ATOMIC ROOSTER

ATOMIC ROOSTER

Since reforming in 2016, with the blessing of band founder Vincent Crane's widow, ATOMIC ROOSTER , with their early 70's heyday guitar player STEVE 'BOLTZ' BOLTON at the helm the band have gone from strength to strength playing scores of festivals in the UK and Europe and frequently touring to a steadily growing fanbase.

Aside from their two 70's UK and USA chart hits, DEVIL'S ANSWER and TOMORROW NIGHT, 'Rooster are also much acclaimed for at least two classic proto-metal-gothic-prog albums in the shape of the legendary 'DEATH WALKS BEHIND YOU' album from 1970 and 'IN THE HEARING OF...' released the following year. Both these albums plus the following 'MADE IN ENGLAND' with Chris Farlowe on vocals and Steve Bolton on guitar (not to mention SPINAL TAP's legendary drummer RICK PARNELL on drums!) have firmly established ATOMIC ROOSTER at the vanguard of British Progressive music.

The current line-up draw heavily on these early classics as well as new material from their latest album 'CIRCLE THE SUN' which was released in the Summer of 2024.

PERSONEL

STEVE 'BOLTZ' BOLTON - Guitar and Vocals - Steve's CV is pretty epic. Successfully auditioning as a teenager for the Atomic Rooster job, following that he played with - in no particular order - Belinda Carlisle, 6'3'', Vampire Bats, Scott Walker, Paul Youngs Royal Family, including playing on and touring behind the 80's mega-hit album NO PARLEZ. He toured the world playing guitar with THE WHO for two years and can claim to have been deafened by JOHN ENTWISTLE'S vast bass rig. He's played with Iggy Pop, Chris Isaak, Lemmy, Bob Dylan, blues legend HUBERT SUMLIN, Richard Strange, he's toured America with John Otway, jammed with Keith Richards and Steve Jordan. He currently plays with his own band DEAD MAN'S CORNER, does many solo shows, is a talented and humourous raconteur and has taught guitar and stagecraft at the School of Rock in London.

ADRIAN GAUTREY - Keyboards and Vocals- Adrian is cut from superior cloth to most musicians. A profoundly gifted musician and singer, Adrian is well beyond proficient on keys, guitar and pedal steel. He regularly tours with, among many others, USA blues chanteuse SARI SCHORR, Hollywood A-lister KEIFER SUTHERLAND, Huey Morgan's FUN LOVING CRIMINALS, Liverpool legend PETE WYLIE. Last year he played Hammond and piano on ROBIN TROWER'S most recent album. He plays many, many sessions as well as shows with his own ADRIAN GAUTREY BAND. Since the departure in 2023 of Peter French he has taken over the vocal role in ATOMIC ROOSTER to great effect

SHUG SPENCER - Bass. Joined Rooster when they first got back together in 2016. Was in the late DENNY LAINE'S band, played with the NEW AMEN CORNER, worked with world class drummer GED LYNCH ( Peter Gabriel, Goldfrapp, Clannad, Black Grape, Dave Gilmour, Imagined Village and many more. Bass player with the lamented HIDING MAGPIES, FRUITLESS FOREST, THE MIGHTY REVELATORS, THE CHEATING HEARTS and many, many more.

PAUL EVERETT -DRUMS - Paul is pretty much Liverpool's busiest drummer - 300 shows a year is nothing to this guy! A professional since leaving school, a resident a Liverpool's uber-famous CAVERN, Paul propels The Mighty ATOMIC ROOSTER with great style and elan.

THE HISTORY LESSON

In the summer of 1969, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown split in the middle of a second US tour. Keyboardist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer left, returning to England to discuss a collaboration with Brian Jones, who had just been let go from the Rolling Stones. After Jones's death on 3 July 1969, they adopted the name Atomic Rooster (with influence from the US band Rhinoceros) and soon recruited Nick Graham on bass and vocals. They followed with what had been the Crazy World of Arthur Brown arrangement of vocals, organ, bass and drums.

They soon undertook live dates around London; at their first headlining gig at the London Lyceum on 29 August 1969, the opening act was Deep Purple. They eventually struck a deal with B & C Records and began recording their debut album in December 1969. Their first LP, Atomic Roooster, was released in February 1970, along with a single, "Friday the 13th".

By March, Crane felt it was best that they add a guitarist and recruited John Cann from acid/progressive rock band Andromeda.However, just as Cann joined, bassist-vocalist Graham left. Cann (who played guitar and sang for Andromeda) took over vocal duties, while the bass lines were overdubbed on Crane's Hammond organ with a combination of left hand and pedals, and the vocals were replaced with Cann's vocals and some guitar on four tracks.Atomic Rooster resumed gigging until the end of June 1970, when Carl Palmer announced his departure to join Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Ric Parnell filled the drum spot until August, when Paul Hammond was recruited from Farm. They then recorded their second album, Death Walks Behind You, released in September 1970. Originally it was not commercially successful, as with the first album, but by February 1971, the single "Tomorrow Night" reached No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart, with the album reaching No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart. Atomic Rooster made an appearance on the Top of the Pops, and toured to support the album.

In June 1971, just before they began configuring their line-up once again, the single "Devil's Answer" hit No. 4 in the UK. Atomic Rooster began recording In Hearing of Atomic Rooster (UK No. 18). Crane felt the band needed a singer who could "project" to an audience and asked Leaf Hound vocalist Pete French to join the band. Cann began to feel increasingly marginalised, having been relieved of vocal duties and especially after hearing how much Crane had mixed out most of his guitar work on the album. He promptly left the band. Paul Hammond followed him to form Bullet, later renamed Hard Stuff. French recorded all the vocals on the album (save for "Black Snake", sung by Crane), and the album was released in August 1971.

The Atomic Rooster line-up featuring Pete French on vocals, Steve Bolton on guitar, Ric Parnell on drums and Crane on keyboards toured Italy, then across America and Canada. This line-up played at a benefit gig in September 1971 at The Oval cricket ground, appearing in front of some 65,000 people, supporting the Faces and the Who. They continued touring into at least December of 1971,but French then moved on to sign with Atlantic Records and joined the American rock band Cactus.

In February 1972 Crane recruited vocalist Chris Farlowe, at that time with Colosseum, to take the place of French They went on tour and recorded their first album together in the spring of 1972. They then released the album Made in England along with the single "Stand by Me", on Dawn Records.

Guitarist Steve Bolton left at the end of 1972.