Towers of London
Encyclopedia
Towers of London are a Punk Rock n Roll band, from
London
, England
, who formed in 2004. Their music mixes elements of rock
and heavy metal
music with 1977 style British punk. The band have divided the opinions of the British music press since their emergence in early 2004, gaining favourable reviews from some music news media
and extremely negative from others, to which they have occasionally been quick to respond.
(real names Francis and Patrick Brannan); the brothers had been playing together in rock bands since secondary school. The Tourettes played in a glam punk
style, which has been described as "a post Manic Street Preachers
rock 'n' roll rush".
TVT Records
in early 2005 after being courted by every major record label in the UK and USA as a result of being flown over to the USA by Music mogul Rick Rubin (producer of 'The Red hot chili Peppers','Beastie Boys' and 'Johnny Cash') after seeing a video tape of them from a scout of American Recordings record label at a gig at Manchester 'In the city'. On the label they have released a string of singles, prior to their debut album being released, "On A Noose", "Fuck It Up", "How Rude She Was", "Air Guitar" and more recently, "I'm A Rat".
The music video for the song "How Rude She Was" was filmed in New York City
and featured women from Gotham Girls Roller Derby
, an all-girl roller derby league.
In mid 2005, Towers of London performed at two festivals
in the United Kingdom: Reading and Leeds Festivals
and Download Festival
. The band's performance was received well, but due to fighting backstage after another group allegedly stole their property, they are now banned from returning to the Download Festival. Lead singer Donny Tourette
was brought before Cambridge Magistrates Court in June 2005, for criminal damage during a show at Cambridge Anglia Ruskin University in February 2005. He was ordered to pay £775 of compensation, court costs and fines.
During June 2006, Towers of London released their debut album Blood, Sweat and Towers
. It was produced by Stacy Jones and Bill Lefler. The album featured thirteen tracks, including the five singles they have released to date.
on two of their 2006 summer UK tour dates, Dirk commented; "Guns N' Roses? What more can you say? We're going to have it this weekend!". During the summer of 2006 the band played on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
. Bravo TV aired a ten part TV series about the band, after camera crews followed them for around for a year. The show, named simply The Towers of London, featured footage of various performances including the 2005 Download Festival
which saw them banned from the event. Various clips have already been released on the internet, one which shows members of the band assaulting a member of the public after being provoked. The show launched on 19 October.
Dirk Tourette had an altercation with the American
band My Chemical Romance
, in which he allegedly threw a lit cigarette
at the band's drummer Bob Bryar at their in-store performance. Members of the band, who attended because of "free booze", got into a scuffle with My Chemical Romance's tour managers.
In October 2006, Towers of London supported the New York Dolls
, on three of their UK tour dates in London, Liverpool and Glasgow. The band then released their fifth Single, "I'm A Rat
", on 12 February 2007.
Donny Tourette joined Celebrity Big Brother 5
on 3 January 2007, at the start of the series. He made his entrance by swearing at the crowd, and making rude gestures until he was ushered along the red carpet by security guards. He then left the show after just 48 hours in equally dramatic fashion, by scaling a wall to escape. Tourette refused to serve fellow housemate Jade Goody
(who in interviews he referred to as "The Pig") and family after the house was divided into two sections.
Following this, he also appeared on the comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. During the episode, Tourette was the target of repeated jibes from host Simon Amstell
. At one point he grabbed his crotch and said to Amstell, "This is what I think of you" to which Amstell replied "You think me a small penis?". Later, in an attempt to be controversial, Tourette began smoking. "Oh my God!", Amstell declared, "Donny is smoking! A cigarette you can legally buy in a shop!". Tourette was branded "as punk as Enya" after losing his temper when the results were read out (Tourette's team had lost). Tourette also was heavily jibed for giving the answer "His helmet was blue", in response to the question of why Prince
got in trouble with the law over a tin of purple paint. It was aired a couple of days before "I'm a Rat" was released.
The band proceeded with a full tour of the United Kingdom in support of its release. Towers of London had a lucky escape in February 2007, after a group of teenagers targeted the band with breeze blocks. The five-piece were chatting to a group of fans after a gig outside York Fibbers when the incident happened. According to guitarist The Rev, Towers drummer Snell was a whisker away from ending up in hospital. One of the teenagers was caught and handed over to the police.
that The Rev and Snell had left the band because they believed 'their future is not with the band'. However, Towers of London would continue their tour throughout July, drafting in friends Kristian Marr and Aaron Attwood to fill the positions.
