Lostprophets
Encyclopedia
Lostprophets is a Welsh
rock band from Pontypridd
, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist (later guitarist) Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk
band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio albums, most recent released The Betrayed on 13 January 2010. They are also part of the Cardiff music scene
.
The band have achieved two top ten hits on the UK Singles Chart
("Last Train Home" and "Rooftops
"), one number one single on the Alternative Songs chart ("Last Train Home"), and several Kerrang! Awards and nominations.
. Lostprophets formed with two members of Public Disturbance, which featured singer Ian Watkins on drums and guitarist Mike Lewis. Neither member initially left Public Disturbance, although Watkins quit as soon as 1998. With Watkins on vocal duties and Lewis (who did not leave Public Disturbance until 2000) playing bass, the band also included guitarist Lee Gaze and Mike Chiplin on drums.
Lostprophets started out as part of the fledgling South Wales
scene — originally calling themselves "The bum mules" — playing gigs at venues across Wales including T.J.'s
in Newport
. From there, they went on to tours on the UK's circuit. The band recorded three demos during this time: Here Comes the Party, Para Todas las Putas Celosas, which translates as "For all the jealous whores", and The Fake Sound of Progress. These were produced by Stuart Richardson, who joined the band as bassist for the latter recording. Mike Lewis at this point switched to rhythm guitar. The Fake Sound of Progress also included the addition of DJ Stepzak, who would remain with the band for around a year. The first three tracks from their third demo were refined and re-recorded for the release of their debut album of the same name: the title track, "MOAC Supreme" and "Stopquote" — the latter two were renamed "A Thousand Apologies" and "Awkward", respectively. All of the EPs are out of print, and are very rare.
The band caught the attention of the two music publishers Kerrang!
and Metal Hammer
magazines both giving them glancing reviews. In 1999 they signed in with Independent label Visible Noise
.
was released through Visible Noise in November. Recorded in less than two weeks for £4000 the record drew on a wide range of influences, it would be re-released the following year through Columbia Records
. Shortly after the completion of the album, DJ Stepzak decided he would not commit to the band and was replaced with Jamie Oliver, who was placed in the band simply because he got on so well and could not go on tour otherwise.
Thefakesoundofprogress featured many references to 1980s pop-culture. In addition to the Duran Duran
reference in the band's name, there was an image of Vengar from the Dungeons & Dragons
TV series on the album sleeve notes, as well as song titles like "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja
" and "Kobrakai". The first song's title was a reference to the video games Shinobi
and Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
, while the second was an alternative spelling of Cobra Kai, the name of the karate dojo in the Karate Kid movies. Another reference is the use of the VF-1 Valkyrie
in Battroid mode from the 1982 anime
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
as part of the album illustration.
Q Prime management, who represent such acts as Metallica
, assisted the band in courting America's top major labels. The band chose to sign with Columbia
, a division of Sony Records, though in Europe their records continue to be released through Visible Noise
. The band worked with renowned producer Michael Barbiero
to remaster the album, and this new remastered version of the album was released in November 2001. The album appears to have divided the band's existing fan base where the first accusations of selling out
were levelled at the band from the underground music scene within which they achieved their first success.
During this period, Lostprophets built up a strong live following with support slots to popular acts such as Pitchshifter
, Linkin Park
and Deftones
, as well as several headlining stints of their own. They also took part in the successful Nu-Titans tour with Defenestration
among other new UK Metal acts of the time. Co-headlining the 2002 Deconstruction Tour
in London , supporting acts was Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Mad Caddies among others., Lostprophets featured on a bill consisting of more traditionally punk
oriented acts. This provoked hostility from certain members of the audience, who were upset at Lostprophets inclusion on such a bill. The band subsequently toured with Ozzfest
, played at Glastonbury
and the Reading and Leeds Festival. They also appeared on a number of British TV shows, including Top of the Pops
, CD:UK
and Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. They also performed as part of the 2002 NME Carling Awards tour.
After the extensive touring cycle for The Fake Sound of Progress
finally ended, the band took a brief break before beginning the process of writing new material for Start Something
at Frontline Studios in Caerphilly
, Wales. They then entered Los Angeles's Bigfoot Studio for a recording process that lasted from March until September 2003, with producer Eric Valentine. Valentine had previously produced albums for Queens of the Stone Age
and Good Charlotte
.
