YFriday
Encyclopedia
YFriday were a British
Christian rock
and worship
band from Newcastle upon Tyne
. From their beginning in 1994 until they split in 2010, they gained popularity amongst Christian music fans around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom. In 2010, YFriday announced that they were commencing their final months before disbanding later in the same year, after releasing a number of successful albums.
event run by Youth for Christ
called WhyFriday?. The WhyFriday? outreach programme initially had a regular attendance of about 50-60 young people, but this steadily grew and the programme, now called IXth Hour, is currently held in the Newcastle City Hall
, and has around 800 attendees each month. The band still played there regularly until 2010.
Following the 1999 release of the Rainmaker album, the band were approached by Kingsway
with an offer of a 3 year recording contract. Bassist Danny Smith joined the band in 2001, in time for the Open album. It was at this time that the band members made the decision to leave their jobs in order to work together full time,. They also released an EP.
From 2007 until 2010, the band supported the event Chesterfest, playing a number of gigs and performing at their "Funday on a Sunday". In February 2010, YFriday also performed alongside the worship team from Abundant Life Church
, Blush and Kev Whitmore at the "Heart for Haiti" concert supporting the NXT ministries projects in Port-Au-Prince after the January 2010 earthquake.
YFriday played their final concert as a band in a sold out Newcastle City Hall on 31 October 2010.
. The song received a prestigious ASCAP Award in 2008. The song was also nominated for a Dove award.
Ken has also collaborated with many other Christian songwriters including Matt Redman
, Martin Smith
(Delirious) and Tim Hughes
.
He co-produced the YFriday album, Great and Glorious, with successful producer and mixer Sam Gibson (Crowded House, Hillsong United). In 2010, Riley produced the album Supreme for the band The Steels, following their signing to Kingsway/EMI.
Ken is married to Amanda and has three children; Jaime, Jordan and Ben.
As of 2011, he is writing new material in preparation for a solo album.
and Minto Music Ltd, PA/lighting hire company with bases in Gateshead and Exeter
. He is married to Rachael and has 2 boys Oliver and Sam. After the band split, Minto relocated to Devon
.
, where he is part of the worship band and helps with the youth work.
. After the band split, YFriday Gav continues to work as a sound engineer/producer for Broadwater Studios as well as playing a number of instruments in an up and coming band The Last Spectacular.
Danny Smith:
Gav Richards:
Dez Minto:
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...
Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
and worship
Worship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
band from Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. From their beginning in 1994 until they split in 2010, they gained popularity amongst Christian music fans around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom. In 2010, YFriday announced that they were commencing their final months before disbanding later in the same year, after releasing a number of successful albums.
History
The group was formed in 1994, originally as the house band for a monthly evangelistic outreachEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
event run by Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
called WhyFriday?. The WhyFriday? outreach programme initially had a regular attendance of about 50-60 young people, but this steadily grew and the programme, now called IXth Hour, is currently held in the Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall is a concert hall, located in Newcastle upon Tyne which has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. Opened in 1927, the City Hall was built as a part of a development which also included the adjacent City Pool...
, and has around 800 attendees each month. The band still played there regularly until 2010.
Following the 1999 release of the Rainmaker album, the band were approached by Kingsway
Kingsway Communications
Kingsway Communications is a prominent British literature and music publisher of Christian material. It is one of the largest media related companies working the field of Christian interest. Since 1993, Kingsway has been a subsidiary of David C. Cook...
with an offer of a 3 year recording contract. Bassist Danny Smith joined the band in 2001, in time for the Open album. It was at this time that the band members made the decision to leave their jobs in order to work together full time,. They also released an EP.
From 2007 until 2010, the band supported the event Chesterfest, playing a number of gigs and performing at their "Funday on a Sunday". In February 2010, YFriday also performed alongside the worship team from Abundant Life Church
Abundant Life Church
The Abundant Life Church is a large Christian neocharismatic church based in Bradford,in the north of England, which is part of the British New Church Movement. It is led by senior Pastors Paul and Glenda Scanlon....
, Blush and Kev Whitmore at the "Heart for Haiti" concert supporting the NXT ministries projects in Port-Au-Prince after the January 2010 earthquake.
YFriday played their final concert as a band in a sold out Newcastle City Hall on 31 October 2010.
Ken Riley
Riley was the lead singer and guitarist of Yfriday. He is a prolific song writer and his most globally recognised song to is "Everlasting God" which was co-written with Brenton BrownBrenton Brown
Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music , serving as worship pastor at the Oxford...
. The song received a prestigious ASCAP Award in 2008. The song was also nominated for a Dove award.
Ken has also collaborated with many other Christian songwriters including Matt Redman
Matt Redman
Matt Redman is an English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author based in Brighton.He has worked with Newfrontiers, Passion Conferences, Hillsong London, Soul Survivor, is an artist for Sixstepsrecords and is a member of Compassionart a charity founded by Martin Smith.He appeared with...
, Martin Smith
Martin Smith
Martin Smith may refer to:*Martin Smith , British professor of robotics at the Open University*Martin Smith , British actor, singer and composer*Martin Smith , Irish boxer...
(Delirious) and Tim Hughes
Tim Hughes
Tim Hughes is a British worship leader and singer-songwriter. He is currently Director of Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in central London, and heads up Worship Central, an international worship training and resource centre.- Personal life :Hughes is the son of an Anglican...
.
He co-produced the YFriday album, Great and Glorious, with successful producer and mixer Sam Gibson (Crowded House, Hillsong United). In 2010, Riley produced the album Supreme for the band The Steels, following their signing to Kingsway/EMI.