The band then retreated to prepare their second album, putting up four songs called "The Bible", "The Towers Waltz", "Naked On The Dancefloor" and "Start the Rupt" on their MySpace
in the meantime. Towers of London auditioned for a drummer and lead guitar player, meeting such musicians as Ben Taylor, (who went on to drum for the Towers at their comeback gig in Harlow), and guitarist Tom Earl (formerly of the hard rock groups Rope & Widow and Swallow This).
Former members Rev and Snell played with the Prodigy as part of their live band throughout 2007. More recently, they formed a punk outfit, DAY 21
, with Jimmy Pursey
and bassist Mat Sargent from Sham 69
.
Snell now plays for The Loyalties, with Tom Spencer
(ex-The Yo-Yos
), Rich Jones
(ex-The Black Halos
, Amen
, Alec Empire
) and Lee Jones (ex-Deadline).
(released September 29). For this, the band dropped Taylor on drums, and took on another school friend.
"Go Sister, Go", a track from the album, was released as a single in early 2009.
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...
, 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...
, who formed in 2004. Their music mixes elements of rock
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...
and 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...
music with 1977 style British punk. The band have divided the opinions of the British music press since their emergence in early 2004, gaining favourable reviews from some music news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
and extremely negative from others, to which they have occasionally been quick to respond.
History
In 2003 a band was formed named 'The Tourettes', featuring Dirk and Donny TouretteDonny Tourette
Donny Tourette is an English singer-songwriter best known for his work with the pop rock band Towers of London...
(real names Francis and Patrick Brannan); the brothers had been playing together in rock bands since secondary school. The Tourettes played in a glam punk
Glam punk
Glam Punk is a music genre that mixes elements of glam rock with protopunk or punk rock ....
style, which has been described as "a post Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
rock 'n' roll rush".
Blood, Sweat and Towers
The band signed to New York independent record labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
TVT Records
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
in early 2005 after being courted by every major record label in the UK and USA as a result of being flown over to the USA by Music mogul Rick Rubin (producer of 'The Red hot chili Peppers','Beastie Boys' and 'Johnny Cash') after seeing a video tape of them from a scout of American Recordings record label at a gig at Manchester 'In the city'. On the label they have released a string of singles, prior to their debut album being released, "On A Noose", "Fuck It Up", "How Rude She Was", "Air Guitar" and more recently, "I'm A Rat".
The music video for the song "How Rude She Was" was filmed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and featured women from Gotham Girls Roller Derby
Gotham Girls Roller Derby
Gotham Girls Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in New York City, New York. Founded in late 2003, Gotham Girls Roller Derby was the first skater-operated flat track roller derby league in the metropolitan New York area...
, an all-girl roller derby league.
In mid 2005, Towers of London performed at two festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in the United Kingdom: 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...
and 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...
. The band's performance was received well, but due to fighting backstage after another group allegedly stole their property, they are now banned from returning to the Download Festival. Lead singer Donny Tourette
Donny Tourette
Donny Tourette is an English singer-songwriter best known for his work with the pop rock band Towers of London...
was brought before Cambridge Magistrates Court in June 2005, for criminal damage during a show at Cambridge Anglia Ruskin University in February 2005. He was ordered to pay £775 of compensation, court costs and fines.
During June 2006, Towers of London released their debut album Blood, Sweat and Towers
Blood, Sweat and Towers
Blood, Sweat and Towers is the debut album of English punk rock band the Towers of London, released on 5 June 2006. The album features thirteen tracks, four of which have been released in the United Kingdom as singles....
. It was produced by Stacy Jones and Bill Lefler. The album featured thirteen tracks, including the five singles they have released to date.
TV series and support dates
Towers of London opened for Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
on two of their 2006 summer UK tour dates, Dirk commented; "Guns N' Roses? What more can you say? We're going to have it this weekend!". During the summer of 2006 the band played on the main stage at the 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...
. Bravo TV aired a ten part TV series about the band, after camera crews followed them for around for a year. The show, named simply The Towers of London, featured footage of various performances including the 2005 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 saw them banned from the event. Various clips have already been released on the internet, one which shows members of the band assaulting a member of the public after being provoked. The show launched on 19 October.
Dirk Tourette had an altercation with the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band 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...
