reck'n'roll: June 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

THUNDER ROCKS, THUNDER ROLLS

I guess just about everyone has a favourite band that you just cant figure out how they didnt become arena filling super duper mega-stars....and here is mine...the mighty THUNDER...originally saw them in the U.K at Donnington Festival along with Poison, The Quireboys, Whitesnake and Aerosmith...then I got them on a Hard'n'Heavy dvd (that highlighted the same Donington ) then a few years went by and I was in the $10 c.d shop in Pitt St in Sydney and lo and behold I got a hold of a compilation cd titled Rock Champions :Thunder and thus my spark was re-ignited and I went on a hunt for as much Thunder stuff as I could get my hands on....even got Deb into them BIGTIME....anyway to the tale of Thunder

the boys originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder. Retaining Terraplane drummer Gary James (popularly known as 'Harry' James), they completed the line-up with bassist Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst and guitarist/keyboard player Ben Matthews.....and apart from bass players being replaced twice, the line-up remained solid...they released a few albums up until there first "retirement" 5 years and two minutes later..my personal favourite release would probably be the "Laughing on Judgement Day" album...as for my fave tune...WELL...have a listen to the comp and pick your own, it's too hard to just pick one...HAHAHA.....In 1998, the band released Live. The album was a concert recorded at Wolverhampton and Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. A DVD was released also featuring the video to the album...with an OUTSTANDING cover of Lazy Sunday afternoon, mid -gig, its worth picking up, just for that alone.

In 1999 they released their fifth studio album "Giving The Game Away"; toning the guitars down in favour of a mellower approach with more keyboards. This album was released to coincide with the band's tenth anniversary; however they announced in autumn 1999 that they were to split, much to the dismay of their fanbase, many of whom had followed them from the beginning. Following a UK tour in November 1999, and some dates in Japan in early 2000, they bowed out on 4 May 2000 with a show at Camden Dingwalls in London, which was recorded for the album They Think It's All Over... It Is Now.

Thunder were tempted back into action by a slot on the touring Monsters of Rock UK arena shows in late 2002. They returned in November 2003 with a new album called Shooting at the Sun released on their own label - STC Recordings.....Their second self-released album, The Magnificent Seventh spawned a top 30 single, "I Love You More Than Rock And Roll" in March 2005, reaching #27 in the UK Singles Chart....with an equally outstanding video....Their resurgence can be traced through the venues booked for their live tours. In 2006 Thunder returned, for the first time since the days of the EMI released Back Street Symphony album, to headline the Hammersmith Apollo at the end of a 12 date UK tour.

The band released their eighth studio album on 30 October 2006, entitled Robert Johnson's Tombstone. It follows Thunder's traditions of good honest blues rock albums, with big riffs and big sing-along choruses...The single "The Devil Made Me Do It" taken from this album reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart on the 10 December 2006, and the video, produced and animated by Andy Doran, also enjoyed significant success on its first week when uploaded to the YouTube site, and has received airplay on Scuzz TV.

Thunder undertook a European Tour in early 2007, their first in nearly 12 years, playing small venues in Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy. A further UK tour took place in November and December 2007. In February 2008 it was announced Thunder would be the opening act on the second leg of Def Leppard and Whitesnake's co-headline UK arena tour. The second leg in July 2008 opened in Cardiff International Arena before heading to Liverpool Arena and Nottingham Arena.

Thunder released their ninth studio album 'Bang!' in the UK on November 3, 2008 through their own STC label and in mainland Europe via Frontiers Records on 7 November 2008.[4] While writing the album they released three limited edition EPs, Six Of One,...Half A Dozen Of The Other and The Joy Of Six.

Thunder announced a decision to split ("hitch up our wagons and ride into the sunset") on 28 January 2009 via their website. The band cited outside interests as the reasons for the split with members of the band playing in other bands when not touring with Thunder. Danny Bowes mentioned the stresses of managing a website for the band, along with management and vocal duties taking their toll, added to the decision to split

The final full gig was played at the Hammersmith Apollo on July 11,and I got the dvd of that show...ROCKIN GIG INDEED... however the band made an appearance at the Rock of Ages festival in Germany on July the 31st. Their actual, very final, last time, ever appearance took place at the Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth where thanks to another band pulling out they were able to arrange a place on the bill at late notice. On Saturday the 1st of August 2009 at around 11pm Thunder took to the stage in a packed Bohemia tent and played a short final set.