The first single released from the album was the song "Burn Burn", the music video for which began receiving heavy rotation on satellite and cable channels like MTV2
, Kerrang! TV
and Scuzz
in the UK. The song attracted some criticism, however, as the opening bore a striking resemblance to "Mother Mary", a song from the band Far
's Water and Solutions album. The band themselves even conceded in interviews that the singing pattern bore an undeniable similarity to the Adamski
song "Killer
".
"Burn Burn" was released on 3 November 2003, and was originally scheduled to be closely followed by the release of the album. The release of the album was delayed several times and a headlining tour of the UK, was also postponed during this time. The band rescheduled the cancelled UK shows, with the exception of their scheduled appearance at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, stating in magazine interviews that honouring those commitments would have meant leaving the recording studio while the album was only half completed.
The album was released in the UK on 2 February 2004, and was commercially successful, achieving number four in the UK Albums Chart
. The album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide according to BBC Wales
. The critical response from mainstream magazines was mostly positive, though the response from rock publications such as Kerrang!, Metal Hammer
and Rock Sound
was sometimes tepid. To promote the album, they toured North America, Europe and as part of the Big Day Out
festival in Australia and New Zealand. The tour for this record culminated on 21 November 2004, at a sold out show in Cardiff International Arena
.
and Darran Smith formerly of Funeral for a Friend
. He has also opened up his own practice studio for young people to start bands.
The remaining members began working on material for the next album. Due to the lengthy gap between The Fake Sound of Progress
and Start Something
, and the backlash that grew against the band because of it, the remaining band members stated in various interviews that they wanted to release their third album in early 2006. As with Start Something
, the band wrote and recorded demo tracks for the album (with Ian Watkins playing the drums) in a UK recording studio before completing the album in America. Liberation Transmission
was recorded in Hawaii, and saw the band work with Bob Rock
. Drummer Josh Freese
(of The Vandals
and A Perfect Circle
) recorded ten out of the twelve drum tracks for this album (Ilan Rubin recorded "Everybody's Screaming!!!" and "For All These Times Son, for All These Times").
The band returned to their roots, playing a series of small venues across South Wales
. They also headlined Give it a Name
, a two-day event with My Chemical Romance
. These shows featured the first live appearance of then-17 year-old Ilan Rubin
on drums and the live premiere of songs "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
", "A Town Called Hypocrisy
" and "The New Transmission". The album itself was released on 26 June 2006 (27 June in the USA), and became the first Lostprophets album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart
. The album has seen the band adopt a more contemporary sound with far less emphasis on screaming than previous releases (exceptions being songs "Everyday Combat" and "For All These Times Son, for All These Times").
Lostprophets began a full-fledged UK tour on 3 July 2006. As with their warm-up gigs prior to the album's release, the band selected South Wales
-based support bands for this tour. The band followed this with another UK tour in November. They followed their UK dates with a European tour in France, Germany, and several other countries. The main support for this was The Blackout
. They returned to the UK for an Arena tour in April 2007, from 18 April to 22nd. The scheduled venues were: Glasgow
(SECC
); Manchester
(MEN Arena); Birmingham
(NIA
) & London (Wembley Arena
). Lostprophets also played at the Full Ponty festival in Wales on 26 May 2007. The support acts included Paramore
and The Blackout
.
, this work was shelved in favour of material they later recorded and produced themselves, with recording sessions for what would later be known as The Betrayed
beginning in November 2008. Consequently the album was not released until 13 January 2010, where it reached a peak of 3 on the UK Albums Chart
.
Throughout the earlier part of 2008, the band performed several dates, including Download Festival
which they headlined on the Sunday night, V Festival
and Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, as well as a small amount of performances around the UK. They also headlined the NME/Radio 1 tent at 2009's Reading and Leeds Festival.
The band have claimed that The Betrayed is "by far the finest, darkest and most real album" of their career. Originally, Ian Watkins stated he wanted the new album to be "nastier" and "darker" than previous efforts, with more energy and vibe than before. In a blog post, guitarist Mike Lewis suggested that Ilan Rubin
(who subsequently left the band to join Nine Inch Nails
) was very much a large part of the writing/recording process. Following Rubin's departure, Luke Johnson of Beat Union
was officially announced as the band's new drummer in August 2009. During this time, Kerrang!
magazine published a "world exclusive" article on Lostprophets, revealing the album's title, and its release date of January 2010. In a later interview with Kerrang in early 2009, Watkins stated that the record was "the most honest album" the band has ever done, and that overall the record was "a lot grittier and sleazier", while also stating that did not mean "it won't be catchy", but that it would not be done "in such a twee way". When speaking about what the record would sound like, Jamie Oliver stated that he felt it had "the bite that Start Something
had, with the song-ability of Liberation Transmission
but personality of The Fake Sound of Progress
."