, in which he allegedly threw a lit cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
at the band's drummer Bob Bryar at their in-store performance. Members of the band, who attended because of "free booze", got into a scuffle with My Chemical Romance's tour managers.
In October 2006, Towers of London supported 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...
, on three of their UK tour dates in London, Liverpool and Glasgow. The band then released their fifth Single, "I'm A Rat
I'm a Rat
"I'm a Rat" is the fifth single by punk rock band Towers of London. It was taken from their debut album Blood, Sweat and Towers.-Overview:Released on February 12, 2007 via independent label TVT Records, the single follows the theme of typical British Saturday night drinking culture. This single is...
", on 12 February 2007.
Donny Tourette joined Celebrity Big Brother 5
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
on 3 January 2007, at the start of the series. He made his entrance by swearing at the crowd, and making rude gestures until he was ushered along the red carpet by security guards. He then left the show after just 48 hours in equally dramatic fashion, by scaling a wall to escape. Tourette refused to serve fellow housemate Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
(who in interviews he referred to as "The Pig") and family after the house was divided into two sections.
Following this, he also appeared on the comedy panel game show 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...
. During the episode, Tourette was the target of repeated jibes from host Simon Amstell
Simon Amstell
Simon Marc Amstell is a BAFTA nominated, award-winning English comedian, television presenter, screenwriter and actor, best known for his roles as former co-host of Popworld, former host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and co-writer and star of the sitcom Grandma's House.-Early life:Amstell was born...
. At one point he grabbed his crotch and said to Amstell, "This is what I think of you" to which Amstell replied "You think me a small penis?". Later, in an attempt to be controversial, Tourette began smoking. "Oh my God!", Amstell declared, "Donny is smoking! A cigarette you can legally buy in a shop!". Tourette was branded "as punk as Enya" after losing his temper when the results were read out (Tourette's team had lost). Tourette also was heavily jibed for giving the answer "His helmet was blue", in response to the question of why Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
got in trouble with the law over a tin of purple paint. It was aired a couple of days before "I'm a Rat" was released.
The band proceeded with a full tour of the United Kingdom in support of its release. Towers of London had a lucky escape in February 2007, after a group of teenagers targeted the band with breeze blocks. The five-piece were chatting to a group of fans after a gig outside York Fibbers when the incident happened. According to guitarist The Rev, Towers drummer Snell was a whisker away from ending up in hospital. One of the teenagers was caught and handed over to the police.
Rev and Snell leave - New album
On 13 July, it was revealed by NMENME
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 The Rev and Snell had left the band because they believed 'their future is not with the band'. However, Towers of London would continue their tour throughout July, drafting in friends Kristian Marr and Aaron Attwood to fill the positions.
The band then retreated to prepare their second album, putting up four songs called "The Bible", "The Towers Waltz", "Naked On The Dancefloor" and "Start the Rupt" on their 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....
in the meantime. Towers of London auditioned for a drummer and lead guitar player, meeting such musicians as Ben Taylor, (who went on to drum for the Towers at their comeback gig in Harlow), and guitarist Tom Earl (formerly of the hard rock groups Rope & Widow and Swallow This).
Former members Rev and Snell played with the Prodigy as part of their live band throughout 2007. More recently, they formed a punk outfit, DAY 21
Day 21
Day 21 are an English punk rock group, led by Jimmy Pursey.On 21 January 2008, Pursey announced that, due to ongoing confusion to fans, he would no longer be associated with the name Sham 69, and that his new band would perform under the name, Day 21....
, with Jimmy Pursey
Jimmy Pursey
Jimmy Pursey is an English singer and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band, Sham 69 from 1976 to 1980, and from 1986 to 2006.-Biography:...
and bassist Mat Sargent from Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
.
Snell now plays for The Loyalties, with Tom Spencer
Tom Spencer
Tom Spencer may refer to:*Tom Spencer , American former Chicago White Sox outfielder and minor league baseball manager*Tom Spencer , British cricketer and international umpire...
(ex-The Yo-Yos
The Yo-Yos
The Yo-Yos were a rock n'roll band, formed in 1998 by ex- The Wildhearts bassist, Danny McCormack and singer / guitarist Tom Spencer after the two met at a Toy Dolls recording session...
), Rich Jones
Rich Jones
Rich Jones is an English guitarist born in Coventry in 1973. He has since lived and played music in Toronto, Vancouver, and Los Angeles before settling in London, England....
