Mark Richardson (musician)
Encyclopedia
Mark Richardson is an English
drummer
, of the UK
rock band Skunk Anansie
and formerly of Little Angels
and Feeder
.
and became a Leeds United F.C. fan
, as highlighted by his LUFC drumhead at Feeder's Leeds Academy gig. He grew up playing golf and rugby from the age of 5 and went on to be a competent golfer and played rugby union
for East Yorkshire
.
Richardson was married to Maria Guzenina
, a former VJ for MTV Europe. The couple divorced in 2001. Their son Alex was born in 1999. Guzenina was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 2007, re-elected in 2011 and appointed Minister of Health and Social Services in June 2011.
Richardson is a passionate biker and recently completed 'EnduroAfrica', a 2,500 km bike ride across South Africa
to raise money for the charity
, Riders For Health. Richardson has also competed in Dawn To Dusk 2007 as well as Enduro India and wants to compete in the Heroes Legend Rally (the original Paris-Dakar route).
Richardson makes a cameo appearance as a bouncer in the 2009 movie
, Souled Out
.
Junior). His first kit followed in'76. In 1986, when he first moved to Scarborough, he saw a band called "Mr. Thrud" (who later became Little Angels
) at a local music venue, after the show Richardson asked if he could roadie for the band. They agreed and he roadied for them up until they got their recording contract
. This association with the band led to him filling in for departed drummer Michael Lee
, before claiming the drummer's stool permanently in time for the recording of their third album, Jam, and he remained with the band until their split in 1994.
In 1991 he moved to London. Richardson has a custom made 13x7" 11 ply oak snare hand made by himself at the Yamaha Factory in Osaka, Japan. He endorses drum products such as Yamaha
drums, Zildjian cymbals, London Drum Company, Protection Racket cases, Vic Firth
sticks, Tuner Fish Lug Locks and Quick-Stick holder. Richardson has completed various drum clinics at events across the UK including Drum Fest 2004, Academy Of Contemporary Music (ACM) 2005, Scottish Drum Day 2006, Music Live 2006 to name a few. Richardson is also a regular tutor at music college
s in Guildford
, Surrey
and Brighton
, Sussex
. As well as this he also endorses Beached Academy which opened in his home town of Scarborough and was responsible for the involvement of JD Sports as sponsors in 2007/2008.
Richardson has recorded many sessions and played live with other artists including Globus
, Sunna
, Alistiar Cowan, Dollshouse, Mel B
, Ronan Keating
, ManOrMouse?, iMMa, Tony Iommi
and Natalie Imbruglia
as well as remixed singles for Ronan Keating
and Earth the Californian Love Dream.
in August 1995 after meeting them at the Kerrang! Awards. Skunk Anansie were looking for a permanent replacement for Robbie France so an audition was set up and Skunk were reborn. His first job with the band was to record some movie soundtrack
music for the film Strange Days
followed by the video for Charity. His first gig with the band was the Leeds Heineken festival. Skunk went on to tour extensively around the world, covering the globe many times over the next six years. Most notable support tours were Therapy?
and Lenny Kravitz
in Europe and Sevendust
, Rollins Band
, Rammstein
in the US. Skunk Anansie enjoyed success in the UK Charts with three Top 20 albums. Richardson played drums on their second album Stoosh
in 1996 and their third album Post Orgasmic Chill
in 1999. These albums were both certified platinum and gold in the UK respectively, and both sold over one million copies in Europe. Richardson also plays on the tracks from Paranoid and Sunburnt
at Skunk's live shows. Richardson has re-joined Skunk Anansie, after playing two gigs in April at the Water Rats venue in Kings Cross
, London
. A singles compilation Smashes and Trashes
is due for release in November with an ongoing tour.
, to help the band out on drum duties. Richardson had previously worked with Feeder when they supported b.l.o.w.
as well as Skunk Anansie. His first gig with Feeder was a warm-up for the Reading and Leeds Festivals
in 2002, at the Portsmouth
Wedgewood Rooms
on 21 August. Richardson recorded drums on 2002's "Comfort In Sound
", 2005's Pushing the Senses
, tracks for 2006's The Singles
album and 2008's Silent Cry
. All of these albums including Comfort in Sound
(his first album with Feeder) made the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
. On 6 May 2009, it was announced that Feeder had 'ended their partnership' with Richardson after seven years.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
and formerly of Little Angels
Little Angels
Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson...
and Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
.
