Nick Sheppard
Encyclopedia
Nick Sheppard is a Bristol
-born guitarist
best known for being in the well-known punk band The Clash
for a short time.
, one of Bristol's leading public schools, and was in the same year as fellow musician Mark Stewart
of The Pop Group
. He started at 16 with The Cortinas
, named after a well-known British car, the Ford Cortina
. The band moved from R&B
towards covering songs by punk forerunners like the New York Dolls
and The Stooges
. "In retrospect, I suppose we were very hip," Sheppard says. "We were listening to the right records, as we were right there at the right time." The Cortinas' singles, "Fascist Dictator" and "Defiant Pose" both appeared on Step Forward, the label run by Police
manager Miles Copeland
. The band split up in September 1978, after which Sheppard played in a number of bands, including The Viceroys
and The Spics, a Bristol-based Big-band.
Sheppard moved to California
, then back to Britain. When The Clash
sacked Mick Jones
in 1983, Sheppard and Vince White
replaced him, and he toured America and Europe with them in 1984, playing on their final album Cut the Crap
. The album attracted criticism through manager Bernie Rhodes
' intrusive production and use of a drum machine
. When "This Is England" reached a number 24 in the UK charts, Sheppard is quoted as saying: "I remember sitting in a different city watching it, thinking, 'There isn't a band'". The Clash finally split up shortly afterwards.
From 1986 to 1989 he collaborated with Gareth Sager
(formerly of The Pop Group
and Rip Rig + Panic) in Head
, but their three albums made little impact. Sheppard next worked with Koozie Johns in Shot, which signed with I.R.S. Records
in 1991, with Copeland as manager; the band's recordings were never released.
Sheppard moved to Perth
, Australia in 1993, and has formed/played in two local bands, Heavy Smoker and the New Egyptian Kings with Shakir Pichler
. In July 2002, it was suggested that he would be guest guitarist on a Japanese tour with Johns' new band, Sinnerstar. The tour was cancelled.
In 2007 Sheppard formed The DomNicks with Dom Mariani (The Stems
, The Someloves
, DM3), together with bass player Howard Shawcross (The Elks) and drummer Marz Frisina (The Chevelles
). This combo play a mix of Mariani and Sheppard originals with a spread of '60s and '70s garage rock and soul material. In 2009 they released an EP, Hey Rock 'n' Roller, which was produced by Wayne Connolly (The Vines
, You Am I
). The DomNicks toured with the Hoodoo Gurus
and performed in Sydney and Melbourne at the Joe Strummer
tribute concert, 'Revolution Rock'.
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...
-born guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
best known for being in the well-known punk band The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
for a short time.
Biography
Nick Sheppard was educated at Bristol Grammar SchoolBristol Grammar School
Bristol Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England. The school was founded in 1532 by two brothers, Robert and Nicholas Thorne....
, one of Bristol's leading public schools, and was in the same year as fellow musician Mark Stewart
Mark Stewart (musician)
Mark Stewart is a British musician and founding member of The Pop Group. A pioneer of industrial hip-hop, he has recorded for On-U Sound Records and Mute Records.-Career:...
of The Pop Group
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are a British post-punk band from Bristol, England, formed in 1978, whose dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae. Their lyrics were often political in nature...
. He started at 16 with The Cortinas
The Cortinas (punk band)
The Cortinas were a 1970s Bristol-based punk rock band. Guitarist Nick Sheppard went on to play with The Clash. In 2001, the band’s debut single, "Fascist Dictator" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time.-Biography:Named after a car, the...
, named after a well-known British car, the Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
. The band moved from R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
towards covering songs by punk forerunners like the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. "In retrospect, I suppose we were very hip," Sheppard says. "We were listening to the right records, as we were right there at the right time." The Cortinas' singles, "Fascist Dictator" and "Defiant Pose" both appeared on Step Forward, the label run by Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
manager Miles Copeland
Miles Copeland III
Miles Axe Copeland III is an American entertainment executive, best known for founding I.R.S. Records. His brother, Stewart Copeland, was part of the pop-rock trio The Police, which Miles managed...
