Voorhees (band)
Encyclopedia
Voorhees is a hardcore punk
band formed in Durham, England. From early 1990 until late 2001 they released numerous records on various international record labels and toured Europe and the USA frequently. Although essentially disbanded, the group has reformed for rare shows in 2004 and 2010.
in September 1991.
Voorhees started gigging regularly including a UK tour with Slapshot
, and released the Violent... EP on Armed With Anger Records. Michael Gillham (drums) and Graeme Nicholls (lead guitar) joined the others to form the first stable line-up. Early in 1994, the band's debut LP, "Spilling Blood Without Reason" was recorded and released on AWA Records. A European tour and a John Peel
Session was recorded for BBC Radio 1
in early 1995.
Maximumrocknroll magazine's review of the first album; "...I sensed that Voorhees could blow doors off, not just peel the paint. So here you've got it - a 26 track LP harkening back to the days of hardcore bands having something that drove them, the kind of anger and frustration that drives some people out of the room and has others turning it up louder. Wow!"
Kerrang!
described the band's sound as a 'blistering" cross between "Discharge
and Extreme Noise Terror
".
Other releases recorded by the Voorhees line-up of this period were a split 7" with Stalingrad (AWA Records) and the "What You See Is What You Get" EP on Crust records. Voorhees made it to the US in April 1996, playing shows with Hatebreed
, 25 Ta Life
, Charles Bronson
, Dropdead
, Fit For Abuse and Los Crudos
among others, and playing in infamous hardcore dives like ABC No Rio
, CBGB's and the Bomb Shelter in Minneapolis. The line-up metamorphisized in the coming years, and Voorhees embarked on various U.S. and European tours before recording the final album, Crystal Lake's Legacy, on 6 Weeks Records in 2001.
in Liverpool
.
On April 23 and 24 of 2010, Voorhees re-banded to do shows in Amsterdam
(Netherlands) and Leeds
(UK). These gigs were meant to be with the classic 'Spilling Blood' line-up, but the volcano ash cloud which grounded all flights to and from Europe the week previous meant Graeme and Paul could not make it as they got stuck in the U.S. Sam Layzell filled in for both shows. He also plays in leeds bands such as Closure, Bonestorm and SickFuckinO with Ian leck.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band formed in Durham, England. From early 1990 until late 2001 they released numerous records on various international record labels and toured Europe and the USA frequently. Although essentially disbanded, the group has reformed for rare shows in 2004 and 2010.
History
Voorhees formed from the ashes of various other Durham based hardcore bands (Steadfast, Know Your Enemy, False Face, The MacDonalds). Ian Leck and Sean Readman were the driving force and principal songwriters, and the first lineup was completed by Darrell Hindley, Gary Cousins and David Brown. They played their first gig at the Rowing Club in DurhamDurham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
in September 1991.
Voorhees started gigging regularly including a UK tour with Slapshot
Slapshot (band)
-History:Slapshot was formed in 1985 by Steve Risteen and Mark McKay, formerly of Terminally Ill; Jack "Choke" Kelly, formerly of Negative FX and Last Rights; and Jonathan Anastas, formerly of Decadence and DYS...
, and released the Violent... EP on Armed With Anger Records. Michael Gillham (drums) and Graeme Nicholls (lead guitar) joined the others to form the first stable line-up. Early in 1994, the band's debut LP, "Spilling Blood Without Reason" was recorded and released on AWA Records. A European tour and a John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
Session was recorded for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in early 1995.
Maximumrocknroll magazine's review of the first album; "...I sensed that Voorhees could blow doors off, not just peel the paint. So here you've got it - a 26 track LP harkening back to the days of hardcore bands having something that drove them, the kind of anger and frustration that drives some people out of the room and has others turning it up louder. Wow!"
Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
described the band's sound as a 'blistering" cross between "Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
and Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror are a British crust punk / grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the...
".
Other releases recorded by the Voorhees line-up of this period were a split 7" with Stalingrad (AWA Records) and the "What You See Is What You Get" EP on Crust records. Voorhees made it to the US in April 1996, playing shows with Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, 25 Ta Life
25 ta Life
25 ta Life is an American band from New York City, originally formed in Queens, N.Y. in mid-1991.- History :The band was started by Frank Smarra and Harry Minas in Astoria, Queens, N.Y., they were soon joined by Fred Mesk and together wrote most of the material that would be on their early...
, Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (band)
Charles Bronson was a prolific powerviolence band from DeKalb, Illinois, existing from 1994 to 1997. Although they were often associated with the straight edge scene, only two of the members actually abstained from drug and alcohol use.-Musical style:...
, Dropdead
Dropdead
Dropdead is a hardcore punk band based in Providence, Rhode Island. Dropdead has been active in the punk scene since 1991. Dropdead tends to address subjects such as animal rights, pacifism, and anti-authoritarianism. The band members are supporters of the ALF.Their name is derived from the demo of...
, Fit For Abuse and Los Crudos
Los Crudos
Los Crudos was an American hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois that existed from 1991 to 1998. The band played in the hardcore punk style, and were a popular act within the DIY underground of the 1990s. Being Latino, they paved the way for later Spanish-speaking punk bands and helped to...
among others, and playing in infamous hardcore dives like ABC No Rio
ABC No Rio
ABC No Rio is a social center located at 156 Rivington Street on New York City's Lower East Side that was founded in 1980. It features a gallery space, a zine library, a darkroom, a silkscreening studio, and public computer lab...
