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Current
line up: Damon Gough (all instruments and vocals)
Damon Gough, (a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy),
is the hottest star on the Manchester music scene at the moment.
Every major record label has fought for his signature, however
the one-man-band, originally from Breightmet in Bolton (now living
in Chorlton), is keeping his cool.
At a
1998 concert at the Manchester Boardwalk, no less than 17 A&R
men attended with cheque books handy. Appearing on the large video
screen above the stage, Damon decided to scare them; he made his
apologies for not attending (he was too nervous) and informed
them he had sent a video of himself playing in his bedroom instead.
After playing two numbers the video tape ended and a laughing
Damon appeared on stage much to the relief of the record execs.
- that's Manc attitude for you! Then again, he does have nerve;
he once succesfully persuaded a drunk Mark
E.Smith
to record one of his songs in return for a lift home from the
bar!
Like
Damon Gough himself, the music of Badly Drawn Boy is unique -
impossible to label - this is musical experimentation at its best!
He mixes jazz with rock, folk with funk, ambience with blues,
even classical with drum'n'bass, and it sounds great!
Damon
started his own aptly-named record label, Twisted Nerve, in 1997
with Manchester DJ Andy
Votel,
releasing Badly Drawn Boy's "EP1".
Copies of the 5-track 7" masterpiece are already changing hands
for hundreds of pounds. "EP1"
mixes funk with blues and Damon's unique 'recorded-at-home' sound.
Damon
Gough is now looked after by The
Verve's
management and signed to XL Recordings (alongside the likes of
The Prodigy).
With
the fantastic "EP3",
the equally raw "It
Came from Underground"
,the brilliant "Once
Around The Block",
and his cameo appearance on the recent U.N.K.L.E. album, Twisted
Nerve's offices received thousands of requests for Badly Drawn
Boy to release an album.
In July
2000, the amazing "The
Hour Of The Bewilderbeast"
climbed to Number 22 in the UK album charts after scooping the
Mercury Music Prize. With backing music from the likes of Doves,
Andy
Votel,
Alfie
and Mum
& Dad,
it also spawned the hit singles, "Another
Pearl"
and "Disillusion"
(No.26). Badly Drawn Boy is slowly becoming a household name but
Damon continues to live live as a legend in only his own household!
A true Manc!
Badly
Drawn Boy's official website can be found at: www.BadlyDrawnBoy.co.uk
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