. The band split up in September 1978, after which Sheppard played in a number of bands, including The Viceroys
Fried Egg Records
Fried Egg Records was a record label set up in 1979 by Andy Leighton, administrator of the Bristol based Crystal Theatre. Its first release was by the Theatres anarchic “house band” Shoes For Industry...
and The Spics, a Bristol-based Big-band.
Sheppard moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, then back to Britain. When The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
sacked Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
in 1983, Sheppard and Vince White
Vince White
Gregory Stuart Lee White , better known as Vince White, was one of the guitarists recruited by The Clash to replace Mick Jones after he was fired from the band in 1983.-Biography:...
replaced him, and he toured America and Europe with them in 1984, playing on their final album Cut the Crap
Cut the Crap
Cut the Crap is the sixth and final album by the English punk rock band The Clash, released on 4 November 1985 by Epic Records.Following the ejection of founding member Mick Jones from the group, The Clash hired guitarists Nick Sheppard and Vince White to replace him...
. The album attracted criticism through manager Bernie Rhodes
Bernie Rhodes
Bernard Rhodes is the former manager of English punk rock band The Clash. He previously worked with Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and once claimed to have "invented punk".-Management:...
' intrusive production and use of a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. When "This Is England" reached a number 24 in the UK charts, Sheppard is quoted as saying: "I remember sitting in a different city watching it, thinking, 'There isn't a band'". The Clash finally split up shortly afterwards.
From 1986 to 1989 he collaborated with Gareth Sager
Gareth Sager
Gareth Sager is a British guitarist, keyboardist, musician and songwriter, who has played in several British groups.He moved to Scotland with his family and attended George Watsons College from 1965 till 1970. Sager was a member of the Bristol acts The Pop Group, Rip Rig + Panic , Float Up CP and...
(formerly of The Pop Group
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are a British post-punk band from Bristol, England, formed in 1978, whose dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae. Their lyrics were often political in nature...
and Rip Rig + Panic) in Head
Head (band)
-History:After making three albums and a few singles the Bristol-based combo faded away. Nick Sheppard previously played in The Cortinas and The Clash...
, but their three albums made little impact. Sheppard next worked with Koozie Johns in Shot, which signed with I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
in 1991, with Copeland as manager; the band's recordings were never released.
Sheppard moved to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia in 1993, and has formed/played in two local bands, Heavy Smoker and the New Egyptian Kings with Shakir Pichler
Shakir Pichler
Shakir Pichler is an Australian drummer, singer, writer and actor.Shakir joined his first performing rock band, the WAMI award winning The Kryptonics in Perth, Western Australia in 1984 at the age of 17...
. In July 2002, it was suggested that he would be guest guitarist on a Japanese tour with Johns' new band, Sinnerstar. The tour was cancelled.
In 2007 Sheppard formed The DomNicks with Dom Mariani (The Stems
The Stems
The Stems were an alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 1983 and were heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock and 1970s power pop. They broke up in 1987, reformed in 2003 and released a new album in 2007.-Formation:...
, The Someloves
The Someloves
The Someloves, were a alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. They were noted for their 1980s power-pop underground style.-Biography:...
, DM3), together with bass player Howard Shawcross (The Elks) and drummer Marz Frisina (The Chevelles
The Chevelles
The Chevelles are a power pop outfit from Perth, Western Australia. The Chevelles were formed in 1989 and over the last eighteen years have successfully toured Australia, Europe, the United States and South America.-Pre-Chevelles:...
). This combo play a mix of Mariani and Sheppard originals with a spread of '60s and '70s garage rock and soul material. In 2009 they released an EP, Hey Rock 'n' Roller, which was produced by Wayne Connolly (The Vines
The Vines
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:LandingCheck?landing_page=L11_1121_WMUK_Jimmy_DDOptimised&utm_medium=sitenotice&utm_campaign=C11_1121_WMUK_DDvOneOff&utm_source=B11_1121_WMUK_Jimmy&language=en&country=GB...
, You Am I
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...
). The DomNicks toured with the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
and performed in Sydney and Melbourne at the Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
tribute concert, 'Revolution Rock'.