Danny McNamara
Encyclopedia
Danny McNamara is the lead singer of English
band Embrace.
) grew up in the village of Bailiff Bridge, near Bradford
, Huddersfield
and Halifax
, in West Yorkshire
, England
.
Aged 11, he passed his 11+ exam and gained entry to Hipperholme Grammar School
, near Halifax. When he left school, he studied psychology at Manchester University, but eventually quit to concentrate on the band, and having become tired of commuting.
Closer to home his band are famous for spearheading a movement which later became known as guerilla gigging. Secret gigs by the band so far have involved playing everywhere from beaches and forests to most notoriously a staged break in of the big brother house.
, and fronted a campaign for the condition.
sessions. The first was at Get Loaded in the Park festival in Cardiff
, and then on a weekly basis, as part of "Another Music = Another Kitchen" (named after a song by the Buzzcocks
), at the Proud Gallery nightclub in Camden
, London
.
They also did a set for a special aftershow party for their gig at Manchester Apollo
in October 2006, which was opened up to the public, as well as one-off sets with Richard in Bristol
and Cheltenham
, and even more recently in Huddersfield
.
McNamara now owns Moho Live in Manchester
and continues to run 'The Aftershow' where young talented bands are invited to play.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Embrace.
Early years
Danny and his brother Richard (guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
) grew up in the village of Bailiff Bridge, near Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
and Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Aged 11, he passed his 11+ exam and gained entry to Hipperholme Grammar School
Hipperholme Grammar School
Hipperholme Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Hipperholme , West Yorkshire, England. It educates pupils between the ages of 11 and 18....
, near Halifax. When he left school, he studied psychology at Manchester University, but eventually quit to concentrate on the band, and having become tired of commuting.
Embrace
Embrace are an English rock band from West Yorkshire. To date they have released five studio albums, one singles album and one b-sides compilation. The band consists of brothers singer Danny McNamara and guitarist Richard McNamara, bassist Steve Firth, keyboardist Mickey Dale and drummer Mike Heaton. The group has released five studio albums: The Good Will Out (1998) which went to number 1; Drawn from Memory (2000); If You've Never Been (2001); Out Of Nothing (2004) which also went to number 1 and This New Day (2006) was their most recent and also went to number one spawning their most successful single to date "Natures Law" which just missed the top spot by a few hundred copies. Their sixth, and as yet untitled, album is expected to be released some time in 2011.Musician and performer
Embrace have not only enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim at home where they have picked up several awards and nominations including the coveted best new band award at the Brats, but they have also enjoyed similar success overseas, most notably in America where the band were put on the cover of billboard magazine, and in Thailand where their single "You're Not Alone" stayed at number 1 for six weeks becoming the biggest selling single of that year.Closer to home his band are famous for spearheading a movement which later became known as guerilla gigging. Secret gigs by the band so far have involved playing everywhere from beaches and forests to most notoriously a staged break in of the big brother house.
Conditions
McNamara suffers from the hearing condition, tinnitusTinnitus
Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
, and fronted a campaign for the condition.
DJ
Recently, Danny and his brother have been involved in DJDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
sessions. The first was at Get Loaded in the Park festival in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and then on a weekly basis, as part of "Another Music = Another Kitchen" (named after a song by the Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
), at the Proud Gallery nightclub in Camden
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
They also did a set for a special aftershow party for their gig at Manchester Apollo
Manchester Apollo
O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert venue in Manchester, England. Locally known as The Apollo, it is a listed building, with a capacity of 3,500 ....
in October 2006, which was opened up to the public, as well as one-off sets with Richard in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, and even more recently in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
.
McNamara now owns Moho Live in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and continues to run 'The Aftershow' where young talented bands are invited to play.