Symposium (band)
Encyclopedia
Symposium were a punk
pop
band
from England
. They were active from 1994–2000 and were known for their live shows. The name 'Symposium' originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together"), and was taken from the book by Plato
. A reunion tour all over the UK was announced for spring 2012.
, in 1994. The line up was: Ross Cummins (vocalist), Hagop Tchaparian (guitarist), Joe Birch (drummer), William McGonagle (guitarist), and Wojtek Godzisz (bassist).
The band had a selection of up tempo, punk pop songs, which together with their young average age of eighteen, bought them to the attention of Korda Marshall who signed them to Infectious Records
in 1996.
Debut single
"Drink the Sunshine" in 1996 was followed by support from NME
, who placed them on the "Bratbus Tour" (an annual tour of four hotly-tipped bands) which would visit universities in the UK
. In March 1996, the band's concert
s had been noted by Everett True
, who put them on the cover of Melody Maker
, proclaiming them to be the "best live band in Britain". The band released a #25 UK hit single
, "Farewell to Twilight" in March 1997. They also performed the song on TFI Friday
. This was followed by a headlining tour.
They released a mini album
One Day At a Time in October 1997. Stating in NME
that they "just wanted to get them [the songs] out there", the release alluded to the fact that their actual (full-length) debut album would be released at a later date. This was illustrated by the fact that one of the four singles they had released up until this point, "The Answer To Why I Hate You", was absent from the mini-album, but did appear on their first album On The Outside. Having signed a recording contract
with Infectious Records
. "Farewell to Twilight" achieved a UK Singles Chart
peak of #25, a position that they would never subsequently surpass.
"Fairweather Friend" was the band's best known song, having support from a music video
, and this led to a Top of the Pops
performance. In 1997 the band supported a number of popular American
bands, including The Red Hot Chili Peppers at Wembley Arena, The Foo Fighters, The Deftones and No Doubt
at Brixton Academy, where Cummins stage antics caused him to dislocate his leg. The following year the band toured the United States
on the Warped Tour
with Bad Religion
, NOFX
and Rancid
.
Their debut album, On The Outside was released in May 1998. By the end of 1999 the band had left Infectious Records. After supporting Metallica
at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 1999, Symposium released the "Killing Position" EP
. By early 2000 the band had developed musical differences and broke up.
McGonagle and Birch formed the post-hardcore band Hell Is for Heroes
, whilst Cummins eventually resurfaced in 2004 with Paper Cuts. The band's primary songwriter Wojtek Godzisz went solo and signed to Tigertrap Records
in 2006.
Hagop Tchaparian went on to work with the band Hot Chip
. He is a consultant to the music industry.
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...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from 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...
. They were active from 1994–2000 and were known for their live shows. The name 'Symposium' originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together"), and was taken from the book by Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
. A reunion tour all over the UK was announced for spring 2012.
History
The band formed whilst still at school in Shepherds Bush, LondonLondon
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...
, in 1994. The line up was: Ross Cummins (vocalist), Hagop Tchaparian (guitarist), Joe Birch (drummer), William McGonagle (guitarist), and Wojtek Godzisz (bassist).
The band had a selection of up tempo, punk pop songs, which together with their young average age of eighteen, bought them to the attention of Korda Marshall who signed them to Infectious Records
Infectious Records
Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Ash, Local Natives, Symposium, My Vitriol, Seafood, The Paradise Motel, General Fiasco and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK operation in the...
in 1996.
Debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Drink the Sunshine" in 1996 was followed by support from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, who placed them on the "Bratbus Tour" (an annual tour of four hotly-tipped bands) which would visit universities in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In March 1996, the band's concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s had been noted by Everett True
Everett True
For the cartoon character, see The Outbursts of Everett True.Everett True is a British music journalist, who grew up in Chelmsford, Essex...
, who put them on the cover of Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, proclaiming them to be the "best live band in Britain". The band released a #25 UK hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Farewell to Twilight" in March 1997. They also performed the song on TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
. This was followed by a headlining tour.
They released a mini album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
One Day At a Time in October 1997. Stating in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
that they "just wanted to get them [the songs] out there", the release alluded to the fact that their actual (full-length) debut album would be released at a later date. This was illustrated by the fact that one of the four singles they had released up until this point, "The Answer To Why I Hate You", was absent from the mini-album, but did appear on their first album On The Outside. Having signed 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...
with Infectious Records
Infectious Records
Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Ash, Local Natives, Symposium, My Vitriol, Seafood, The Paradise Motel, General Fiasco and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK operation in the...
. "Farewell to Twilight" achieved a 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 ...
peak of #25, a position that they would never subsequently surpass.
"Fairweather Friend" was the band's best known song, having support from a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, and this led to a 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...
performance. In 1997 the band supported a number of popular American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bands, including The Red Hot Chili Peppers at Wembley Arena, The Foo Fighters, The Deftones and No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
at Brixton Academy, where Cummins stage antics caused him to dislocate his leg. The following year the band toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
with Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
and Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
.
Their debut album, On The Outside was released in May 1998. By the end of 1999 the band had left Infectious Records. After supporting 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 ...
at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 1999, Symposium released the "Killing Position" EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. By early 2000 the band had developed musical differences and broke up.
McGonagle and Birch formed the post-hardcore band Hell Is for Heroes
Hell Is For Heroes (band)
Hell Is for Heroes was an English post-hardcore band from London. Founder members Will McGonagle and Joe Birch were joined by James Findlay, Tom O'Donoghue and later Justin Schlosberg...
, whilst Cummins eventually resurfaced in 2004 with Paper Cuts. The band's primary songwriter Wojtek Godzisz went solo and signed to Tigertrap Records
Tigertrap Records
Tigertrap Records is a London-based record label, which was set up in late 2005 by Drowned In Sound writers Tom Edwards and Adie Nunn. The label released a series of singles through 2006, concentrating on unbroken talent. During this time, former Warp Records employee Gill Barker joined to manage...
in 2006.
Hagop Tchaparian went on to work with the band Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
. He is a consultant to the music industry.
Albums and EPs
| Info | Track listing |
|---|---|
One Day At A Time 8-track mini-album Year:1997 Format: CD / 12" Label: Infectious Records Infectious Records Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Ash, Local Natives, Symposium, My Vitriol, Seafood, The Paradise Motel, General Fiasco and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK operation 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... Position: #29
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On The Outside Year: 1998 Format: CD / 12" / Cassette Label: Infectious UK Albums Chart Position: #32
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On The BBC Live Compilation Year: 1999 Format: CD Label: Strange Fruit Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who released her first recording of it in 1939, the year she first sang it. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred...
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Singles
| Year | Title | Album | 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 ... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Drink the Sunshine" | One Day At A Time | 113 |
| 1997 | "Farewell to Twilight" | 25 | |
| "The Answer to Why I Hate You" | On The Outside | 32 | |
| "Fairweather Friend" | One Day At A Time | 25 | |
| "Drink the Sunshine" / "Fizzy" (Limited) | 101 | ||
| 1998 | "Average Man" | — | 45 |
| "Bury You" | On The Outside | 41 | |
| "Blue" | 48 | ||
| 1999 | "Killing Position" | — | 176 |