The Crocketts
| The Crocketts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wales |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1996–2002 |
| Labels | V2 |
| Website | Unofficial Website |
| Past members |
Davey McManus Dan Harris Richard Carter Owen Hopkin |
The Crocketts were a rock group originating at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1995/6. They recorded two full length albums for V2 Records - We May Be Skinny And Wirey (1998) and The Great Brain Robbery (2000). The group disbanded in 2002 with Davey Macmanus and Owen Hopkin going on to form The Crimea.
History
The Crocketts played early gigs in the Bay Hotel, The Glengower and Rummers Wine Bar in Aberystwyth. During 1996, as an unsigned band, they toured briefly as well and performed at the ‘In the City Live’ festival in Dublin and supported Shane MacGowan at the London Astoria in November 1996.
A number of early line-up changes lead to the band becoming the four piece which would go on to sign to Blue Dog Records, a subsidiary of the Richard Branson-funded V2 Records in 1997. The line-up consisted of:
- Davey McManus - Vocals/Rhythm guitar
- Dan Harris - Lead Guitar/Backing vocals
- Richard Carter - Bass guitar
- Owen Hopkin - Drums
The Crocketts released two albums on Blue Dog/V2, We May be Skinny and Wirey (1998) and The Great Brain Robbery (2000). The band were dropped by V2 and then broke up as they began collating songs for an unreleased third album. Davey Macmanus, Dan Harris and Owen Hopkin went on to form the current UK rock band The Crimea, although Harris left shortly after the band's inception.
The Crocketts supported The Stereophonics at the Morfa Stadium in Swansea on 31 July 1999, shortly before the stadium was demolished. They also supported the band at their Donington and Millennium Stadium shows in 2001. The band also supported The Levellers, Shane MacGowan And The Popes, The Supernaturals, New Model Army and Kid Rock.
The Crocketts have been featured on the soundtrack of British hidden camera sketch show Trigger Happy TV; "1939 Returning", from their second album was used in the second series. They also had numerous inclusions in Kerrang! magazine (an early single, "James Dean-esque", received 5 out of a possible 5 "K"s; "Host" got 4 "K"s and second album The Great Brain Robbery also received 4 "K"s). They also recorded the song "Chicken Vs Macho" (on The Great Brain Robbery album) featuring Mary Hopkin.