Blyth Power
Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer and drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of anarcho-punk bands Zounds and The Mob.[2] The band's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music and Porter's lyrics often centre on themes from mythology and history.
Blyth Power | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Somerset, England |
| Genres | Folk punk[1] |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | All the Madmen Midnight Music Downwarde Spiral Anagram Records |
| Members | Joseph Porter Annie Hatcher Jack Ellis Ben Bailey Hugo Hatcher |
The band have released more than a dozen studio albums, since 1993 on their own label Downwarde Spiral Records.
Career
Established in 1983 and named after a railway locomotive,[3] the one constant in an ever-shifting lineup has been drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Joseph Porter (real name Gary Hatcher, born 21 February 1962 in Templecombe, Somerset, England), who formed the band with Curtis Youé, another former member of anarcho-punk band The Mob.[4] The band have subsequently been through many line-up changes; their 1990 album Alnwick and Tyne featured Jamie Hince, later of The Kills, on lead guitar.
The band's first release was a cassette, A Little Touch of Harry in the Night, in 1984.[4]
Since 1993, Blyth Power recordings have been released on their own label, Downwarde Spiral. Since 2000 they have cut back on their touring schedule due to various personal commitments, but they have organised an annual mini-festival, the Blyth Power Ashes. The festival takes place in August of each year, and combines live music with a cricket match featuring band members and their associates. From 2011 the event moved to The Plough, in Farcet Fen near Peterborough due to its ever-increasing popularity. From 2015 to 2019, The Ashes took place at The Hunters Inn in Longdon, near Tewkesbury.[5]
Joseph Porter has also been involved with various side-projects, such as doing solo guitarist/vocalist performances and collaborating in two other bands, Red Wedding and Mad Dogs & Englishmen.
Musical style
The band's lyrics often deal with episodes from history, ranging from the Trojan War to the Cod Wars, as well as aspects of English culture such as cricket, village life and trains, as well as a lot of politics.[2] Porter is an avowed trainspotter, and in August 1998 the band appeared on the LWT religious affairs television programme Holy Smoke! in a slot in which musicians discussed their individual religions — with trainspotting cited as his religion.[6]
Members
Current members
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Joseph Porter |
|
| Annie Hatcher |
|
| Jack Ellis |
|
| Hugo Hatcher |
|
| Ben Bailey |
|
Former members
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Neil Keenan |
|
| Curtis Youe |
|
| Andy Morgan |
|
| Sarah Lewington |
|
| Martin "Protag" Neish |
|
| Steve Ardcorr |
|
| Jamie Hince |
|
| Sian Jeffreys |
|
| Julie Dalkin |
|
| Helen Rush |
|
| Wob Williams |
|
| Darren Tansley |
|
| John Rutherford |
|
| Chris Hopkins |
|
| Andrew "Jessi" Adams |
|
| Bambi |
|
| Gary Miller |
|
| Steven Cooper |
|
| Jerry Hellfire |
|
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK Indie [7][8] | ||
| A Little Touch of Harry in the Night[4] |
|
– |
| Wicked Women, Wicked Men and Wicket Keepers[4] |
|
6 |
| The Barman and Other Stories[4] |
|
– |
| Alnwick and Tyne[4] |
|
– |
| The Guns of Castle Cary[4] |
|
– |
| Karpov Crosses the Border |
|
– |
| Pastor Skull[4] |
|
– |
| Paradise Razed[9] |
|
– |
| Out from Under the King[9] |
|
– |
| The Bricklayer's Arms[9] |
|
– |
| On the Viking Station |
|
– |
| Fall of Iron |
|
– |
| Land Sea & Sky |
|
– |
| Women and Horses and Power and War |
|
– |
| The Power Behind the Throne |
|
– |
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| A Rededication of Pastor Skull |
|
| Gladly Give to Caesar |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Pont Au-Dessus de la Brue |
|
| Ten Years Inside the Horse |
|
Singles
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| "Chevy Chase" |
|
| "Junction Signal" |
|
| "Ixion" |
|
| "Up From the Country" |
|
| "Goodbye To All That" |
|
| "Better To Bat" |
|
| "A Wild Card To Play" |
|
Appearances
- "Reality Asylum" - cover version of the song by Crass on the compilation album You've Heard It All Before (1993)
Related albums
- When Death Went to Bed With a Lady (1998, Joseph Porter solo album)
- Going Down with Alice (2000, album by Mad Dogs and Englishmen, including Joseph Porter)
- Red Wedding (2004, acoustic album by Steven Cooper and Joseph Porter)
Videos
- Do the One About the Horse (1990)
- Live in Harlow (1995)
References
- Hall, Duncan (18 December 2015). "Cult folk-punks Blyth Power play in support of rail renationalisation under Brighton Station". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 157–158. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- Harris, Craig. "Blyth Power Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- Larkin, Colin (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 58. ISBN 0-85112-657-X.
- "Blyth Power : News Page". Blythpower.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- Holy Smoke!. Season 2. Episode 5. 17 August 1998. LWT.
- Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
- "Blyth Power". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- "Blyth Power Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.