GunAngel record artwork
GunAngel record artwork
GunAngel first promo poster
GunAngel by Kin Ho
* Will at the Spinnaker Tower
* Rob at the Spinnaker Tower
* 'P' & Pudsey at the Spinnaker Tower
* GunAngel on stage at the Spinnaker Tower
GunAngel on stage at BBC Children in Need
GunAngel on stage at 'Rock The Barn'
*'P' at Power Amped 2. Southampton Guildhall
* On stage at Power Amped 2
*'P' at Power Amped 2. Southampton Guildhall
* On stage at Power Amped 2
'P' & Will backstage with The Zutons
On stage at the Earthwise Festival
GunAngel at the Opera House
* Image © 2006 Antony Burdette-Clark
GunAngel...
Rob : Guitar & Vocals (13)
Will : Bass & Backing Vocals (13)
P : Drums & Backing Vocals (12)
The Start...
Bournemouth based 'Grunge Punksters' GunAngel have been friends since the age of 5 but it was only in March 2006 that they became a band. Perhaps it's inevitable that it took Nirvana to really fuel their passion - the songs, the clothes, the attitude, the suicide!
About this time the boys had started going to 'Numbers' in Boscombe. The classic 'basement/coffee bar/hang out' for young local muso's, the boys' emerging talent was spotted by youth worker, Laura Nicholson who gave them tons of encouragement and the opportunity to play at 'Set 2 Stun' at The Opera House in Boscombe.
The Opera House...
A couple of weeks of intense writing and rehearsing for GunAngel followed until they were ready to take to the stage for the first time. Mikes had to be lowered, mixing desk volumes were turned up a notch and GunAngel launched into their first number.
"On the second stage, and drawing the biggest audience are GunAngel. Raising (or lowering) the bar as far as young bands go, GunAngel are all 11 or 12 years old and open with an almost note-perfect 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Their crowd is a mix of fans and gob-smacked onlookers who are clearly as impressed as I am...!" Sam Goodman Fly Wessex
"I actually went to the Opera House last night, lasted about 5 bands but nice to see a few hundred in and all for a good cause. Musically not really my cuppa but nice to see a 12 year old trio singing a Nirvana song just for the sheer exuberance! Obviously the local talent is in the genes in these 'ere parts." Paul Hills Solid Air
The Earthwise Festival. 02.06.06...
As a result of their performance at 'Set 2 Stun' they were invited to play at the 'Earthwise' open air festival at Cerne Abbas. With a couple of new GunAngel songs under their belt, their own sound began to emerge and the boys proved that their earlier performance wasn't a one off.
"GunAngel have already played to a crowd of 700 in the Opera house and are just 11 & 12 years old - well worth checking out - they rock...!" Earthwise Festival Website
Where do we go from here? Recording Session...
Time to go into the studio to record their first EP. One day and four tracks. Two numbers from their first gig at the Opera House (Smells Like Teen Spirit and Somewhere) and two from Earthwise (My Generation and Suicidal Idol). 7 mikes on the drums, 2 on the VOX AC30 and 1 on the bass amp - this is what Hilary Porter at the Bournemouth Echo describes as "Grunge Punk", energetic, fast and loud. The results go some way in capturing the enthusiasm and writing talent of a (very) young band.
Download and listen for yourself!
Entitled 'Where do we go from here?' (A lyric from one of their own songs, 'Somewhere') the CD is sent to 102.3 2CR FM. Rob Smith becomes the first DJ to play GunAngel on the radio at prime time 6.20pm. On 'The Big Drive Home' he played snatches of 'My Generation' and 'Somewhere' and ends the broadcast with..."That's so brilliant, I love that, that's excellent...!"
Power FM's Rock School...
That same week the boys hear that they've been short listed from hundreds of entries to be played on Power FM as part of their search for a young band to open the station's 'Power Amped 2' celebrations at the Southampton Guildhall. Again the DJs are really impressed. After listening to the GunAngel version of The Who's My Generation, Andy from Power FM is full of praise..."They've put their own stamp on that song haven't they? Totally, and I can't believe they're 12...I seriously love it. I think it's absolutely brilliant, absolutely brilliant...!
Power Amped 2. Southampton Guildhall. 16.09.06...
The next day, and again live on air, GunAngel are told that they've won the competition. Saturday evening they open Power Amped 2 in front of 2,500 people and share the same stage as Vega4, Captain and The Zutons.
GunAngel totally rock the place!
"After an amazing opening with GunAngel the gig got off to a great start...Power Amped 2 certainly belonged to our winners, GunAngel." Emma Saint Power FM
The following Monday morning on Power FM's breakfast show, Rick Donner and Bob are thrilled with the boys' performance..."The highlight of the night must have been the 12 year olds from Christchurch, GunAngel who were superb...and the fact that during their set, watching from the side of the stage were Captain, Vega4 and The Zutons and they were all saying totally brilliant...how cool is that?"
Videos and a stills gallery of the band on stage are on the Power FM website. Live tracks from their set are played on air and as a result this site gets over 12,000 hits in September. Remarkably, at the end of October, the hit rate had risen to 21,000.
