CBGB

The band are currently made up of singer and guitarist Paul Banks, drummer Sam Fogarino and lead guitarist Daniel Kessler. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they are one of the few bands who came to prominence in the great indie rock boom of the early 2000’s to keep their creative spark alive into the new decade.

This is especially impressive considering that in 2010 the band's unofficial frontman, effortlessly suave bassist Carlos Dengler, left the band after growing tired of the touring lifestyle. Many thought that they would be rudderless ship after he left, but many were wrong.

Ever since they formed, the band had been an equal collaboration between every member. They’ve never had a main songwriter and still don’t have one to this day. With Dengler gone, a crucial element of that dynamic went with him but after a long break, they were able to return to their former glory with style.

They returned with 2014’s “El Pintor”, an album that went to the top ten on the album charts of both sides of the Atlantic and restored the bands mojo in thrilling fashion, with their icy, edgy post-punk never sounding more exciting and totally unique as it does now.

With experience and ability on their side, Interpol have quite simply never been a better band than they are today. They’re at their peak, and they’re only going to get better, so join the ride now, and you will not regret it!

Morrisey's first links to music can be found in the late 70's, when he discovered an adoration for post punk and fronted a band called The Nosebleeds. After moving between bands and line ups whilst writing early tracks including 'Peppermint Heaven' and 'I Get Nervous', he took a short break from music to pursue writing on popular culture and published three books. In 1982, Morrisey met guitarist Johnny Marr and described their relationship incredibly positively: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive."

The band soon signed to independent label Rough Trade Records and released an early single that was pushed heavily by John Peel. Thanks to constant support from the radio DJ and moderate chart success, The Smiths found themselves a loyal fan base from the offset. The successes simply snowballed, the band worked together as a concise artistic unit and Morrisey was praised for his poetic, relatable lyrical abilities which went on to inspire guitar bands such as Oasis and The Stone Roses. Many consider them to be "the most influential British guitar group of the decade", they spearheaded the Brit pop movement and rejuvenated the guitar music scene of Manchester inspiring bands such as Blur to form after seeing the band perform on the South Bank Show.

However in 1987, the band parted due to a strained relationship between Marr & Morrisey. The latter continued to record as a solo artist and achieved commercial success, three of his albums including his debut topped the UK charts with a whole host of hit singles including 'Suedehead', 'Irish Blood, English Heart' and 'Interesting Drug'. Morrisey is known for his radical views on politics and the British monarchy. He fiercely opposes the latter stating that he doesn't believe that "the royal family speak for England now and I don't think England needs them". He is also a serious animal rights activist and a supporter of PETA, claiming in 2014 that there's"no difference between eating animals and paedophilia. They are both rape, violence, murder." The songwriter has left a huge legacy to both pop and rock music and in 2014, The Smiths were revealed as a nominee to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

Patti Smith was coined the ‘Godmother of Punk’, a hugely prestigious title, due to her original and unique fusion of genres, combining rock and poetry to create her music. As well as an incredibly fruitful solo career, Smith’s collaboration with Bruce Springsteen on her most widely praised song Because The Night, and gave her huge amounts of exposure and following.

Additionally, Smith has several awards under her belt, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and winning the National Book Award in 2010 for her memoir Just Kids. Smith has also been nominated for Grammy Awards throughout her career. Influential for her musical style and poetic abilities, Smith’s lyrics and performances explore controversial topics from AIDS to Green Party ideologies, which has given her much attention. Patti’s band currently consists of Lenny Kaye on guitar, Jay Dee Daugherty playing Drums, and Tony Shanahan on bass and keys, adding great depth to her performances.

With 11 studio albums recorded by Smith over the years, her debut record, Horses, remains the most popular over the years, although Smith is still creating critically acclaimed music today. Several huge artists today such as Courtney Love and Candy Slice claim that their creative inspirations are due to Smith’s musical creations.

Having met at the Bolton Institute of Technology, Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto began playing music together in the hope of replicating the sounds of the Sex Pistols, the Stooges and the Velvet Underground. At a Sex Pistols show that Shelley and Devoto organised themselves in Manchester, England, the band met drummer John Maher, and in July 1976 opened for the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall.

In October 1976 the band released their debut demo tape and joined the Sex Pistols on their Anarchy Tour. By the year’s end Manchester was established as punk rock’s second city behind London, and the Buzzcocks had generated a significant buzz of their own. Borrowing money from Shelley’s dad, the Buzzcocks recorded their debut EP “Spinal Scratch” in 1977, noted for being the first independently released punk record of all time. Shortly after Devoto departed the group and returned to college, later forming the art rock punk band Magazine.

