Engine (boogie-rock band)
Encyclopedia
Engine were a British boogie rock
band formed in July 1979 in Birkenhead, near Liverpool
, England.
They had a three-piece line-up throughout their career, featuring Pete Wade ('Wad') on vocals and guitar
, Roy Hughes ('Yozzer') on bass guitar
and backing vocals, and Dave Cornes ('Ape') on drums.
and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
at venues such as London's Marquee Club
.
An early festival appearance for the band was at the 'Autumn Rock Fest', held at the New Bingley Hall Showground in Staffordshire
on 8 September 1984. Engine shared the bill at this event with Magnum
, Wishbone Ash
, Man
, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
, and The DT's.
The Merseyside
radio station Radio City
voted Engine 'Best Local Band' for two years running in 1986 and 1987.
On 29 May 1987, Engine headlined a charity concert, partly organized by the M53 Motorcycle club, in aid of the Claire House Children's Hospice, alongside other local musicians from the Wirral
.
Also in 1987, the UK motorcycle magazine Back Street Heroes
financed the first Engine album: a vinyl-only live recording called 'Well Oiled' which was issued on the magazine's own label, 'Six Fifty'. The album was given a decent review in Kerrang!
magazine issue #170.
A 7" single was then released on Beak Records, featuring the two tracks 'Getting Away From It All' and 'Just Feel Like Smiling'.
The band were subsequently featured on a cassette-only release showcasing live acts from the Kent Custom Bike Show of 1988, alongside contributions from The Hamsters
, and The Blues Band
. This was also compiled and marketed by the magazine Back Street Heroes.
On 5 August 1989, Engine performed at the East Anglia
Rock Festival at Mildenhall
Speedway, on a bill which also featured Rory Gallagher
, Uriah Heep
, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
, Stan Webb
's Chicken Shack
, Tigertailz
, and The Hamsters
. They made a return visit to this festival on 3 August 1991, sharing the bill on the latter occasion with Hawkwind
, Mama's Boys
, Atom Seed, and Marshall Law.
, Snowy White
, You Slosh
, Lawnmower Deth
, The Macc Lads
, UK Subs
, Midnight Blue
, and Bulletboys
. They were lauded for their live performances which featured a high level of showmanship. Annual Christmas shows in Wolverhampton
on 3 December 1989, then every December between 1991–94, and Boxing Day
performances at Stairways in Birkenhead
were raucous and well-received.
A typical Engine gig often began with the band arriving onstage to the theme music from 'Jaws
', after which various theatrical antics could ensue, such as: drummer Ape continually contorting his face into a variety of comic expressions; the lead and bass guitarists performing a synchronised shuffle reminiscent of The Shadows
; and the drummer playing the 'James Bond
Theme' with his drumsticks on the strings of the lead guitar, whilst the guitarist held it above his head. It was also not uncommon for the bassist to wear a pair of carpet slippers throughout the entire show. A commercially available video recording entitled 'Live As Yer Like' (filmed at the Tivoli Theatre in Buckley
, Wales on 29 June 1989) captured one such performance.
August 1990 saw Engine play to a crowd of some 22,000 bikers at the Bulldog Bash
motorcycle festival, which was headlined by Uriah Heep
.
In 1991 the band undertook a series of live dates in Holland, Belgium and France which culminated in an appearance at the Salle Surcouf venue in Brest
, Brittany
on 19 October 1991.
More festival appearances followed, with notable gigs at the Bulldog Bash
on 22 August 1992 alongside Dr. Feelgood
, Girlschool
, and Little Caesar
, and at the Rock and Blues Custom Show
, Pentrich on 31 July 1993 with Hawkwind
, and Doctor & The Medics. The band's return performance at the Bulldog Bash
event in August 1993 (on a bill also featuring Doc Holliday
, Micky Moody
& Bernie Marsden
, and Sven Gali
) was given a favourable write-up in Kerrang!
magazine issue #458.
Despite positive press, both in underground fanzines such as Mosher and with occasional features in mainstream rock magazines such as Kerrang!
, Engine were unable to convert their grass-roots following into major success. Their one and only studio album
was released on CD in 1993 on the 'Making Waves' label, entitled 'Autowreck', but this failed to have any major commercial impact.