The first single from the new album, "It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here", was aired for the first time on BBC Radio 1
on 19 August. It was subsequently released on 12 October 2009 and reached #16 on the Official UK chart. This was followed by "Where We Belong
", which was released on 4 January 2010.
The band commenced their UK tour with support from Kids in Glass Houses
, Hexes
, We Are the Ocean
and Sharks, in February 2010.
The Doncaster date to the UK tour was cancelled and refunded, but no reason was given for the cancellation. The Port Talbot date of the tour has been postponed and moved to a different venue due to a fire at the Afan Lido Leisure Centre. The show took place on 1 May at the Cardiff International Arena
.
The band also has confirmed that they will tour Australia. The tour took place on 27 March 2010 at The Roundhouse, NSW
, Sydney.
The band also played at the 2010 Reading and Leeds Festival.
At the weekend of the Reading Festival 2010, Watkins participated in the Kerrang! Podcast: Reading Festival, telling the reporter that he hoped to have the singles album out by the end of 2010 or early 2011, and said that the fifth studio album should be released around the time of the 2011 Reading and Leeds Festivals
. In early 2011, the band has rented a house in Norfolk that served as their studio while composing a demo and pre-producing the new album. British rapper/producer Labrinth
confirmed in his blog on MTV
that Lostprophets will feature on his new album due for release this autumn.
On May 10, 2011, it was announced that Lostprophets have entered NRG Recording Studios
in Hollywood, California, with producer Ken Andrews
, to start recording their fifth studio album. A tentative release date for the album is set for February 2012.
In August 2011, the band went on a short UK tour, with dates in Cardiff
, Bournemouth
, Oxford
and Norwich
, as well as the two V Festival
dates, and an additional appearance at the Sziget Festival in Budapest
, Hungary
. During this short tour, the band debuted live a new song from the upcoming album, tentatively titled "Bring 'Em Down".
At the start of October 2011, the Lostprophets website was reskinned with a new logo and background. This new website also featured details regarding the 5th studio album, stating that it 'should be in your ears early next year' (2012). It also announced that Lostprophets will be playing at Soundwave in February 2012.
and hard rock
. However, a wide variety of influences have been noted in their music, with other genre tags applied to the band including alternative metal
, post-hardcore
, post-grunge
and alternative rock
. Their music is termed an aggressive style of rock, blending strong driving guitars, groove and bounce, and pop elements and accessibility.
The punk side to the band’s music has been noted, again specifically of the pop variety
. The influence of heavy metal
on their music is also noted, although this varies from song to song. Some have also described an emo side to the music. Their music has been praised as powerful, combining softer melodies with aggressive edge, with screamed vocals and catchy riffs, while some have also stated it has a derivative, formulaic or forgettable nature. They have been compared to bands such as Linkin Park
, Limp Bizkit
, Hoobastank
and Incubus
.
Watkins' lyrics range from sombre to aggressive, and have been described as often conveying a feeling of disillusionment, albeit frequently delivered in an arousing manner.
The band have also provided guest vocals for other band's songs. Ian Watkins was featured in "Secret" by Amazing Device, "It's High Tide Baby!" by The Blackout
, "War" and "Julian" by Goldfinger
, and both Watkins and Jamie Oliver were guests in Hoobastank's "Out of Control
".
Former members
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001 || Lostprophets|| Best British Newcomer ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || '"Last Train Home" || Best Single ||
|-
| Start Something
|| Best Album ||
|-
| Lostprophets || Best British Band ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2006 || Liberation Transmission
|| Best Album||
|-
| Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
"|| Best Videoclip ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2008 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2010 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here|| Best Video ||
|-
| Lostprophets|| The Classic Songwriter Award ||
|}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2002 ||rowspan="5"| Lostprophets || Best Live Act ||
|-
|2004 ||rowspan="3"| Best Welsh Act ||
|-
|2005 ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2006 ||
|-
| Best Live Act ||
|-
| Liberation Transmission
|| Best Album ||
|}
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rock band from Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist (later guitarist) Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio albums, most recent released The Betrayed on 13 January 2010. They are also part of the Cardiff music scene
Cardiff music scene
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal, post-hardcore and emo music....