Shelley moved to lead vocals, with Steve Diggle on guitar and Garth Smith became the band’s bassist. In September 1977, the Buzzcocks signed with major label United Artists Records, and tested the limits of their artistic licence with their debut single “Orgasm Addict” in October 1977. The explicit subject matter led to a lack of airplay on BBC radio but help develop a rabid fan base through word of mouth. The band’s second single “What Do I Get?” entered the chart in the Top 40, ahead of their debut album “Another Music In a Different Kitchen”.

The Buzzcocks’ second full length “Love Bites” was issued in 1978 to good reviews, however the constant touring and recording schedule took its toll on the group and resulted in a high consumption of drugs and alcohol. This was apparent on the band’s third album “A Different Kind of Tension”, which the Buzzcocks supported with a tour of the U.S. The tour turned out to be a bit of a flop, however back in the UK, the band enjoyed the height of their success. In 1979 the singles compilation “Singles Going Steady” was issued in the States, exposing them to a much wider audience.

In 1980 the Buzzcocks slowed their roll and limited their number of live performances to focus on the EP “Parts 1, 2, 3”, which had its release as three separate singles. United Artists was then bought out by EMI who didn’t afford the band the same luxuries or creative licence as UA and wanted to release the singles compilation ahead of the group’s fourth full-length. The Buzzcocks refused, which led to EMI refusing to pay the band an advance on their new album album, so instead of fighting the label Shelley broke up the band in 1981.

The band’s members pursued their own interests throughout the ‘80s, including a short-live solo career by Shelley, the band Flag of Convenience featuring John Maher and Steve Diggle, and Steve Garvey who played in the band Motivation.

With a new line-up of Shelley, Diggle, bassist Tony Barber, and drummer Phil Barker, the Buzzcocks returned with the album “Trade Test Transmissions” in 1993. The album was supported by an extensive tour, and followed in 1996 with the band’s fifth full-length “All Set. Modern”. The Buzzcocks subsequently released a self-titled album in 2003 on Merge Records, “Flat-Pack Philosophy” in 2006 on the Cooking Vinyl label, and an anniversary album titled “30” in 2008.

Bassist Barber and drummer Barker were replaced by Chris Remington and Danny Farrant, respectively, who recorded and released the Buzzcocks’ eighth studio album “The Way” in 2014.

Formerly of the band the Eliminators, guitarist Vinnie Stigma (Vinnie Capuccio) formed Agnostic Front, originally under the moniker Zoo Crew, alongside outspoken and politically direct vocalist Roger Miret, bassist Adam Moochie, and drummer Ray Beez. The group released their first record, the “United Blood” EP in 1983, followed a year later by the decade-defining album “Victim of Pain”. The album was a voice of a generation lost in the burgeoning debt and crime of early ’80’s New York City. The release also marked the arrival of bassist Rob Kabula and drummer Jimmy Colletti, and saw Agnostic Front take the reins of the hardcore punk movement showcased at the likes of Lower East Side’s A7 and CBGB’s.

With the rise in popularity in heavy metal, Agnostic Front, mired by the tumultuous relationship of Miret and Stigma, began to establish themselves as a cross over between hardcore punk and thrash metal. The band signed with Combat Records and issued “Cause for Alarm” in 1986, since hailed as one of a few early holy-grails of crossover thrash, alongside D.R.I. and Corrosion of Conformity.

In an attempt to please original fans, with an entirely new backup of musicians including guitarist Steve Martin, bassist Alan Peters and drummer Will Shepler, the band ridded itself of its previous metal-style drumming. “Liberty & Justice For…” arrived in 1987 to a hardcore punk genre that had fractioned off into various sub-genres, leading to gigs turning into sub-culture turf wars. Agnostic Front released the live album “Live at CBGB’s” in 1989, which featured many fan favourites in the band’s most effective and direct form.

After the release, Roger Miret was arrested and sentenced to just-under two years in prison on serious drug charges and Stigma, with guitarist Matt Henderson and temporary singer Alan Peters, embarked on their first European tour. The comeback album “One Voice”, based on Miret’s lyrics from inside prison, found no audience, and following a greatest hits album “To Be Continued” and a farewell concert in 1993, the band called it quits.

In 1997 however, with interest from respected punk label Epitaph Records, Agnostic Front, consisting of Stigma, Miret, Rob Kabula and Jimmy Colletti recorded and released “Something’s Gotta Give” in 1998. This was followed a year later by the album “Riot, Riot Upstart” with guest appearances from M.O.D.’s Billy Milano and Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen. Un-phased by the lack of a hardcore punk scene, the band continued to perform and record, producing the albums “Dead Yuppies” in 2001, “Working Class Heroes” in 2003, “Another Voice” in 2005, and “My Life My Way” in 2011.