Reverend and The Makers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Reverend and the Makers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sheffield, England |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Genres | Rock, Indie Rock, Electro (music) |
| Labels | Currently Unsigned |
| Members | Jon McClure, Ed Cosens, Tom Jarvis, Joe Moskow, Richie Westley, Laura Manuel and Simon Stafford. |
Reverend and the Makers are an Indie Funk Rock band from Sheffield, England, sometimes also classed as "Punk-Funk-Disco", a term arising from lyrics from the 1984 song 'The March'.
Reverend is Sheffield musician Jon McClure, who previously sang with local bands Judan Suki and 1984. McClure assembled 'The Makers' from friends and musical colleagues.
The original Makers were: Ed Cosens (bass), Dave Sanderson (guitars), Joe Moskow (keyboards), Richie Westley (drums) and Laura Manuel (vocals) and occasionally Simon Stafford on trombone, however Sanderson was dismissed in July 2006 after the band completed their first headline UK Tour and replaced by Gledhill guitarist Tom Jarvis, who continues to play with both bands. At this time, a percussionist, Stuart, was also added to the band line up.
Reverend and The Makers have released a 9-track demo, which is available at their website. The popularity of this demo has seen them to be compared to Arctic Monkeys, with whom they share a musical outlook. Their music is a mix of indie guitar pop, electronica and a touch of Madchester-esque funk. Indeed, some of the internet demos are recorded feature members of other notable Sheffield bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Bromheads Jacket. One of Reverend's inspirations is Manchester performance poet John Cooper Clarke and Reverend often performs his own poems, of a similar style, inbetween songs during his live sets.
Reverend's lyrics are a particular attraction. His down-to-earth, cynical and observant outlook on modern-day life are captured in refreshing, cutting and highly intelligent verses and delivered in a striking deep voice spoken in a notable Yorkshire accent.
In April 2006, Reverend and the Makers were support to the Arctic Monkeys on their sell-out UK tour (same management), exposing the band to larger audiences and bigger venues. They also completed their own first UK Tour in May and June, selling-out dates in Shoreditch (London) and The Plug in home-town Sheffield on the final night.
It is rumoured that Jon McClure wrote Fake Tales Of San Francisco and A Certain Romance, songs included on the record-breaking Arctic Monkeys album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, after Jon and Arctic Monkeys singer and songwriter Alex Turner were band mates in Judan Suki. This has been denied, but it is known that McClure has written pages on the Arctic Monkeys website for them, including the "Who" section, which is signed as "Rev Jon Rarsclart" - one of his many pseudonyms.
Reverend also hosts a monthly clubnight on the first Saturday of every month named "Reverend Soundsystem" at The Plug in Sheffield, featuring a number of illustrious guest DJ's such as Mani (Stone Roses/Primal Scream), Peter Hook (New Order), Tony Wilson (Factory Records), Andy Nicholson (Arctic Monkeys), Chris McClure (face of the Arctic Monkeys debut album cover (Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not) and brother of Jon) and Terry Hall (The Specials), as well as a live performance from The Sunshine Underground.
Reverend and the Makers recently finished playing a 20 date UK Tour throughout October. A debut single release is also being anticipated by fans, although details are yet to be confirmed. Dates on the recent Tour included gigs in Pontefract, Hartlepool, Sheffield, York, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Wakefield, Sunderland, Oxford, Liverpool, Hull, Newcastle, Blackpool, Birmingham, London, Brighton and Coventry.
Band member Laura Manuel, also a former member of Judan Suki, has generated a particular level of popularity amongst Reverend and the Makers fans. The Laura Manuel Appreciation Society was founded in the band's Internet forum in June 2006 and the perks of becoming a member, free of charge, include receiving a free LMAS pin-badge upon request.
[edit] References
- Archbould, Lucy, "BBC - South Yorkshire - Entertainment - Arctic Monkeys @ Leadmill - Event Review", BBC, February 1, 2006.
- Chalk, Dom, "Reverend and The Makers - Interview", Excite; URL accessed May 9, 2006.