Engine played their final gig at the Limelight Club in Crewe
in September 1997 in front of an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom had followed the band since its early days.
-tinged punk
band called Solid. Then, in 2003, he formed a blues
-rock trio called Mojo Filter with bass guitarist Pete Somerville and drummer Paul Tsanos, and they went on to release an album of classic rock covers called 'Many Miles Travelled'. In 2007 Pete replaced guitarist John Lewis in the British blues act Connie Lush & Blues Shouter, with whom he still plays. In January 2011, Pete Wade and the Lifeblood Band released an album entitled 'Fired Up' on the Fierce Joy record label.
Since 1997, drummer Ape has been performing as 'Diamond Dave' in Mexican-flavoured rock 'n' roll band The Jalapeños, alongside Charlie Davidson (lead guitar, ex-Bilko's Privates) and Doctor Martyn (bass guitar). They have released several CDs on the independent label '3D Discs'.
Cornes and Davidson from The Jalapeños have also moonlighted in a Status Quo tribute band called Status Quid (not to be confused with the early 1980s parody act of the same name) with Roy 'Yozzer' Hughes joining them on bass. They appeared at the Derbyshire
Rock and Blues Custom Show
in 1996, and video footage exists of them performing the Quo song 'Down Down' at this event. Hughes has since worked with Liverpool
musician Paul Kappa
on a part-time basis, and in 2010 he formed a power trio
alongside ex-Cathedral
drummer Brian Dixon, with Alan Kulke (formerly of Liverpool band Caprice) on guitar and vocals. They mainly perform covers of 70s rock classics.
Cornes has said of his former band: "We are all still mates and go on holiday, on the ale etc., and occasionally play/jam together in various capacities, but not as Engine."
In November 2009, when asked about the future possibility of an Engine reunion, Cornes had this to say: “Between the three of us there is a real feeling that it's done and dusted and we have nothing left to prove... Who knows what the future holds, though? What's that saying? Never say never again.”
Boogie rock
Boogie rock is a music genre which came out of the hard heavy blues rock of the late 1960s. It tends to feature a repetitive driving rhythm in place of instrumental experimentation found in the more progressive blues-rock bands of the period.-Definitions:...
band formed in July 1979 in Birkenhead, near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England.
They had a three-piece line-up throughout their career, featuring Pete Wade ('Wad') on vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Roy Hughes ('Yozzer') on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and backing vocals, and Dave Cornes ('Ape') on drums.
1980s
In the early 1980s, following performances in venues across the UK, Engine gained a reputation as an entertaining live act, particularly among the British biker community. As well as their own headline dates, they supported fellow biker favourites such as The GroundhogsThe Groundhogs
Groundhogs are a British rock band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s and continued sporadically into the 21st century.-Career:...
and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts are a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell. Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular Live act for decades. The band attracted a cult following for their outstanding live performances in small rock...
at venues such as London's Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
.
An early festival appearance for the band was at the 'Autumn Rock Fest', held at the New Bingley Hall Showground in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
on 8 September 1984. Engine shared the bill at this event with Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
, Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
, Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts are a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell. Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular Live act for decades. The band attracted a cult following for their outstanding live performances in small rock...
, and The DT's.
The Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
radio station Radio City
Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7 is a British Independent Local Radio station, based in Liverpool, that serves Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales...
voted Engine 'Best Local Band' for two years running in 1986 and 1987.
On 29 May 1987, Engine headlined a charity concert, partly organized by the M53 Motorcycle club, in aid of the Claire House Children's Hospice, alongside other local musicians from the Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
.
Also in 1987, the UK motorcycle magazine Back Street Heroes
Back Street Heroes
Back Street Heroes is a monthly UK custom bike magazine that helped to popularize a "new breed" of custom motorcycle, distinct from previous choppers because they combined rat bike-influenced utilitarian and minimalist design with greater use of high tech gadgetry, but catering to an upscale buyer...
financed the first Engine album: a vinyl-only live recording called 'Well Oiled' which was issued on the magazine's own label, 'Six Fifty'. The album was given a decent review in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine issue #170.
