Haze (band)
Encyclopedia
Haze are an English
progressive rock
band from Sheffield
, England
, mainly active in England in the 1980s.
Formed in 1978 by the brothers Chris McMahon (bass, keyboards and vocals), and Paul McMahon (guitar and vocals), they played their first concert at Stephen Hill Youth Club, Sheffield on 10 November that year. They had several drummers before the longest serving and most notable, Paul 'Chis' Chisnell, joined them at a concert at the White Lion, Huddersfield
, on 19 June 1983.
Following a "final" sell-out gig at Sheffield University, the trio split up on the 10th anniversary of the band's founding, 29 May 1988, but reunited for a "one-off" concert to mark the 20th anniversary, on 31 May 1998 at The Boardwalk, Sheffield. They now play together on an occasional basis, and played two 30th anniversary gigs at The Peel, Kingston-upon-Thames, London
on 31 May, and at The Boardwalk on 1 June 2008, at which six new songs were performed.
Despite achieving no chart
success, and never having a recording contract
(they released their own albums), they attracted a considerable cult following, headlined at The Marquee, and their original albums are highly sought after collectors' items.
The band all appeared as extras in the 1987 film The Princess Bride
, known for the saying ROUS or Rodents of Unusual size, a name also used for one of the many offshoots of the band.
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...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, 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...
, mainly active in England in the 1980s.
Formed in 1978 by the brothers Chris McMahon (bass, keyboards and vocals), and Paul McMahon (guitar and vocals), they played their first concert at Stephen Hill Youth Club, Sheffield on 10 November that year. They had several drummers before the longest serving and most notable, Paul 'Chis' Chisnell, joined them at a concert at the White Lion, 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....
, on 19 June 1983.
Following a "final" sell-out gig at Sheffield University, the trio split up on the 10th anniversary of the band's founding, 29 May 1988, but reunited for a "one-off" concert to mark the 20th anniversary, on 31 May 1998 at The Boardwalk, Sheffield. They now play together on an occasional basis, and played two 30th anniversary gigs at The Peel, Kingston-upon-Thames, 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...
on 31 May, and at The Boardwalk on 1 June 2008, at which six new songs were performed.
Despite achieving no chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success, and never having a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
(they released their own albums), they attracted a considerable cult following, headlined at The Marquee, and their original albums are highly sought after collectors' items.
The band all appeared as extras in the 1987 film The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride (film)
The Princess Bride is a 1987 American film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance, and fantasy. The film was directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Goldman...
, known for the saying ROUS or Rodents of Unusual size, a name also used for one of the many offshoots of the band.
Discography
- The Night
- The Cellar Tapes
- C'est La Vie (1984)
- Cellar Replay (1985)
- The Ember
- Warts'n'All (live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
) (1986) - Old New Burrowed & Blue
- Tunnel Vision/Shadows
- Stoat & Bottle (1987)
- The Peterborough Tapes
- Humphrey
- The 10th Anniversary Gig
- Last Orders
- In The End: 1978-88
- In Concert
- C'est La Vie/The Ember
- 20th Anniversary Show (1998)
- 30th Anniversary Show (2008)