.
The band have achieved two top ten hits on 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 ...
("Last Train Home" and "Rooftops
Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
"Rooftops " is a song by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. The song is released as the first single from their third album Liberation Transmission....
"), one number one single on the Alternative Songs chart ("Last Train Home"), and several Kerrang! Awards and nominations.
Early years (1997–2000)
The band formed in 1997 in the Welsh town of PontypriddPontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
. Lostprophets formed with two members of Public Disturbance, which featured singer Ian Watkins on drums and guitarist Mike Lewis. Neither member initially left Public Disturbance, although Watkins quit as soon as 1998. With Watkins on vocal duties and Lewis (who did not leave Public Disturbance until 2000) playing bass, the band also included guitarist Lee Gaze and Mike Chiplin on drums.
Lostprophets started out as part of the fledgling South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
scene — originally calling themselves "The bum mules" — playing gigs at venues across Wales including T.J.'s
T.J.'s
TJ's was a nightclub located on Clarence Place in Newport, South Wales. It opened in 1985 and has become a live music venue, particularly for rock music. It is also an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit...
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. From there, they went on to tours on the UK's circuit. The band recorded three demos during this time: Here Comes the Party, Para Todas las Putas Celosas, which translates as "For all the jealous whores", and The Fake Sound of Progress. These were produced by Stuart Richardson, who joined the band as bassist for the latter recording. Mike Lewis at this point switched to rhythm guitar. The Fake Sound of Progress also included the addition of DJ Stepzak, who would remain with the band for around a year. The first three tracks from their third demo were refined and re-recorded for the release of their debut album of the same name: the title track, "MOAC Supreme" and "Stopquote" — the latter two were renamed "A Thousand Apologies" and "Awkward", respectively. All of the EPs are out of print, and are very rare.
The band caught the attention of the two music publishers 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...
and Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
magazines both giving them glancing reviews. In 1999 they signed in with Independent label Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
.
Thefakesoundofprogress (2000–2002)
The band's debut album ThefakesoundofprogressThefakesoundofprogress
Thefakesoundofprogress is the debut studio album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, originally released on 27 November 2000 through Visible Noise, the album would be released in 2001 by Columbia Records and meeting stronger sales numbers around the world...
was released through Visible Noise in November. Recorded in less than two weeks for £4000 the record drew on a wide range of influences, it would be re-released the following year through Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Shortly after the completion of the album, DJ Stepzak decided he would not commit to the band and was replaced with Jamie Oliver, who was placed in the band simply because he got on so well and could not go on tour otherwise.
Thefakesoundofprogress featured many references to 1980s pop-culture. In addition to the Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
reference in the band's name, there was an image of Vengar from the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
TV series on the album sleeve notes, as well as song titles like "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja
Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja
-Personnel:* Ian Watkins – lead vocals* Lee Gaze – lead guitar* Mike Lewis – rhythm guitar* Stuart Richardson – bass* Jamie Oliver – synth, turntables, samples* Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion-Chart positions:...
" and "Kobrakai". The first song's title was a reference to the video games Shinobi
Shinobi series
is a series of video games published by Sega and developed primarily by Overworks. The name Shinobi is used as a code-name throughout the series to hide the true identity of its bearer...
and Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
Bad Dudes
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, often referred to simply as Bad Dudes, and known in Japan simply as , is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Data East. It is based on the U.S...
, while the second was an alternative spelling of Cobra Kai, the name of the karate dojo in the Karate Kid movies. Another reference is the use of the VF-1 Valkyrie
VF-1 Valkyrie
This article is about a fictional vehicle; for the fighter squadron see VF-1.In the fictional Macross Japanese anime series and its English adaptation Robotech, the first mass-produced variable fighter or veritech fighter is called the VF-1 Valkyrie.-Background:The VF-1 was created by the...
in Battroid mode from the 1982 anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war....
as part of the album illustration.