A 7" single was then released on Beak Records, featuring the two tracks 'Getting Away From It All' and 'Just Feel Like Smiling'.
The band were subsequently featured on a cassette-only release showcasing live acts from the Kent Custom Bike Show of 1988, alongside contributions from The Hamsters
The Hamsters
The Hamsters are a band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.They performed their first live show at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, on 1 April 1987. They initially played in local pubs with no ambitions to take themselves seriously or to turn professional...
, and The Blues Band
The Blues Band
The Blues Band is a British blues band formed in 1979 by Paul Jones, former lead vocalist and harmonica player with Manfred Mann, and vocalist/slide guitarist Dave Kelly, who had previously played with the John Dummer Blues Band, Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker...
. This was also compiled and marketed by the magazine Back Street Heroes.
On 5 August 1989, Engine performed at the East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
Rock Festival at Mildenhall
Mildenhall, Wiltshire
Mildenhall is a village and civil parish in the Kennet Valley in Wiltshire about east of the market town of Marlborough.-History:The toponym is derived from the Old English but the site has been occupied since the Roman occupation of Britain, when the fortress town of Cunetio stood at an...
Speedway, on a bill which also featured Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
, Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts are a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell. Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular Live act for decades. The band attracted a cult following for their outstanding live performances in small rock...
, Stan Webb
Stan Webb
Stan Webb is the frontman and lead guitarist with the blues band, Chicken Shack.-Career:...
's Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb , Andy Silvester , and Alan Morley , who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1968.-Career:...
, Tigertailz
Tigertailz
Tigertailz are a glam metal band hailing from Cardiff, Wales. They are most famous for their 1990 album, Bezerk, which made the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a couple of successful singles...
, and The Hamsters
The Hamsters
The Hamsters are a band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.They performed their first live show at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, on 1 April 1987. They initially played in local pubs with no ambitions to take themselves seriously or to turn professional...
. They made a return visit to this festival on 3 August 1991, sharing the bill on the latter occasion with Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys were a 1980s hard rock/heavy metal group from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland featuring the three McManus brothers Pat, a.k.a. 'The Professor", , John , Tommy . Later in their career they became a four-piece adding Rick Chase on vocals in 1985 who was later replaced by Keith Murrell...
, Atom Seed, and Marshall Law.
1990s
Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s the band continued to gig throughout the UK, appearing alongside acts as diverse as Walter TroutWalter Trout
Walter Trout is an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Trout's career began on the Jersey coast scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He then decided to relocate to Los Angeles where he became a sideman for Percy Mayfield and Deacon Jones...
, Snowy White
Snowy White
Snowy White is an English guitarist, known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters'...
, You Slosh
Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of uillean pipes.- Early life and career :...
, Lawnmower Deth
Lawnmower Deth
Lawnmower Deth are an English thrash metal band who parodied the genre and recorded three-and-a-half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008.-Main career :...
, The Macc Lads
Macc Lads
The Macc Lads were a punk and hard rock band from Macclesfield, UK. Self-proclaimed "rudest, crudest, lewdest, drunkest band in Christendom", The Macc Lads used irreverent and foul-mouthed lyrics, political incorrectness, drinking, sexism and homophobia....
, UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
, Midnight Blue
Doogie White
Doogie White , is a Scottish rock vocalist, who has sung for Midnight Blue, Rainbow, Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Rata Blanca...
, and Bulletboys
BulletBoys
BulletBoys is an American hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1987. The group's original lineup was composed of former Ratt guitarist/King Kobra lead vocalist Marq Torien , former King Kobra guitarist Mick Sweda, Lonnie Vencent and Jimmy D'Anda...
. They were lauded for their live performances which featured a high level of showmanship. Annual Christmas shows in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
on 3 December 1989, then every December between 1991–94, and Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
performances at Stairways in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
were raucous and well-received.
