ThisGIRL
Encyclopedia
ThisGirl was a rock
band
from Rotherham
and Sheffield
, England
. The band was formed in 1999, and has released seven album
s/EPs
. They were well known for their energetic performances and had a series of successful tours, most notably playing on the Barfly stage at Download
in 2004. The band posted a message on its MySpace
account on 13 November 2006 announcing its breakup after seven years.
concert
in Sheffield. Initially the band was called 'Girl' but this had to be changed when Phil Collen
of Def Leppard
threatened to sue due to the fact his glam rock
band was also called Girl
and was worried about the success 'Girl' from Rotherham was gaining. The band's sound has been described as a unique blend of "jazz-stoner rock."
The band then changed its name to ThisGirl and performed for the first time at the Wellington Boot public house
in Rotherham. The band toured with Biffy Clyro
, Glassjaw
, Pitchshifter
, My Deaf Audio
Hell Is for Heroes
and The Used
before going into the recording studio
to record
their debut album, ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front in 2002. They played Brixton Academy with the Deftones
and Finsbury Park
with Limp Bizkit
in front of 40,000 fans. This event was made infamous after ThisGirl actively encouraged the nu metal
fans in the crowd to pelt them with bottles, with which they obliged.
By this time however the music industry were calling, but they decided to wait it out a little longer and continue to tour.
ThisGirl signed a recording contract
with Drowned in Sound
who promised total autonomy for the band. Chris Tsangarides
, producer for Black Sabbath
and Judas Priest
, was drafted in to help with the band's new album, Uno
. The album was supposed to be raw and unearthed and to ultimately be a real piece of music that avoided any computer trickery or industry trends that Tsangarides seemed to deem as being 'fake'.
The band played at Brixton Academy, Donington Park
, London Astoria
and Finsbury Park
whilst the single "Master Blaster
" was released.
For the remainder of their career the band played at various venues up to February 2006. It was announced on 13 November 2006 that the band would split, after seven years of touring. They played their final gig on the 12 January 2007 at the Point in Cardiff supporting long time friends Douglas.
Originally the band were known as "skeletons" and in 2008 they headlined the BBC Introducing stage at the prestigious Reading and Leeds Festivals. In 2009 the name was changed to "Skeletons & The Empty Pockets" and the debut single was released through Too Pure Records. The single sold all 500 copies before the release date on 31 July.
Two versions of "Hallelujah" were released, both contained the song "Hallelujah", but had different b-sides. CD2 was only available for purchase online, although purchasing CD1 yielded a code that could be used to download CD2 free.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The band was formed in 1999, and has released seven 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...
s/EPs
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. They were well known for their energetic performances and had a series of successful tours, most notably playing on the Barfly stage at Download
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
in 2004. The band posted a message on its MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
account on 13 November 2006 announcing its breakup after seven years.
History
The band started out in Rotherham when the members of the band, then in school met at a Skunk AnansieSkunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
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...
in Sheffield. Initially the band was called 'Girl' but this had to be changed when Phil Collen
Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
of Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
threatened to sue due to the fact his glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band was also called Girl
Girl (band)
Girl were an English glam metal band formed in 1979, who split up in 1982 with band members going on to join Def Leppard and L.A. Guns among others.-History:The band's lead vocalist was Phil Lewis...
and was worried about the success 'Girl' from Rotherham was gaining. The band's sound has been described as a unique blend of "jazz-stoner rock."
The band then changed its name to ThisGirl and performed for the first time at the Wellington Boot public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Rotherham. The band toured with Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
, Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
, Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter (band)
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...
, My Deaf Audio
My Deaf Audio
UK garage punk quartet My Deaf Audio emerged in the late 1990s from the thriving Southcoast scene. With vocalist Andy Reed, guitarist Lofty Fiasco, bass player Nick Moss, and Mike Wilton on drums, Debuting with their self released Bitter Pill EP in 1999, closely followed by 2001s Make It Loud LP,...
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...
and The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
before going into the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their debut album, ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front in 2002. They played Brixton Academy with the 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...
and Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
with 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...
in front of 40,000 fans. This event was made infamous after ThisGirl actively encouraged the nu metal
Nu 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...
fans in the crowd to pelt them with bottles, with which they obliged.
By this time however the music industry were calling, but they decided to wait it out a little longer and continue to tour.