Q Prime management, who represent such acts as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, assisted the band in courting America's top major labels. The band chose to sign with Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, a division of Sony Records, though in Europe their records continue to be released through Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
. The band worked with renowned producer Michael Barbiero
Michael Barbiero
Michael Francis Barbiero , is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, songwriter, and journalist.-Background:Michael Barbiero has worked with a number of artists, such as Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tesla, Cinderella, Blues Traveler, Ziggy Marley, Belouis Some, Cutting Crew, Counting Crows,...
to remaster the album, and this new remastered version of the album was released in November 2001. The album appears to have divided the band's existing fan base where the first accusations of selling out
Selling out
"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" . It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience...
were levelled at the band from the underground music scene within which they achieved their first success.
During this period, Lostprophets built up a strong live following with support slots to popular acts such as Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
and Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, as well as several headlining stints of their own. They also took part in the successful Nu-Titans tour with Defenestration
Defenestration (band)
Defenestration were a UK heavy metal band from 1999 to 2004, based in the Northamptonshire town of Kettering.In their short career the band managed to play over 300 shows across the UK and Europe touring with the likes of Raging Speedhorn, Will Haven, lostprophets, Napalm Death, Earthtone9,...
among other new UK Metal acts of the time. Co-headlining the 2002 Deconstruction Tour
Deconstruction Tour
Deconstruction Tour is a one-day punk music and skate festival that is staged in various countries across Europe. It first took place in 1999, and has occurred annually since. The tour is arranged by Destiny Tourbooking. In general, the tour offers the opening slot of each day to a local, often...
in London , supporting acts was Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Mad Caddies among others., Lostprophets featured on a bill consisting of more traditionally 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...
oriented acts. This provoked hostility from certain members of the audience, who were upset at Lostprophets inclusion on such a bill. The band subsequently toured with Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
, played at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and the Reading and Leeds Festival. They also appeared on a number of British TV shows, including Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
and Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. They also performed as part of the 2002 NME Carling Awards tour.
Start Something (2003–2004)
The Fake Sound of Progress
-Personnel:* Ian Watkins – lead vocals* Lee Gaze – lead guitar* Mike Lewis – rhythm guitar* Stuart Richardson – bass* Jamie Oliver – synth, turntables, samples* Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion-Chart positions:-External links:*...
finally ended, the band took a brief break before beginning the process of writing new material for Start Something
Start Something
Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
at Frontline Studios in Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
, Wales. They then entered Los Angeles's Bigfoot Studio for a recording process that lasted from March until September 2003, with producer Eric Valentine. Valentine had previously produced albums for Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
and Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
.
The first single released from the album was the song "Burn Burn", the music video for which began receiving heavy rotation on satellite and cable channels like MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, Kerrang! TV
Kerrang! TV
Kerrang! TV is a digital television station owned by Box Television, which is loosely connected to the magazine, Kerrang!. As of 2005, all of its programme content is music videos, the majority of which is open scheduled, for text requests from their playlist....
and Scuzz
Scuzz
Scuzz is a British music television channel owned and operated by CSC Media Group . It launched on 17 April 2003 and has gone on to be the highest-rated rock TV station on UK satellite. The channel plays a broad range of rock and all its subgenres...
in the UK. The song attracted some criticism, however, as the opening bore a striking resemblance to "Mother Mary", a song from the band Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...
's Water and Solutions album. The band themselves even conceded in interviews that the singing pattern bore an undeniable similarity to the Adamski
Adamski
Adamski is an English dance music producer, prominent at the time of acid house for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer" .-Career:...
song "Killer
Killer (Adamski song)
"Killer" is a song by Adamski and Seal. Written by Adam Tinley and Seal and produced by Adamski, "Killer" was Adamski's breakthrough single, but is now more notable for introducing Seal as a vocalist. A major hit in the UK, it reached number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May...
".
"Burn Burn" was released on 3 November 2003, and was originally scheduled to be closely followed by the release of the album. The release of the album was delayed several times and a headlining tour of the UK, was also postponed during this time. The band rescheduled the cancelled UK shows, with the exception of their scheduled appearance at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, stating in magazine interviews that honouring those commitments would have meant leaving the recording studio while the album was only half completed.
The album was released in the UK on 2 February 2004, and was commercially successful, achieving number four in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide according to BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
. The critical response from mainstream magazines was mostly positive, though the response from rock publications such as Kerrang!, Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
and Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
was sometimes tepid. To promote the album, they toured North America, Europe and as part of the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival in Australia and New Zealand. The tour for this record culminated on 21 November 2004, at a sold out show in Cardiff International Arena
Cardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
.
