vibrators and others and recorded
"Skweeler!" for release on the band's own Rampant Music label.
Recognising the new European interest in the band, Captain Oi!
Records have released a double CD of the first two albums that
had been unavailable since 1994. A live album recorded in Germany
and Poland in 1998, "Made In England - Live In Europe" was released
early in 1999 on the Rampant label.
The band were out touring Europe again in 2000 with Vice Squad
and in July of that year the UK streetpunk label Captain Oi! released
the Gangsters' first studio album since "Skweeler!" -"Road To
Reality" pulling together songs written over a three year period
- the early punk influences were still evident and the band stuck
to what they do best and for this they make no apology. Tales
of suburbia and failed ambition hung on a wall of guitars played
with passion and honesty.
In May 2001 the band travelled to Los Angeles as guests of The
Generators to play a tour of the West Coast and begin recording
for a new album. USA's premier streetpunk label, TKO released
a sample track "Safety Pin Through My Heart" from the forthcoming
album on a compilation "Punch Drunk III" put out in September
2001. In July of that year Guitar Gangsters joined over 100 other
punk bands to celebrate 25 years of punk at Holidays In The Sun
festival at Morecombe. In October 2002 Captain Oi! will release
the band's 6th studio album titled "Another Day In Pleasantville"
and a track from the album titled "Rattle My Cage" can be found
on the Captain Oi! sampler out soon.
GUITAR
GANGSTERS Web Site |
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