Personal life
Richardson lived the first seven years of his life in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and became a Leeds United F.C. fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, as highlighted by his LUFC drumhead at Feeder's Leeds Academy gig. He grew up playing golf and rugby from the age of 5 and went on to be a competent golfer and played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire could be:*East Yorkshire Motor Services*An alternative name for the East Riding of Yorkshire*East Yorkshire , a former district of Humberside*East Yorkshire...
.
Richardson was married to Maria Guzenina
Maria Guzenina
Maria Guzenina-Richardson is a Finnish politician who became a household name in Finland after working as a VJ for MTV Europe from 1994 until 1997. Guzenina-Richardson was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 2007 and in 2011. She was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services on 22 June...
, a former VJ for MTV Europe. The couple divorced in 2001. Their son Alex was born in 1999. Guzenina was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 2007, re-elected in 2011 and appointed Minister of Health and Social Services in June 2011.
Richardson is a passionate biker and recently completed 'EnduroAfrica', a 2,500 km bike ride across South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to raise money for the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, Riders For Health. Richardson has also competed in Dawn To Dusk 2007 as well as Enduro India and wants to compete in the Heroes Legend Rally (the original Paris-Dakar route).
Richardson makes a cameo appearance as a bouncer in the 2009 movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Souled Out
Souled Out (film)
Soulboy is a 2010 British film directed by Shimmy Marcus about 17-year-old Joe McCain coming of age in 1974 amidst the northern soul scene. The film was shot in Stoke on Trent.-Plot:...
.
Music
Richardson first picked up drumsticks aged six at his friends house. Aged three whilst living in Dumblane, his grandmother bought him a tin drum for Christmas in 1976, (a LudwigLudwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
Junior). His first kit followed in'76. In 1986, when he first moved to Scarborough, he saw a band called "Mr. Thrud" (who later became Little Angels
Little Angels
Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson...
) at a local music venue, after the show Richardson asked if he could roadie for the band. They agreed and he roadied for them up until they got their recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
. This association with the band led to him filling in for departed drummer Michael Lee
Michael Lee (musician)
Michael Lee was an English drummer who toured and recorded with former Led Zeppelin musicians Robert Plant and Jimmy Page....
, before claiming the drummer's stool permanently in time for the recording of their third album, Jam, and he remained with the band until their split in 1994.
In 1991 he moved to London. Richardson has a custom made 13x7" 11 ply oak snare hand made by himself at the Yamaha Factory in Osaka, Japan. He endorses drum products such as Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
drums, Zildjian cymbals, London Drum Company, Protection Racket cases, Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
sticks, Tuner Fish Lug Locks and Quick-Stick holder. Richardson has completed various drum clinics at events across the UK including Drum Fest 2004, Academy Of Contemporary Music (ACM) 2005, Scottish Drum Day 2006, Music Live 2006 to name a few. Richardson is also a regular tutor at music college
Music College
Music Colleges were introduced in 2004 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in England. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, music. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Music Colleges will receive extra...
s in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. As well as this he also endorses Beached Academy which opened in his home town of Scarborough and was responsible for the involvement of JD Sports as sponsors in 2007/2008.
Richardson has recorded many sessions and played live with other artists including Globus
Globus (music)
Globus is the commercial name of a mix of producers, musicians and vocalists from the prominent movie trailer music production company Immediate Music...
, Sunna
Sunna (band)
Sunna are an Hard rock/Industrial rock band from Bristol, England. They released their third album, After the Third Pin on the 3rd October, 2011.- History :...
, Alistiar Cowan, Dollshouse, Mel B
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
, ManOrMouse?, iMMa, Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
and Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
as well as remixed singles for Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
and Earth the Californian Love Dream.
| Little Angels Little Angels Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson... |
1991 - June 1994 |
| b.l.o.w. B.l.o.w. b.l.o.w. were a short-lived English blues rock band from the mid nineties. The band released one full album, Pigs , a "mini-album" called Man And Goat Alike and a collection of singles and live recordings.- Lineup :... |
1994–1995 |
| Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009... |
June 1995 - September 2000 |
| Feeder Feeder -Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage... |
Jan 2002 - April 2009 |
| Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009... |
April 2009–present |
Skunk Anansie (1995 - 2001 and April 2009 - present)
Richardson joined Skunk AnansieSkunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
in August 1995 after meeting them at the Kerrang! Awards. Skunk Anansie were looking for a permanent replacement for Robbie France so an audition was set up and Skunk were reborn. His first job with the band was to record some movie soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
music for the film Strange Days
Strange Days (film)
Strange Days is a 1995 cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and produced and co-written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott and Vincent D'Onofrio. Despite positive reviews, the film was a...