Liberation Transmission (2005–2007)
On 19 June 2005, founding member Mike Chiplin left the group to pursue other musical opportunities. Since then, Chiplin has joined another band called The Unsung, and is currently in a band called Accident Music, which also features Chris Morgan of MidasunoMidasuno
Midasuno were a Welsh four-piece alternative rock band from South Wales. The band toured the United Kingdom extensively and recorded an exclusive single, mini album, EP and full length album...
and Darran Smith formerly of Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
. He has also opened up his own practice studio for young people to start bands.
The remaining members began working on material for the next album. Due to the lengthy gap between The Fake Sound of Progress
The Fake Sound of Progress
-Personnel:* Ian Watkins – lead vocals* Lee Gaze – lead guitar* Mike Lewis – rhythm guitar* Stuart Richardson – bass* Jamie Oliver – synth, turntables, samples* Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion-Chart positions:-External links:*...
and Start Something
Start Something
Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
, and the backlash that grew against the band because of it, the remaining band members stated in various interviews that they wanted to release their third album in early 2006. As with Start Something
Start Something
Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
, the band wrote and recorded demo tracks for the album (with Ian Watkins playing the drums) in a UK recording studio before completing the album in America. Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
was recorded in Hawaii, and saw the band work with Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
. Drummer Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
(of The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
and A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
) recorded ten out of the twelve drum tracks for this album (Ilan Rubin recorded "Everybody's Screaming!!!" and "For All These Times Son, for All These Times").
The band returned to their roots, playing a series of small venues across South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. They also headlined Give it a Name
Give it a Name
Give it a Name, also known as GIAN, , named after an At the Drive-In song, was an annual British rock music festival, normally held on the weekend nearest to the end of April. The first festival took place on May 2, 2005 at Alexandra Palace, North London...
, a two-day event with My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
. These shows featured the first live appearance of then-17 year-old Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
on drums and the live premiere of songs "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
"Rooftops " is a song by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. The song is released as the first single from their third album Liberation Transmission....
", "A Town Called Hypocrisy
A Town Called Hypocrisy
"A Town Called Hypocrisy" is the second single taken from Liberation Transmission, the third album by the Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets.The single was released on 11 September 2006 in the United Kingdom...
" and "The New Transmission". The album itself was released on 26 June 2006 (27 June in the USA), and became the first Lostprophets album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The album has seen the band adopt a more contemporary sound with far less emphasis on screaming than previous releases (exceptions being songs "Everyday Combat" and "For All These Times Son, for All These Times").
Lostprophets began a full-fledged UK tour on 3 July 2006. As with their warm-up gigs prior to the album's release, the band selected South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
-based support bands for this tour. The band followed this with another UK tour in November. They followed their UK dates with a European tour in France, Germany, and several other countries. The main support for this was The Blackout
The Blackout (band)
The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
. They returned to the UK for an Arena tour in April 2007, from 18 April to 22nd. The scheduled venues were: Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(SECC
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
); 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...
(MEN Arena); Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
(NIA
National Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
) & London (Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
). Lostprophets also played at the Full Ponty festival in Wales on 26 May 2007. The support acts included Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
and The Blackout
The Blackout (band)
The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
.
The Betrayed (2007–2010)
Writing and recording the band's fourth studio album began in early 2007. Originally the band stated that they wanted the album released in 2007, however due to both touring and being unhappy with the results of their work in the studio the band did not keep to their original release plan. Despite recording an entire album's worth of material with producer John FeldmannJohn Feldmann
John William Feldmann is an American musician and producer who is the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger. He is known as an animal rights advocate.- Music :...
, this work was shelved in favour of material they later recorded and produced themselves, with recording sessions for what would later be known as The Betrayed
The Betrayed
The Betrayed is the fourth studio album by the Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets, released through Visible Noise and Sony Music Entertainment on 13 January 2010. Although the band initially wished to record a quick follow-up to 2006's Liberation Transmission, problems with labels and...
beginning in November 2008. Consequently the album was not released until 13 January 2010, where it reached a peak of 3 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
Throughout the earlier part of 2008, the band performed several dates, including Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
which they headlined on the Sunday night, V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
and Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, as well as a small amount of performances around the UK. They also headlined the NME/Radio 1 tent at 2009's Reading and Leeds Festival.