A typical Engine gig often began with the band arriving onstage to the theme music from 'Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
', after which various theatrical antics could ensue, such as: drummer Ape continually contorting his face into a variety of comic expressions; the lead and bass guitarists performing a synchronised shuffle reminiscent of The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
; and the drummer playing the 'James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
Theme' with his drumsticks on the strings of the lead guitar, whilst the guitarist held it above his head. It was also not uncommon for the bassist to wear a pair of carpet slippers throughout the entire show. A commercially available video recording entitled 'Live As Yer Like' (filmed at the Tivoli Theatre in Buckley
Buckley
Buckley is a town and community in Flintshire, located in north-east Wales. It is situated 2 miles from the county town of Mold and is contiguous with the nearby villages of Ewloe, Alltami and Mynydd Isa...
, Wales on 29 June 1989) captured one such performance.
August 1990 saw Engine play to a crowd of some 22,000 bikers at the Bulldog Bash
Bulldog Bash
The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007...
motorcycle festival, which was headlined by Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
.
In 1991 the band undertook a series of live dates in Holland, Belgium and France which culminated in an appearance at the Salle Surcouf venue in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
on 19 October 1991.
More festival appearances followed, with notable gigs at the Bulldog Bash
Bulldog Bash
The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007...
on 22 August 1992 alongside Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood may refer to:In music:*Dr. Feelgood , an album by American band Mötley Crüe**"Dr. Feelgood" , a single and the title track from that album*"Dr. Feel Good", a song by Travie McCoy on the album Lazarus...
, Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
, and Little Caesar
Little Caesar (band)
-History:The band was founded late in the 1980s by Ron Young, who had previously worked as a nightclub bouncer. The group independently released an EP which led to their signing with DGC Records, a subsidiary of Geffen Records, in 1989. John Kalodner did A&R work for the group, and Bob Rock...
, and at the Rock and Blues Custom Show
Rock and Blues Custom Show
The Rock and Blues Custom Show is a four day rock music festival held annually at Pentrich, England. It usually takes place on the last Thursday to Sunday in July....
, Pentrich on 31 July 1993 with Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, and Doctor & The Medics. The band's return performance at the Bulldog Bash
Bulldog Bash
The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007...
event in August 1993 (on a bill also featuring Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
, Micky Moody
Micky Moody
Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, The Snakes...
& Bernie Marsden
Bernie Marsden
-External links:*...
, and Sven Gali
Sven Gali
Sven Gali is a hard rock/glam metal band which originally started as a cover band in 1987 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their original lineup consisted of Dave Wanless , Dee Cernile , Andy Frank , Shawn T.T. Mahar , and Steve Macgregor .-Early days and Sven Gali: 1987-1993:Sven Gali played covers...
) was given a favourable write-up in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine issue #458.
Despite positive press, both in underground fanzines such as Mosher and with occasional features in mainstream rock magazines such as Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, Engine were unable to convert their grass-roots following into major success. Their one and only studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
was released on CD in 1993 on the 'Making Waves' label, entitled 'Autowreck', but this failed to have any major commercial impact.
Engine played their final gig at the Limelight Club in Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
in September 1997 in front of an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom had followed the band since its early days.
After the break-up of the band
Following the break-up of Engine, guitarist Wad began performing under his real name, Pete Wade, and his first project was a short-lived dalliance with a funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-tinged punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band called Solid. Then, in 2003, he formed a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
-rock trio called Mojo Filter with bass guitarist Pete Somerville and drummer Paul Tsanos, and they went on to release an album of classic rock covers called 'Many Miles Travelled'. In 2007 Pete replaced guitarist John Lewis in the British blues act Connie Lush & Blues Shouter, with whom he still plays. In January 2011, Pete Wade and the Lifeblood Band released an album entitled 'Fired Up' on the Fierce Joy record label.
Since 1997, drummer Ape has been performing as 'Diamond Dave' in Mexican-flavoured rock 'n' roll band The Jalapeños, alongside Charlie Davidson (lead guitar, ex-Bilko's Privates) and Doctor Martyn (bass guitar). They have released several CDs on the independent label '3D Discs'.
