Lonely Crowd

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Lonely Crowd is the name of a Norwegian/English rock band.

[edit] Biography

Lonely Crowd has existed in different forms since 1995, when singer Stig Jakobsen left the highly eccentric Vampire State Building and immediately formed the band, with former members of De Press and Holy Toy. Full of self-confidence, they brought the Mega Records boss to their first gig, and were signed right away, more because of the phenomenal after-party than their live performance. (The party even resulted in the band being forbidden to play in Tromsø ever again).

Lonely Crowd released three EPs on Mega, the second of which (Jesus In The Pub) became a huge radio hit in Norway, and was given rave reviews (six out of six in both Dagbladet and Panorama). The song featured the world-famous opera singer Anne Lise Berntsen, and later became a mini-hit on XFM in London.

Lonely Crowd moved to London before Mega Records released their debut album. Here they set up a studio, and recorded and toured constantly for the next four years. Three of the original members were replaced by a Norwegian guitarist, Marius Gengenbach, and an English rhythm section consisting of double bass player Floyd Jensen and drummer James Corner (formerly of Back To The Planet and Barry Adamson).

Having made a bit of a name for themselves in England, Lonely Crowd were booked on a European tour and later played support to the Fun Loving Criminals at their London concert. The band was in the middle of negotiations with one of the larger indie labels in the UK when Jensen died from a sugar coma. The album material, however, was already completed, and most of this will be appearing on the The End of the Roadie album. An acoustic lineup of Lonely Crowd (with cello player Eirik Roald, Stine Varvin (formerly of Vampire State Building) on vocals and Stig Jakobsen on guitar/vocals) will be going on a Swiss tour, an England tour and play several shows in Norway in the spring of 2008.

Lonely Crowd signed a two-album deal with Karisma Records, and release the three first EPs (plus two new tracks) as an album in November 2007, under the name Watching From a Distance. The End of the Roadie album will follow in March 2008.

[edit] Band members

  • Stig Jakobsen - vocals
  • Nils-Arne Øvergård - guitar (left after the first 3 EP releases)
  • Bjørn-Are Rognlid - guitar (left after the first 3 EP releases)
  • Arthur Holøien - bass (left after the first year in the UK)
  • Ola Snortheim - drums (left after the first 3 EP releases)
  • Marius Gengenbach - guitar (joined after the first 3 EP releases)
  • Jørgen Schyberg - keyboards and guitar (joined before the Heads Are Gonna Roll EP, left after 1st year in the UK)
  • Ole Wattne - drums (joined after the first 3 EP releases but was in the band the first year in the UK)
  • James Corner - drums (joined after the first year in the UK)
  • Floyd Jensen - bass (joined after the first 3 EP releases; now deceased)
  • Eirik Roald - cello (joined in 2004)
  • Stine Varvin - vocals (joined in 2007)

[edit] Discography

  • There's No Way Out Of Here [EP] - 1996
  • Jesus In The Pub [EP] - 1996
  • Heads Are Gonna Roll [EP] - 1997
  • Get In The Mixer [EP] - 2001 (UK only release under the name "Godlike Genius," featuring the footballer-cum-actor Vinnie Jones on guest vocals)
  • Watching From A Distance [Album] - November 2007 (The band's three former EPs on one disc, plus a couple of previously unreleased tracks.)
  • The End of the Roadie [Album] - March 2008