The band have claimed that The Betrayed is "by far the finest, darkest and most real album" of their career. Originally, Ian Watkins stated he wanted the new album to be "nastier" and "darker" than previous efforts, with more energy and vibe than before. In a blog post, guitarist Mike Lewis suggested that Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
(who subsequently left the band to join Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
) was very much a large part of the writing/recording process. Following Rubin's departure, Luke Johnson of Beat Union
Beat Union
Beat Union was a pop-punk band from Birmingham, Bromsgrove and Redditch, United Kingdom. They were formerly known as Shortcut to Newark. The group has garnered comparisons to Elvis Costello and The Jam, as well as pop punk groups like Green Day....
was officially announced as the band's new drummer in August 2009. During this time, 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 published a "world exclusive" article on Lostprophets, revealing the album's title, and its release date of January 2010. In a later interview with Kerrang in early 2009, Watkins stated that the record was "the most honest album" the band has ever done, and that overall the record was "a lot grittier and sleazier", while also stating that did not mean "it won't be catchy", but that it would not be done "in such a twee way". When speaking about what the record would sound like, Jamie Oliver stated that he felt it had "the bite that Start Something
Start Something
Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
had, with the song-ability of Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
but personality of The Fake Sound of Progress
The Fake Sound of Progress
-Personnel:* Ian Watkins – lead vocals* Lee Gaze – lead guitar* Mike Lewis – rhythm guitar* Stuart Richardson – bass* Jamie Oliver – synth, turntables, samples* Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion-Chart positions:-External links:*...
."
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on 19 August. It was subsequently released on 12 October 2009 and reached #16 on the Official UK chart. This was followed by "Where We Belong
Where We Belong
"Where We Belong" is the second single from the album The Betrayed, the fourth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. It was released on 4 January 2010...
", which was released on 4 January 2010.
The band commenced their UK tour with support from Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
, Hexes
Hexes (band)
Hexes is a British hardcore punk band featuring the former A bassist, current guitar player for Bloodhound Gang and presenter of BBC Radio 1's Rock Show, Daniel P. Carter...
, We Are the Ocean
We Are the Ocean
We Are the Ocean is a 5 piece post-hardcore band from Loughton, Essex, England.The band has played hundreds of shows since their formation, including several festivals during 2008 such as Slam Dunk, Offset Festival, Middlesbrough Music Live, and Taste of Chaos...
and Sharks, in February 2010.
The Doncaster date to the UK tour was cancelled and refunded, but no reason was given for the cancellation. The Port Talbot date of the tour has been postponed and moved to a different venue due to a fire at the Afan Lido Leisure Centre. The show took place on 1 May at the Cardiff International Arena
Cardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
.
The band also has confirmed that they will tour Australia. The tour took place on 27 March 2010 at The Roundhouse, NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Sydney.
The band also played at the 2010 Reading and Leeds Festival.
Singles album and fifth studio album (2010–present)
The band have announced plans to release a singles album in autumn, which will include two unheard tracks. They also plan to have a new studio album out by Autumn 2011.At the weekend of the Reading Festival 2010, Watkins participated in the Kerrang! Podcast: Reading Festival, telling the reporter that he hoped to have the singles album out by the end of 2010 or early 2011, and said that the fifth studio album should be released around the time of the 2011 Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
. In early 2011, the band has rented a house in Norfolk that served as their studio while composing a demo and pre-producing the new album. British rapper/producer Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
confirmed in his blog on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that Lostprophets will feature on his new album due for release this autumn.
On May 10, 2011, it was announced that Lostprophets have entered NRG Recording Studios
NRG Recording Studios
NRG Recording Studios is a recording facility located in North Hollywood, California that was created by producer and mixer Jay Baumgardner in 1992.- Facilities :*Studio A console: custom vintage Neve 8068 built by Pat Schneider...
in Hollywood, California, with producer Ken Andrews
Ken Andrews
Ken Andrews is an American musician and producer, based out of Los Angeles, California.Andrews was born in Seattle, Washington, and attended film school in Los Angeles before his band Failure received a record deal from Slash Records.He was the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, and...
, to start recording their fifth studio album. A tentative release date for the album is set for February 2012.
In August 2011, the band went on a short UK tour, with dates 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...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, as well as the two V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
dates, and an additional appearance at the Sziget Festival in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. During this short tour, the band debuted live a new song from the upcoming album, tentatively titled "Bring 'Em Down".
At the start of October 2011, the Lostprophets website was reskinned with a new logo and background. This new website also featured details regarding the 5th studio album, stating that it 'should be in your ears early next year' (2012). It also announced that Lostprophets will be playing at Soundwave in February 2012.