followed by the video for Charity. His first gig with the band was the Leeds Heineken festival. Skunk went on to tour extensively around the world, covering the globe many times over the next six years. Most notable support tours were Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
in Europe and Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, Rollins Band
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
in the US. Skunk Anansie enjoyed success in the UK Charts with three Top 20 albums. Richardson played drums on their second album Stoosh
Stoosh
Stoosh is the second studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, first released in 1996.-Track listing:Tracks written by Dyer [Skin], Kent [Ace], Lewis [Cass], except as noted.#"Yes It's Fucking Political"#"All I Want"...
in 1996 and their third album Post Orgasmic Chill
Post Orgasmic Chill
Post Orgasmic Chill is the third studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, first released in 1999. Two album covers exist: the European version with the band lounging in an oceanside apartment, and the American version with the band standing on the Atlantic City boardwalk.-Track listing:...
in 1999. These albums were both certified platinum and gold in the UK respectively, and both sold over one million copies in Europe. Richardson also plays on the tracks from Paranoid and Sunburnt
Paranoid and Sunburnt
Paranoid and Sunburnt is the first studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, first released in 1995 via One Little Indian Records. It was re-released in 2005 with a DVD featuring the videos to the singles. This album was recorded with the band's original drummer, Robbie France but he is not...
at Skunk's live shows. Richardson has re-joined Skunk Anansie, after playing two gigs in April at the Water Rats venue in Kings Cross
Kings Cross, London
King's Cross is an area of London partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the London Borough of Islington. It is an inner-city district located 2.5 miles north of Charing Cross. The area formerly had a reputation for being a red light district and run-down. However, rapid regeneration...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A singles compilation Smashes and Trashes
Smashes and Trashes
Smashes and Trashes is a greatest hits album by the British rock band Skunk Anansie. It is a 15-track career-embracing album and includes three previously unreleased tracks; "Tear the Place Up", "Because of You" and "Squander". The bonus track edition includes acoustic versions of "Weak" and...
is due for release in November with an ongoing tour.
Feeder (March 2002 - April 2009)
In January 2002, Feeder's drummer Jon Lee took his own life in his Miami home. Richardson was asked by Feeder's frontman Grant NicholasGrant Nicholas
Grant Nicholas is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band Feeder, along with bassist Taka Hirose and drummer Karl Brazil.-Early years:...
, to help the band out on drum duties. Richardson had previously worked with Feeder when they supported b.l.o.w.
B.l.o.w.
b.l.o.w. were a short-lived English blues rock band from the mid nineties. The band released one full album, Pigs , a "mini-album" called Man And Goat Alike and a collection of singles and live recordings.- Lineup :...
as well as Skunk Anansie. His first gig with Feeder was a warm-up for the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in 2002, at the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
Wedgewood Rooms
The Wedgewood Rooms
The Wedgewood Rooms is a venue, in Southsea , Hampshire, UK, that hosts music and comedy events.It has a capacity of 450-500 people, and is located on Albert Road in Southsea. Recently it has hosted events from up-and-coming British pop and rock artists, such as You Me At Six, Kasabian, Mercury...
on 21 August. Richardson recorded drums on 2002's "Comfort In Sound
Comfort in Sound
Comfort in Sound is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Feeder, released on October 21, 2002 and also the first to be released by the band after the suicide of drummer Jon Lee earlier in the year...
", 2005's Pushing the Senses
Pushing the Senses
Pushing the Senses is the fifth album by the British rock band Feeder. It was released on Echo, Liberation Music and PIAS on 31 January 2005 in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, while being released on Pony Canyon in Japan on 10 February 2005...
, tracks for 2006's The Singles
Feeder The Singles
The Singles is Feeder's second UK compilation album, following the limited release b-sides album Picture of Perfect Youth.The album has 18 of their UK top 40 hit single tracks , with the exception of "Day In Day Out" and "Find The Colour", and includes the limited edition Arena Tour single "Comfort...
album and 2008's Silent Cry
Silent Cry
Silent Cry is the sixth full studio album by rock band Feeder. It was released by Echo, on 16 June 2008, on CD, deluxe CD, vinyl, and digital download. It was the follow-up to 2005's Pushing the Senses and in terms of all albums, the highly successful singles album in 2006...
. All of these albums including Comfort in Sound
Comfort in Sound
Comfort in Sound is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Feeder, released on October 21, 2002 and also the first to be released by the band after the suicide of drummer Jon Lee earlier in the year...
(his first album with Feeder) made the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. On 6 May 2009, it was announced that Feeder had 'ended their partnership' with Richardson after seven years.