The Bridport Dagger
Encyclopedia
The Bridport Dagger were a three-piece band based in Whitechapel
, London
between 2007 and 2011. The band’s line-up consisted of Jason Idnani-Powdrill (lead vocals, guitar), Lawrence Rice (guitar, vocals) and Arran Goodchild (drums, vocals).
Taking their name from an old gallows term, the bassless trio's sound has been described as "short, echo-y blasts of noise. Twangy riffs cutting through dense webs of reverb. 1950's rock & roll as re-imagined by David Lynch." The band were named as one of Levi’s One’s To Watch in September 2009.
The Bridport Dagger have previously released two limited-edition 7" singles through Death Records, double a-side “Magpie’s Nest/Spanish One” in 2008 and “Slipped Disco” in 2009.
at BBC 6 Music
who invited the band to play a session in Manchester.
The music video for "Magpie’s Nest" was designed and directed by Allan Sanders and Will Eager respectively.
in July 2009, the single was officially released on 7” vinyl in September of the same year, again through Death Records. Leonie Cooper reviewed the single in the 2nd September 2009 issue of NME, describing the track as "what happens when you write a song after drinking a bottle of Sailor Jerry, stagger into an all night tattoo parlour and leave with a topless girl in a martini glass etched over your heart."
Accompanying "Slipped Disco" on the b-side were the tracks "Rock & Roll" and "Paperback", all three of which can currently be heard through The Bridport Dagger MySpace page.
The single got a lot of airplay in German radio like the Online-Grimme Awards
winners Byte FM and the independent radio station FSK (Freies Sender Kombinat). For the website of FSK's morning show "Toast On Fire" guitar player Lawrence Rice did an extensive interview
, Brixton
, The Bridport Dagger have made latest song "Dangling Man" available for free download through the Artrocker
website. The song was posted on the website on 4 May 2010 and had previously been gifted to those on the band’s mailing list as a thank you for support during a recent tour. The song can also be heard through the band's MySpace along with a demo version of new song "Three Sheets To The Wind".
Following a performance at the 2010 Offset Festival
, Georgina Terry named the band the best discovery of the festival in the 12 September edition of the Observer.
, Nick Cave
, and Elvis Presley
. While others have felt the band conjure images of film noir
and Edgar Allan Poe
.
on the UK section of their tour through Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Norwich, Manchester and Leicester.
The band have also been busy recording songs "A Very English War", "Anchor", "Three Sheets To The Wind" and "Hospital Wine" in Wales with Toby of Hatcham Social
, some of which can again be heard through the band's MySpace page.
Arran Goodchild previously drummed for Subliminal Girls
.
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between 2007 and 2011. The band’s line-up consisted of Jason Idnani-Powdrill (lead vocals, guitar), Lawrence Rice (guitar, vocals) and Arran Goodchild (drums, vocals).
Taking their name from an old gallows term, the bassless trio's sound has been described as "short, echo-y blasts of noise. Twangy riffs cutting through dense webs of reverb. 1950's rock & roll as re-imagined by David Lynch." The band were named as one of Levi’s One’s To Watch in September 2009.
The Bridport Dagger have previously released two limited-edition 7" singles through Death Records, double a-side “Magpie’s Nest/Spanish One” in 2008 and “Slipped Disco” in 2009.
Magpie's Nest/Spanish One
The band’s debut double a-side single was released via independent label Death Records on 4 August 2008, on 7” vinyl. Just under two minutes long, "Magpie's Nest" was called a "precise, serrated jaunt alluringly taking you on a winding swim through the darker reassess of front man Jason Bridport's mind" while "Spanish One" "soaks you in a curtain of chopping guitar reverb and persistent drum patterns." Both songs were track listed by Marc RileyMarc Riley
Marc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
at BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
who invited the band to play a session in Manchester.
The music video for "Magpie’s Nest" was designed and directed by Allan Sanders and Will Eager respectively.
Slipped Disco
"Magpie’s Nest/Spanish One" was followed by the release of "Slipped Disco" in 2009. Launched at the Flowerpot in Kentish TownKentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
in July 2009, the single was officially released on 7” vinyl in September of the same year, again through Death Records. Leonie Cooper reviewed the single in the 2nd September 2009 issue of NME, describing the track as "what happens when you write a song after drinking a bottle of Sailor Jerry, stagger into an all night tattoo parlour and leave with a topless girl in a martini glass etched over your heart."
Accompanying "Slipped Disco" on the b-side were the tracks "Rock & Roll" and "Paperback", all three of which can currently be heard through The Bridport Dagger MySpace page.
The single got a lot of airplay in German radio like the Online-Grimme Awards
Adolf Grimme Awards
The Adolf Grimme Award is a television award and one of the most prestigious awards for German television, which is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme . It is also called the "German TV Oscar".The awards ceremony takes place annually at Theater Marl...
winners Byte FM and the independent radio station FSK (Freies Sender Kombinat). For the website of FSK's morning show "Toast On Fire" guitar player Lawrence Rice did an extensive interview
Dangling Man
Recorded live at the WindmillThe Windmill, Brixton
The Windmill is a pub and live music venue in Brixton, London, with a reputation for championing new music.The pub was built in 1971 for the adjacent Blenheim Gardens housing estate. It went through various phases of being a bar that attracted locals, bikers, the Irish community and by the end of...
, Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, The Bridport Dagger have made latest song "Dangling Man" available for free download through the Artrocker
ArtRocker
Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Factory...
website. The song was posted on the website on 4 May 2010 and had previously been gifted to those on the band’s mailing list as a thank you for support during a recent tour. The song can also be heard through the band's MySpace along with a demo version of new song "Three Sheets To The Wind".
Following a performance at the 2010 Offset Festival
Offset Festival
Offset Festival was formed in 2008 as a reaction against overpriced festivals with less than creative lineups. The event is held at Hainault Forest Country Park, just outside London, accessible via the Central Line.-2008:...
, Georgina Terry named the band the best discovery of the festival in the 12 September edition of the Observer.
Influences and Sound
The Bridport Dagger have drawn comparisons from artists such as Roy OrbisonRoy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. While others have felt the band conjure images of film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
and Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
.
Associated Acts
In February 2010 The Bridport Dagger supported The Rumble StripsThe Rumble Strips
The Rumble Strips are an English band from Tavistock, Devon. The band take their name from Rumble Strips, which are small, continuous lines of bumps along the edge of a road. Having known each other since childhood, a precise conception date for the band doesn't really exist. The current line-up...
on the UK section of their tour through Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Norwich, Manchester and Leicester.
The band have also been busy recording songs "A Very English War", "Anchor", "Three Sheets To The Wind" and "Hospital Wine" in Wales with Toby of Hatcham Social
Hatcham Social
Hatcham Social are an English indie pop band who first met and formed in New Cross, London, and who have released a string of singles on indie labels since 2006, a debut album in 2009 and are currently active in a Pledge Campaign for the release of their second LP...
, some of which can again be heard through the band's MySpace page.
Arran Goodchild previously drummed for Subliminal Girls
Subliminal Girls (band)
-Biography:The band contain ex and current members of The Art Goblins, Rhesus,Ciccone, Video Club, Future and the Boy, Dizzy Moth and The Bridport Dagger...
.
Singles
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Magpie's Nest/Spanish One" | 7" | Death Records |
| 2009 | "Slipped Disco" | 7" | Death Records |
| 2010 | "Dangling Man" | Download |