Styles and influences
Lostprophets are most commonly termed nu metalNu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. However, a wide variety of influences have been noted in their music, with other genre tags applied to the band including alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. Their music is termed an aggressive style of rock, blending strong driving guitars, groove and bounce, and pop elements and accessibility.
The punk side to the band’s music has been noted, again specifically of the pop variety
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
. The influence of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
on their music is also noted, although this varies from song to song. Some have also described an emo side to the music. Their music has been praised as powerful, combining softer melodies with aggressive edge, with screamed vocals and catchy riffs, while some have also stated it has a derivative, formulaic or forgettable nature. They have been compared to bands such as Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
and Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
.
Watkins' lyrics range from sombre to aggressive, and have been described as often conveying a feeling of disillusionment, albeit frequently delivered in an arousing manner.
The band have also provided guest vocals for other band's songs. Ian Watkins was featured in "Secret" by Amazing Device, "It's High Tide Baby!" by The Blackout
The Blackout (band)
The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
, "War" and "Julian" by Goldfinger
Goldfinger (band)
Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...
, and both Watkins and Jamie Oliver were guests in Hoobastank's "Out of Control
Out of Control (Hoobastank song)
"Out of Control" was the first single released by the American alternative rock band Hoobastank from their highly successful album The Reason...
".
Band members
Current members- Ian Watkins – lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
(1997–present) - Jamie Oliver – keyboards, synthesizers, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, turntablesTurntablismTurntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
, samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, backing vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(2000–present) - Lee Gaze – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(1997–present) - Mike Lewis – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals (1998–present), bass guitar (1997–1998) - Stuart Richardson – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (1998–present) - Luke JohnsonLuke Johnson (musician)Luke Anthony Johnson is a British rock musician, drummer and songwriter currently a member of Lostprophets. He is most commonly known as 'Jocko'. Johnson began his music career in the late 1990s drumming for a spree of small local West Midlands- punk and metal bands. In early 2003 Johnson was...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion (2009–present)
Former members
- DJ Stepzak – turntables, samples (1999–2000)
- Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion (1997–2005)
- Ilan RubinIlan RubinIlan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
– drums, percussion (2006–2009)
Line-up history
| 1997–1998 (as Lozt Prophetz) |
|
|---|---|
| 1998–1999 (as Lozt Prophetz) |
|
| 1999–2000 |
|
| 2000–2005 |
|
| 2006–2009 |
Ilan Rubin Ilan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour... – drums, percussion |
| 2009–present |
|
Discography
- ThefakesoundofprogressThefakesoundofprogressThefakesoundofprogress is the debut studio album by the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, originally released on 27 November 2000 through Visible Noise, the album would be released in 2001 by Columbia Records and meeting stronger sales numbers around the world...
(2000) - Start SomethingStart SomethingStart Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
(2004) - Liberation TransmissionLiberation TransmissionLiberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
(2006) - The BetrayedThe BetrayedThe Betrayed is the fourth studio album by the Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets, released through Visible Noise and Sony Music Entertainment on 13 January 2010. Although the band initially wished to record a quick follow-up to 2006's Liberation Transmission, problems with labels and...
(2010) - Upcoming fifth album (2012)
Kerrang! awards
|-| style="text-align:center;"| 2001 || Lostprophets|| Best British Newcomer ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2004 || '"Last Train Home" || Best Single ||
|-
| Start Something
Start Something
Start Something is the second studio album by the Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets, released on 2 February 2004 through Visible Noise in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The album was released internationally on 5 February 2004. The band began work on the album in 2003 after touring for...
|| Best Album ||
|-
| Lostprophets || Best British Band ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2006 || Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
|| Best Album||
|-
| Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
"Rooftops " is a song by Welsh rock band Lostprophets. The song is released as the first single from their third album Liberation Transmission....
"|| Best Videoclip ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2008 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2010 || Lostprophets|| Best British Band ||
|-
| It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here|| Best Video ||
|-
| Lostprophets|| The Classic Songwriter Award ||
|}
Pop Factory Awards
|-| style="text-align:center;"| 2002 ||rowspan="5"| Lostprophets || Best Live Act ||
|-
|2004 ||rowspan="3"| Best Welsh Act ||
|-
|2005 ||
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| 2006 ||
|-
| Best Live Act ||
|-
| Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
|| Best Album ||
|}