The ten best bands to come out of Hull
| Posted: April 19, 2015
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HULL HEROES: Clockwise from top left, The Paddingtons, Freaks Union, The Housemartins.
Hull has a rich musical heritage, from Mick Ronson to the Mighty And The Moon. Here, one of the city's leading supporters of live music, Mark Page from The Sesh, gives us his top ten run-down of Hull bands.
1) Mick Ronson / Spiders From Mars
Years active: 1963 to 1993
Who: Born in Beverley Road in Hull, and brought up on Greatfield estate, Mick Ronson is arguably the greatest rock star to have come from the city. His work with David Bowie as an integral part of the Spiders From Mars revolutionised rock music and gave us some of the most iconic pop songs of all time. Ziggy did indeed play guitar, and he played it very well.
Career high point: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars was a seminal album including songs such as Starman and Ziggy Stardust.
2) Beautiful South
Years active: 1988 to 2007
Who: Formed out of the ashes of The Housemartins, the Beautiful South were formed by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway who recruited former Housemartins roadie Sean Welch, on bass, Dave Stead, on drums and Dave Rotheray on guitar. They were later joined by female vocalists Briana Corrigan, Jacqui Abbott and Alison Wheeler.
Career high point: The 1994 compilation album Carry On Up The Charts debuted at number one in the charts and went five times platinum, securing the group's status as "everyone's second-favourite band". They split in 2007, citing "musical similarities".
3) Housemartins
Years active: 1983 to 1988
Who: Formed in 1983 by Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore as a busking duo, who later recruited Ted Key, former guitarist with The Gargoyles, and drummer Justin Patrick. The line-up changed down the years with Norman "Fatboy Slim" Cook replacing Key, who left in 1985.
Career high point: The 1986 album London 0 Hull 4, which featured the track Happy Hour.
4) Fine Young Cannibals
Years active: 1984 to 1992
Who: Formed in Birmingham in 1984 by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox, FYC featured Hull-raised Roland Gift as its striking frontman.
Career high point: 1988 album The Raw And The Cooked topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and featured hit songs She Drives Me Crazy and Good Thing.
5) Kingmaker
Years active: 1990 to 1995
Who: Formed during their gap year by school friends Loz Hardy and Myles Howell, who recruited ex-travelling puppeteer John Andrew.
Career high point: Appearing on Top Of The Pops in 1993, when their hit Ten Years Asleep reached the giddy heights of number 15 in charts. They were supported by a then-unknown band called Radiohead in 1992.
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6) The Paddingtons
Years active: 2002 to 2010
Who: The five-piece rock'n'roll band – formed by Tom Atkin, Martin Hines, Josh Hubbard and brothers Lloyd and Grant Dobbs – attracted a buzz from the start, and were signed to Alan McGee's' Poptones label.
Career high point: Their debut album, First Comes First, was produced by Owen Morris, who oversaw the first three Oasis albums. Its success saw them tour with Babyshambles, whose frontman, Pete Doherty, proclaimed them one of his favourite bands
7) Red Guitars
Years active: 1982 to 1986
Who: Jerry Kidd and Hallam Lewis began working together after meeting at a community arts programme in 1979. After several line-up changes, and name changes – including Carnage In Poland – they became Red Guitars.
Career high point: Their single Marimba Jive reached number one on the UK Indie Chart in 1984.
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8) Fila Brazilia
Years active: 1990 to 2006
Who: Steve Cobby and David McSherry formed this electronica collaboration in 1990.
Career high point: Their music featured on TV shows including Sex And The City, alongside films such as Dogtown and Z-Boys.
9) Freaks Union
Years active: 1995-2005
Who: The melodic punk band, whose members include Jimbo Baxter and Stew Baxter, reformed in March for a gig at the Adelphi after a ten-year break.
Career high point: Their influence on bands including The Paddingtons, The Gallows and actress/singer Juliette Lewis.
10) Fonda 500
Years active: 1995 to present
Who: Formed by Simon Stone and Nicholas Broughton, the pop-prog band released their acclaimed debut, Eight Track Sound System, in 2000.
Career high point: Their music has featured on the soundtracks to shows including Teachers and Skins.
• The Sesh is every Tuesday at the Polar Bear, Spring Bank. Visit The Sesh website.
9 comments
What about Nothineverappens with Snips Parsons in the early seventies? They were brilliant.
This is not really a list of the 'Best Bands' unless you are judging them by fame and album sales. You have already mentioned my favourite band in the article and they deserve a bigger shout-out. THE GARGOYLES. Fantastic band!
The Leslie Rose Orchestra, The Ivor Kerchin Band, The Tommy Fisher Orchestra, Harry Gold and his Pieces of Eight, his brother Louis Gold and his Band, Harry Chatterton and his Dixieland Band, The Frank Cleveland Orchestra. All from the 1950s to be found at such venues as The City Hall, Newington Hall, Beverley Road and East Hull Baths, East Park Ballroom, Blind Institue, Reckitts Hops on a Saturday night. And last, but certainly not least, the Withernsea Pavilion. You guys today cannot realise how unlucky you were not to be around in those days. Big bands, traditional jazz, rock and roll and skiffle. Whoops, I have just given my age away!! Don't tell Burnsie!!
Also. 60's band The Hullaballoos. One of the first English bands to have success in America. All from Hull. Another band that fail to get any recognition from their hometown. Their tracks are still played on the radio in the U.S today.
Erm...what about Trevor Bolder. Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, The Spiders From Mars, etc. Huge influence on highly regarded musicians all around the world and Woody Woodmansey, also from The spiders from Mars. Really quite disappointing that these two don't get the credit they deserve from the people of Hull.
Something needs to be said here Mark....You forgot Soda but then people usually do when talking about Hulls musical history. Soda were one of a number of many good bands active on the local scene in the early 90s and cut their teeth playing 100s of gigs on the local and regional circuit.They were lucky enough to sign a deal with Mercury records(Fontana) in 1995 and had a top ten hit and single of the week with their first release 'The young own the town'.They toured with Blur , supergrass, The blutones,Long pigs,Shed 7 and sold 5000 copies of their 2nd single 'Inside' when it was released in Japan in 1996.They recorded an lp with Madness/teardrop explodes producers Langer and winstanley which has never been released. They were pretty much vilified by the local and national press as the britpop backlash began and split up after playing the Phoenix festival in 1996. Liam the bass player survived leaukemia and guitarist Mike Milner sadly passed away last year .. RIP Mike.....
Salem.
Mick Ronson was brought up on Hopewell Road Bilton Grange not Greatfield i know because i was a friend of his he lived a few doors up from me
Testing, testing, will this comment be removed?
What about Sade? Three of the band members were from Hull, so by my reckoning should be in there, at least number 5 if not higher.