(ex-The Black Halos
The Black Halos
The Black Halos are a Vancouver, BC based punk rock band founded in 1993 by lead singer Billy Hopeless and guitarist Rich Jones as The Black Market Babies. The band was briefly on Sub Pop Records, and later signed with History Music...
, Amen
Amen (band)
Amen is a hardcore punk-influenced band formed in 1994.The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos remaining as the only constant member throughout...
, Alec Empire
Alec Empire
Alec Empire is a German musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot. Also a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer and DJ, he has released well over a hundred albums, EPs and singles and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk...
) and Lee Jones (ex-Deadline).
Fizzy Pop
On 6 June 2008, the band played a comeback gig at Club Quattroz in Harlow, Essex. They used James Phillips (guitar) and auditionee Ben Taylor (drums) for the gig. The set consisted of four songs from their debut album, and a variety of brand new songs. A few months later, the band updated their MySpace with a selection of dates for mid October 2008, where a mini-tour would occur to coincide with their new album, Fizzy PopFizzy Pop
Fizzy Pop is the Towers of London's second album. Released 6 October 2008, it contains the singles "Naked on the Dance Floor" and "Go Sister Go".-Track listing:#"Naked on the Dance Floor"#"Go Sister Go"#"Time Is Running Out"#"1984 "...
(released September 29). For this, the band dropped Taylor on drums, and took on another school friend.
"Go Sister, Go", a track from the album, was released as a single in early 2009.
2009 events and 'Back to Basics' Tour
In January 2009, the band were ready to tour Europe again, starting with a warm-up at the Queens Hotel in Weymouth. However, after a brief stint in Europe, the band fell silent in May that year. In September 2009, The Towers of London posted dates for a 'Back to Basics' tour. An acoustic set with Donny and Dirk Tourette was arranged for their first gig in early October. However, their next scheduled appearance at Rockfest was cancelled, due to problems beyond the bands' control.New album
According to the bands MySpace page, on March 30, 2011 they announced they would be recording their 3rd album this summer.Former
- "The Rev" Paul James (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...
) (2004–2007) - Snell "Neil Eldridge" (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 ....
) (2004–2007)
Albums
- Blood, Sweat and TowersBlood, Sweat and TowersBlood, Sweat and Towers is the debut album of English punk rock band the Towers of London, released on 5 June 2006. The album features thirteen tracks, four of which have been released in the United Kingdom as singles....
, June 2006, TVT Records - Fizzy PopFizzy PopFizzy Pop is the Towers of London's second album. Released 6 October 2008, it contains the singles "Naked on the Dance Floor" and "Go Sister Go".-Track listing:#"Naked on the Dance Floor"#"Go Sister Go"#"Time Is Running Out"#"1984 "...
, October 2008, Vibrant Records
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | 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 ... |
UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
|||
| 2005 | "On a Noose" | 32 | 1 | 4 | Blood, Sweat and Towers Blood, Sweat and Towers Blood, Sweat and Towers is the debut album of English punk rock band the Towers of London, released on 5 June 2006. The album features thirteen tracks, four of which have been released in the United Kingdom as singles.... |
| "Fuck It Up" | 46 | 7 | 9 | ||
| "How Rude She Was" | 30 | 8 | 3 | ||
| 2006 | "Air Guitar" | 32 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2007 | "I'm a Rat I'm a Rat "I'm a Rat" is the fifth single by punk rock band Towers of London. It was taken from their debut album Blood, Sweat and Towers.-Overview:Released on February 12, 2007 via independent label TVT Records, the single follows the theme of typical British Saturday night drinking culture. This single is... " |
46 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2008 | "Free Bird Free Bird "Free Bird" is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd... " |
- | - | - | iTunes ITunes iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... Exclusive |
| "Naked on the Dancefloor" | - | - | 5 | Fizzy Pop Fizzy Pop Fizzy Pop is the Towers of London's second album. Released 6 October 2008, it contains the singles "Naked on the Dance Floor" and "Go Sister Go".-Track listing:#"Naked on the Dance Floor"#"Go Sister Go"#"Time Is Running Out"#"1984 "... |
|
| 2009 | "Go Sister, Go" | - | - | - |
External links
- Towers of London at MySpace.com
- [ Biography] at Allmusic
- Towers Of London lose two band members