, CBGB's and the Bomb Shelter in Minneapolis. The line-up metamorphisized in the coming years, and Voorhees embarked on various U.S. and European tours before recording the final album, Crystal Lake's Legacy, on 6 Weeks Records in 2001.
Recent Activity
In October 2004, the 'Spilling Blood Without Reason' line-up of Voorhees got together for a one-off show, "Night of the Living Dead At Sea", which was played on a ferry boat on the Mersey RiverMersey River
Mersey River may mean:*the Mersey River in Tasmania, Australia.*the Mersey River in Nova Scotia, Canada.*the River Mersey in Liverpool, England....
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
On April 23 and 24 of 2010, Voorhees re-banded to do shows in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(Netherlands) and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
(UK). These gigs were meant to be with the classic 'Spilling Blood' line-up, but the volcano ash cloud which grounded all flights to and from Europe the week previous meant Graeme and Paul could not make it as they got stuck in the U.S. Sam Layzell filled in for both shows. He also plays in leeds bands such as Closure, Bonestorm and SickFuckinO with Ian leck.
Discography
- Everybody's Good at Something... Demo Tape 50 copies made - Self Released 1992
- Fowlers Yard Demo Tape 1 copy made - Unreleased 1992
- Violent 7" 2000 copies made - Armed With Anger - 1993
- Everybody's Good at Something... Except Us! 7" flexi 1000 copies made - Armed With Anger - 1994
- Spilling Blood Without Reason LP 3000 copies made - Armed With Anger - 1994
- Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie / State Opression 7" Acetate 1 copy made - Armed With Anger - 1994
- split 7" w/ Stalingrad 1000 copies made - Thinking Smart / Caught Offside - 1995
- Smiling at Death CD 1500 copies made - Grand Theft Audio - 1996
- What You See Is What You Get 7" 2000 copies made - Crust - 1997
- Fireproof 7" 1000 copies made - Chainsaw Safety - 1998
- 13 LP 3000 copies made - Six Weeks / Armed With Anger - 1998
- 13 CD - Six Weeks / Armed With Anger - 1998
- split LP" w/ Devoid of Faith 5000 copies made - Coalition / Gloom 1999
- split CD w/ Devoid of Faith - Coalition / Gloom - 1999
- split 7" w/ Kill Your Idols 2000 copies made - Indecision - 2000
- Bookburner 7" 1500 copies made - THD - 2000
- split 7" w/ Insult 1000 copies made - Balowski Records - 2000
- split CD w/ Out Cold - Blackfish - 2000
- split 12" w/ Out Cold 1000 copies made - Deranged - 2001
- Crystal Lake's Legacy LP 1000 copies made - Six Weeks - 2001
- Crystal Lake's Legacy CD - Six Weeks - 2001
- Spilling Blood Without Reason - Reissue LP (with 4 extra tracks) 500 copies made - Armed With Anger - 2001
- split CD w/ Out Cold - Reissue - Thorp Records - 2002
- Spilling Blood Without Reason - Reissue LP (with 4 extra tracks) 500 copies made - Zandor - 2004
- split 7" w/ Radio Alice 1000 copies made - Hermit - 2004
- The Final Chapter CD - Violent Change - 2008
- Spilling Blood Without Reason Repress on Grot Records - 500 copies made - 2010
Compilations
- Consolidation 7" 2000 copies made - Armed With Anger - 1992
- Illiterate 12" 2000 copies made - Ebullition - 1993
- All For One... One For All CD - Grand Theft Audio - 1995
- Endless Struggle: The Worst of the 1 in 12 Club vol. 12/13 2x12" 2000 copies made - 1 in 12 Records - 1995
- The Boredom & the Bullshit 7" 1000 copies made - Refusenik - 1995
- Strictly Ballroom 7" 1000 copies made - Caught Offside - 1996
- A Means to an End 12" 2000 copies made - Armed With Anger - 1997
- Reproach 7" 5000 copies made - Ugly Pop - 1998
- Decade of Dissidence - Worst of the 1in12 Club Vol 14/15 CD 1000 copies made - 1 in 12 Records - 1999
- Hurt Your Feelings CD - Six Weeks - 2001
- Indecision Records Split Series CD - Indecision - 2001
- Off Target CD - Coalition - 2004
- The Bitter Days Ahead CD - Ghost City - 2005
Demo Line-up ca. 1990-1992
- Ian Leck - Vocals
- Sean Readman - Guitar
- Darrell Hindley - Guitar
- David Brown - Bass
- Gary Cousins - Drums
"Violent EP" Line-up ca. 1993
- Ian Leck - Vocals
- Sean Readman - Guitar
- Darrell Hindley - Guitar
- Paul Rugman-Jones - Bass
- Gary Cousins - Drums
"Spilling Blood LP" Line-up ca. 1993-1996
- Ian Leck - Vocals
- Sean Readman - Guitar
- Graeme Nicholls - Lead Guitar
- Paul Rugman-Jones - Bass
- Michael Gillham - Drums
"13 LP" Line-up ca. 1997-1998
- Ian Leck - Vocals
- Richard Armitage - Guitar
- James Atkinson - Lead Guitar
- Andrew Wright - Bass
- Dave Allen - Drums
"Crystal Lake's Legacy LP" Line-up ca. 1998-2001
- Ian Leck - Vocals
- Richard Armitage - Guitar
- James Atkinson - Lead Guitar
- Steve Stewart - Bass
- Dave Allen - Drums