Ken is married to Amanda and has three children; Jaime, Jordan and Ben.
As of 2011, he is writing new material in preparation for a solo album.
Dez Minto
Minto, the band's drummer, is also the Managing Director of Broadwater Studios Ltd, a recording studio in GatesheadGateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
and Minto Music Ltd, PA/lighting hire company with bases in Gateshead and Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. He is married to Rachael and has 2 boys Oliver and Sam. After the band split, Minto relocated to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Danny Smith
Smith joined the band as bassist in 2001 as they signed their first professional record contract. He is a member of an Anglican church in South TynesideSouth Tyneside
South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
, where he is part of the worship band and helps with the youth work.
Gav Richards
Keyboard, backing vocals and second guitar player, Richards was born and grew up in Hartlepool. He attends Newcastle Christian Life Centre, a church affiliated with Hillsong ChurchHillsong Church
Hillsong Church is a Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with Australian Christian Churches and located in Sydney, Australia. The church's senior pastors, Brian and Bobbie Houston, began the church in 1983 as the Hills Christian Life Centre in Baulkham Hills...
. After the band split, YFriday Gav continues to work as a sound engineer/producer for Broadwater Studios as well as playing a number of instruments in an up and coming band The Last Spectacular.
Albums
- Rainmaker (June 1999)
- Open (2001)
- RevolutionRevolution (YFriday album)Revolution is an album by the Christian rock band YFriday. Released in 2003, Revolution is the band's third studio album.-Track listing:# Rise – 3:19# Someone I Can Live For – 2:34# Revolution – 3:22# Hands Up – 4:10# 13 – 3:48...
(September 2003) - Universal (April 2006)
- The Universal BroadcastThe Universal BroadcastThe Universal Broadcast the first live CD and DVD from the, Newcastle based, English Christian Rock band YFriday. Released in March 2008, it features songs from most of the band's albums and one song not yet recorded in the studio and a bonus 'Behind The Scenes' DVD feature.Published on the...
(March 2008) - Great & Glorious (April 2009)
- Everlasting God: The Best of yFriday (August 2010)
EP
- Why Friday? (199?) - Very rare Audio Cassette Featuring 'Tear Down the Walls' among others.
- Songs of HeavenSongs of Heaven-Track listing:# Songs of Heaven # God of Creation # Your Mercy Falls # Glorious One # Come in Power # Falling Down -Personnel:* Ken Riley - Vocals & guitars* Gav Richards - Keyboards, guitars & backing vocals...
(2003)
Gear
Ken Riley- Gibson Les PaulGibson Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
Deluxe - Gibson Les Paul Junior
- Fender Telecaster Plus
- Fender Custom Shop Nocaster
- Danelectro 59
- Marshall 1986 50W amplifier
- Marshall 1960 TV cab
- Vox AC30Vox AC30The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound. First introduced in 1958 due to the growing demand for higher-wattage amplifiers, it became an iconic amplifier for British musicians and soon for others....
amplifier - Taylor GS Acoustic guitar
- Pedaltrain Pro pedalboard
- TC Electronic G-System
- TC Electronic VPD1 Pedal
- Z-VEX Fuzz Factory pedal,
- Z-VEX Box of Rock,
- Electro-HarmonixElectro-HarmonixElectro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
Big MuffBig MuffThe Big Muff is a fuzzbox produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar...
pedal - ShureShureShure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,...
Beta 58 microphone
Danny Smith:
- Fender Precision BassFender Precision BassThe Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
guitar - Fender Jazz BassFender Jazz BassThe Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
guitar - Ashdown ABM-500RC amplifier
- Ashdown ABM-410T cab
- Ashdown ABM-210T COMPACT cab
- Boss TU-2 tuner pedal
- Boss GEB-7 graphic pedal
- Ibanez TS9DX Pedal
- Z-VEXZ.Vex EffectsZ.Vex Effects is a boutique effects pedal company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their name derives from the name of founder Zachary Vex. The company's most famous product is the Fuzz Factory. All of their pedals are hand painted at their factory in Minnesota...
Wooly Mammoth pedal
Gav Richards:
- Korg TritonKorg TritonKorg Triton is a music workstation synthesizer featuring digital sampling and sequencing created by Korg. All Tritons use Korg's HI Synthesis tone generator. They are available in several models and various upgrade configurations. The Triton is world famous among many musicians for being a...
- M-AudioM-AudioM-Audio is a business unit of Avid Technology that designs and markets digital audio and MIDI interfaces, keyboards and MIDI controllers, synthesizers, loudspeakers, studio monitors, digital DJ systems, microphones, and music software...
Keystation Pro-88 - AppleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
MacbookMacBookThe MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the... - M-Audio Quattro
- Shure Beta 58 microphone
- Line 6 VariaxVariaxVariax is a line of modeling guitars marketed and developed by Line 6. It claims to be the first guitar able to emulate the tones of other notable electric and acoustic guitars. It also has a banjo and a sitar tone...
300 guitar - Orange AD30 amplifier
Dez Minto:
- Jalapeño custom drumkit
- SabianSabian (company)Sabian is a Canadian cymbal designer and manufacturer. It is a leading manufacturer of cymbals along with other top companies such as Zildjian, Paiste, and Meinl.-History:...
cymbals - DWDrum WorkshopDrum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
bass drum pedals - PearlPearl DrumsFounded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
hardware and stands
External links
- Official site
- Survivor (Record label)
- YFriday MySpace
- The Universal Broadcast: Live CD review
- Broadwater Studios(Dez Minto's Studio)
- The Last Spectacular (Gav Richards New Band)