Cornes and Davidson from The Jalapeños have also moonlighted in a Status Quo tribute band called Status Quid (not to be confused with the early 1980s parody act of the same name) with Roy 'Yozzer' Hughes joining them on bass. They appeared at the Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
Rock and Blues Custom Show
Rock and Blues Custom Show
The Rock and Blues Custom Show is a four day rock music festival held annually at Pentrich, England. It usually takes place on the last Thursday to Sunday in July....
in 1996, and video footage exists of them performing the Quo song 'Down Down' at this event. Hughes has since worked with Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
musician Paul Kappa
Kappa (band)
Paul Kappa is a Liverpool based singer, songwriter and guitarist.Kappa started playing guitar aged 10 and formed groups in school and late teens when at Southport Art College with...
on a part-time basis, and in 2010 he formed a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
alongside ex-Cathedral
Cathedral (band)
Cathedral are a doom metal band from Coventry, England. The group forged a link between early doom metal and a 1990s extreme metal aesthetic, making doom slower and heavier. Their debut album, Forest of Equilibrium, is considered a classic of the genre. They later on changed their doom style,...
drummer Brian Dixon, with Alan Kulke (formerly of Liverpool band Caprice) on guitar and vocals. They mainly perform covers of 70s rock classics.
Cornes has said of his former band: "We are all still mates and go on holiday, on the ale etc., and occasionally play/jam together in various capacities, but not as Engine."
In November 2009, when asked about the future possibility of an Engine reunion, Cornes had this to say: “Between the three of us there is a real feeling that it's done and dusted and we have nothing left to prove... Who knows what the future holds, though? What's that saying? Never say never again.”
Members
- Pete Wade, nicknamed Wad – vocals and guitar
- Roy Hughes, nicknamed Yozzer – bass guitar
- Dave Cornes, nicknamed Ape – drums
Albums
- Well Oiled, released in 1987, is a vinyl-only album. All tracks were recorded live, in one take, in front of an invited studio audience at Yellow Two StudiosStrawberry Studios-Formation:The facility was originally called Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of...
in StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, England, in July 1987. - Rough 'N' Ready, released in 1992, is a cassette-only album of live and studio recordings.
- Autowreck, released in 1993, is a studio album.
Compilation albums
- Live At Kent Custom Bike Show, recorded in 1988, is a cassette-only compilation album of live performances from the 10th Kent Custom Bike Show, which was held at SnargateSnargateSnargate is a village near New Romney in Kent, England.Snargate's most surprising claim to fame in the late 19th century, is that it was home to an important artist. Harold Gilman, sometimes called the English Van Gogh, was a British Impressionist and a member of the Camden Town Group. He grew up...
, near New RomneyNew RomneyNew Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to be silted up. New Romney was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea...
in the county of KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England on July 9, 1988. In addition to Engine, other bands featured on the album include: The HamstersThe HamstersThe Hamsters are a band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.They performed their first live show at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, on 1 April 1987. They initially played in local pubs with no ambitions to take themselves seriously or to turn professional...
, The Brothers Grimm, and The Blues BandThe Blues BandThe Blues Band is a British blues band formed in 1979 by Paul Jones, former lead vocalist and harmonica player with Manfred Mann, and vocalist/slide guitarist Dave Kelly, who had previously played with the John Dummer Blues Band, Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker...
. All tracks were recorded live with the Rolling Stones Mobile StudioRolling Stones Mobile StudioThe Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola...
and engineered by Mick McKenna. Mixing (by Tim Matyear) took place at Woodworm Recording StudiosWoodworm RecordsWoodworm Records was a record label created in 1979 to enable the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention to release their album Farewell Farewell. The album was a recording of performances taken from the band's 1979 farewell tour...
at Barford St. Michael in OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The album was funded and distributed by Back Street Heroes motorcycle magazine.
Singles
- Getting Away From It All / Just Feel Like Smiling (Beak Records - 1987, 7-inch vinyl)
Videography
- Live As Yer Like, released in 1989, is a video recording of a live performance. The footage was recorded at the Tivoli Theatre in BuckleyBuckleyBuckley is a town and community in Flintshire, located in north-east Wales. It is situated 2 miles from the county town of Mold and is contiguous with the nearby villages of Ewloe, Alltami and Mynydd Isa...
, Wales on 29 June 1989. - Live At The New Inn, Crawley is a 1993 unofficial audience recording.
External links
- Engine at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Engine at MusicMightMusicMightMusicMight, formerly Rockdetector is a rock music website which provides artist and product information through a global website and an ongoing book series...