Halo (UK band)
Encyclopedia
Halo were a rock
band
from Bristol
, England
, who formed in 1999 and disbanded in 2004. In 2002, they released one album
, and had three singles
in the UK Singles Chart
.
at Louisiana Bar, Bristol. The band's founder members the Moncrieff brothers had been playing together prior to Halo, with Graeme teaching younger brother Iain to play on his father's acoustic guitar
at the age of 16. With the pair both playing guitar, Iain came up with the idea of getting a drummer
and bassist
to form a band. They called themselves 'Chaser' although they were short lived, splitting due to musical differences. In 1999 The Moncrieff's started auditions to form a new band, when Jim Davey was to be appointed the drummer and Steve Yeomans was given the roll as bassist. Performing in and around Bristol, Halo's first release Still Here was recorded
in a studio
near Bristol.
The quartet was spotted by Sony Music Entertainment
towards the end of 2001, and partnered with Al Clay they produced their debut album, Lunatic Ride. It was released in 2002 and was to have three singles spawned from it. On the wave of the album Halo toured with Serafin
, Wheatus
and Rachel Stamp
.
In 2003 Davey left to pursue other aspirations and was replaced by Blake, but by 2004 the group had disbanded. Their next venture, The Vega Method, disbanded in 2006. Three of the original members of Halo (Graeme Moncrieff, Iain Moncrieff and Steve Yeomans) recruited drummer John Beavan late in 2007 and are now known as The Exhibition.
In 2011 the band reformed for a one-off gig at The Fleece in Bristol.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from 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...
, 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...
, who formed in 1999 and disbanded in 2004. In 2002, they released one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, and had three singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Biography
Halo started out as a four piece in 1999, performing their first gigConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at Louisiana Bar, Bristol. The band's founder members the Moncrieff brothers had been playing together prior to Halo, with Graeme teaching younger brother Iain to play on his father's acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
at the age of 16. With the pair both playing guitar, Iain came up with the idea of getting a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
to form a band. They called themselves 'Chaser' although they were short lived, splitting due to musical differences. In 1999 The Moncrieff's started auditions to form a new band, when Jim Davey was to be appointed the drummer and Steve Yeomans was given the roll as bassist. Performing in and around Bristol, Halo's first release Still Here was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in a studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
near Bristol.
The quartet was spotted by Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
towards the end of 2001, and partnered with Al Clay they produced their debut album, Lunatic Ride. It was released in 2002 and was to have three singles spawned from it. On the wave of the album Halo toured with Serafin
Serafin (band)
Serafin is the rock band from London who formed and began playing in September 2000.Often compared to almost anything in the rock industry, Serafin's sound is sometimes compared to bands like Pixies, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo, Radiohead, Blur and Jacob's Mouse.-History :The original...
, Wheatus
Wheatus
Wheatus are an American rock group from Northport, New York. They are known for their 2000 single "Teenage Dirtbag" which was featured in the movie Loser, as well as in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-1995-2002: Formation and Wheatus:...
and Rachel Stamp
Rachel Stamp
Rachel Stamp is a British rock band formed in London, England in 1994. Their debut album, Hymns For Strange Children was released in 2000, followed by Oceans of Venus two years later.-Biography:...
.
In 2003 Davey left to pursue other aspirations and was replaced by Blake, but by 2004 the group had disbanded. Their next venture, The Vega Method, disbanded in 2006. Three of the original members of Halo (Graeme Moncrieff, Iain Moncrieff and Steve Yeomans) recruited drummer John Beavan late in 2007 and are now known as The Exhibition.
In 2011 the band reformed for a one-off gig at The Fleece in Bristol.
Final line-up
- Graeme Moncrieff 1999-2004 (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
- Iain Moncrieff 1999-2004 (Vocals, Guitar)
- Steve Yeomans 1999-2004 (Bass, Keyboards, Vocals)
- Blake 2003-2004 (Drums)
Album
| (9 September 2002) |
|
Singles
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| (4 February 2002) |
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| (20 May 2002) |
CD1
CD2
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| (26 August 2002) |
CD1
CD2
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EP
| (2001) |
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