With increased traffic on the boy's MySpace site, it's clear that their fan base is growing daily. No doubt helped by Sianie Henderson, a young DJ at Brighton & Hove University Radio and an enthusiastic supporter of the band. She was there at the Guildhall gig, requested their CD, and is now playing the boy's music on her radio show at every opportunity. Indeed, after the first time she played GunAngel and mentioned this website, the download capacity of the site was exceeded twice!
Depression State Recording Session...
In response to demand GunAngel went back into the studio to record 4 new tracks. Again they chose to work with Martin at Active Music in Poole. (A great job again Martin - thanks!)
The result is a bigger, heavier and darker sound than their previous recordings and demonstrate a maturity in both playing and songwriting that is way beyond their years. (Listen to Depression State, crank it up to 11 and you'll see what we mean!)
Depression State (GunAngel). Jesus don't want me for a Sunbeam (Vaselines). Nancy Boy (Placebo). Screw It (GunAngel).
Depression State and Screw It are now available to download on the 'Music' section of this site. The other tracks from the session will be uploaded soon - so keep checking back...
The Thomas Tripp Late'n'Live. Christchurch. 14.11.06...
No sooner had the session been mixed than it was time for the boys to play the first GunAngel gig in their own right.
As it was the week of Children in Need, the band decided that all the money from ticket, poster and badge sales would go to the charity. The Thomas Tripp Late'n'Live in Christchurch was the venue and it was... superb!
Markey played some cracking music all evening. Johnny Lovell was extraordinary in working the crowd (the boys think you are a God), the audience packed the front of the stage, strobe lights flashed, smoke engulfed the club and GunAngel took the stage...
Their 40 minute set seemed to last about 10, as they 'express trained' their way through all their recorded work with a couple of new songs thrown in for good measure.
There's no doubt it was GunAngel's night but it belonged to their friends and their fans - it was a fantastic evening.
And to top it all Rob, Will, 'P' and all their friends raised £650 for Children in Need...not bad at all for 40 minutes work!
Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower. 'Pudsey's Big Gig' for BBC Children in Need. 17.11.06...
Two days later they were off to Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower for 'Pudsey's Big Gig'. They joined Sandie Thom (I wish I was a punk rocker) and 'The Cheeky Girls' for BBC South Today's contribution to the evening of Children in Need.
The wind howled and the rain was torrential but it didn't dampen the boys' enthusiasm for what was a really great night. At one point it was touch and go as to whether the artists would be allowed to play their sets or not but the rain stopped, the stage started to dry out and GunAngel were given the OK to perform.
There wasn't much time for a sound check but as you would expect from the BBC, the sound was superb. All the camera guys did a great job of capturing the show for the big screen and there's no doubt it was "The Angels" best live performance to date. Listen to "Somewhere" recorded live from the gig on the music page of this site.
"The boys showed their true professionalism at such a young age and were amazing on stage!" Sarah Burbedge BBC
"They were fantastic!" Barbara Yates BBC
The Square, followed by the BIC. Bournemouth. 22.12.06...
It was 4.30 in the afternoon when the GunAngel boys took to the 2CR stage in Bournemouth. It was brilliant to see so many familiar faces in the audience, so thanks to all those who braved the cold and the Christmas crowds to come and lend their support. An excellent 4 song set ended with their punked version of 'Jingle Bells'. For 3 brief minutes the boys brought Bournemouth Square to a halt. Passers by stopped, camera phones flashed and there was even some pogoing at the front and the song ended with the biggest cheer of the day.
There was only just enough time for Rob to wish everyone a Merry Christmas before they packed their gear away and headed up the hill to the BIC to sound check ready for their guest appearance at the "That'll Be The Day Christmas Show".
It was a full house - just over 3,000 people. Trevor introduced the audience to each of the boys in turn and told them about their considerable achievements throughout the year. The guys then powered their way through Jingle Bells for the second time that day - but this time through the same PA rig that Status Quo use for their BIC concerts...!
Two great, if very different, gigs in one day and further proof, if it was ever needed, that GunAngel are continuing to go from strength to strength.
Jingle Bells Recording Session...
After such a great response to the track in Bournemouth Square and the BIC, the boys just HAD to record 'Jingle Bells', so it was back into Active Music at the first opportunity after the holiday.
Two and a half hours was the allotted time. Not a lot to set-up, warm-up record, overdub and mix but the boys blasted through the track with their usual enthusiasm and Martin did a great job of mixing (and keeping his cool) under an onslaught of E.T. impersonations!
Not an entirely serious session but great fun and the boys produced a cracking version of a very dull song. Listen to it now on the music page of this site...
Rock the Barn. Southampton. 03.03.07...
First on the night's line-up was Sweet Chaos, an all-girl band from Winchester who played an excellent collection of beautifully crafted songs. A quick changeover and Chemical Sunset took to the stage. It was certainly their home turf and their set didn't disappoint.
When GunAngel exploded into their first number, however the evening went into a completely different gear - faster, louder and with a real sense of urgency. Depression State, Smells Like Teen Spirit and even Jingle Bells were given The Angel's treatment.
Two walls of death and much moshing later, the evening ended with a chant of "Gun Angel, Gun Angel, Gun Angel..." A great gig and a great reception from the Southampton crowd - thanks!