ThisGirl 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 Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
who promised total autonomy for the band. Chris Tsangarides
Chris Tsangarides
Chris Tsangarides is a British Grammy-nominated record producer, sound engineer, and mixer. He is best known for his work with many heavy metal bands, including Judas Priest, Anvil, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Helloween, and Yngwie Malmsteen...
, producer for Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, was drafted in to help with the band's new album, Uno
Uno (ThisGirl album)
Uno is the second studio album from the Sheffield rockers ThisGirl, and is the follow-up to 2002's ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front. Uno was released on July 12, 2004 by the artist management company Drowned In Sound.-Track listing:...
. The album was supposed to be raw and unearthed and to ultimately be a real piece of music that avoided any computer trickery or industry trends that Tsangarides seemed to deem as being 'fake'.
The band played at Brixton Academy, Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, London Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
and Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
whilst the single "Master Blaster
Master Blaster
Master Blaster may refer to:In music:* "Master Blaster ", a 1980 single by Stevie Wonder* Master Blaster , German dance music band* "Master Blaster", a song from the 1996 album Butterfly Rocket by Nikka Costa...
" was released.
For the remainder of their career the band played at various venues up to February 2006. It was announced on 13 November 2006 that the band would split, after seven years of touring. They played their final gig on the 12 January 2007 at the Point in Cardiff supporting long time friends Douglas.
Post-ThisGirl
After the band split some of the members got involved with other projects. Liam started singing for Hey Sholay and Ryan played drums for the New 1920, but it wasn't until mid to late 2007 that a message was sent out across MySpace informing friends of ThisGirl about a new band which would reunite ThisGirl plus a new member and take on a new style and direction.Originally the band were known as "skeletons" and in 2008 they headlined the BBC Introducing stage at the prestigious Reading and Leeds Festivals. In 2009 the name was changed to "Skeletons & The Empty Pockets" and the debut single was released through Too Pure Records. The single sold all 500 copies before the release date on 31 July.
Band members
| Band Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Lead vocals | Liam Creamer |
| Guitar | Chris Shepherd |
| Bass | Matt Westley |
| Drums | Ryan Jenkinson |
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2002 | ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front
|
| 2004 | Uno Uno (ThisGirl album) Uno is the second studio album from the Sheffield rockers ThisGirl, and is the follow-up to 2002's ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front. Uno was released on July 12, 2004 by the artist management company Drowned In Sound.-Track listing:... Drowned in Sound DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:... |
EPs
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2002 | This Girl... Has Fangs Too
|
| 2003 | Demo's for the Family
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Hallelujah Hallelujah (ThisGirl song) "Hallelujah" is the first single to be released from ThisGirl's album Uno. The single was released prior to the album on June 14, 2004.-Track listing:CD1# "Hallelujah" - 2:44# "Moustache to Fit a King" - 3:34# "Excited" - 3:55CD2# "Hallelujah" - 2:38... " |
Uno Uno (ThisGirl album) Uno is the second studio album from the Sheffield rockers ThisGirl, and is the follow-up to 2002's ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front. Uno was released on July 12, 2004 by the artist management company Drowned In Sound.-Track listing:... |
| 2004 | "Master Blaster Master Blaster (ThisGirl song) "Master Blaster" is the second single to be released from ThisGirl's album Uno. The single was released on November 1, 2004.The single is available both on CD and 7" Vinyl.-Track listing:CD# "Master Blaster" - 2:44# "Angel" - 3:34... " |
Uno Uno (ThisGirl album) Uno is the second studio album from the Sheffield rockers ThisGirl, and is the follow-up to 2002's ...Short Strut to the Brassy Front. Uno was released on July 12, 2004 by the artist management company Drowned In Sound.-Track listing:... |
Two versions of "Hallelujah" were released, both contained the song "Hallelujah", but had different b-sides. CD2 was only available for purchase online, although purchasing CD1 yielded a code that could be used to download CD2 free.
Music videos
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Hallelujah Hallelujah (ThisGirl song) "Hallelujah" is the first single to be released from ThisGirl's album Uno. The single was released prior to the album on June 14, 2004.-Track listing:CD1# "Hallelujah" - 2:44# "Moustache to Fit a King" - 3:34# "Excited" - 3:55CD2# "Hallelujah" - 2:38... " |
|
| "Master Blaster Master Blaster (ThisGirl song) "Master Blaster" is the second single to be released from ThisGirl's album Uno. The single was released on November 1, 2004.The single is available both on CD and 7" Vinyl.-Track listing:CD# "Master Blaster" - 2:44# "Angel" - 3:34... " |
||