Tony Moore (musician)
Encyclopedia
Tony Moore is an English
singer/songwriter, musician
, radio presenter
and music promoter. He was also one of the early members of Iron Maiden
. He first became famous in 1986 as keyboard player with the band Cutting Crew
, and in 1997 he founded The Kashmir Klub
to showcase live music in London
.
, Moore was working in the Hi-Fi department of Debenhams
store in Bristol
, and had just bought a small Korg
synthesiser when he saw an advertisement in the Melody Maker
for a keyboard
player for a London band. This turned out to be Iron Maiden. He contacted Steve Harris
, and even though their music was not the kind of thing Moore had played or really listened to before, he auditioned and was invited to join the band. He moved to London to begin rehearsals. At that time members of the band all had day jobs and rehearsed once or twice a week. As this was the height of the Pop rock
era, their first gig with the new line-up was at a pub called The Bridgehouse in Canning Town
.
In Moore's own words:
Moore left soon afterwards, and joked later that he left because he believed Iron Maiden would never make it. He then began working with Brian James (from The Damned) releasing a single on RADAR records and touring in support to Black Sabbath
and The Stranglers
before moving on to join a progressive rock band called England. In the early 1980s he formed his own group called Radio Java and made an album at Abbey Road Studios
that spawned a number one hit single in the Netherlands
before disbanding after the label closed down.
who went on to have a world wide hit with "(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight". For two more years he toured the world and recorded with the band, at which point he signed a solo deal with a small independent label in London
. He released one single to critical acclaim (including airplay from Bob Harris
) before joining forces with Argentine
singer/songwriter Marie Claire D'ubaldo. He co-wrote and co-produced tracks for her debut album on Polydor records that sold over 250,000 worldwide.
contest, hoping to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
. He finished 2nd in the competition, behind Lindsay Dracass
. He wrote other songs for the contest in earlier years.
More recently Moore has been touring acoustically in pubs all over the Home Counties. He also performs regularly at The Bedford and The Regal Room in London.
Early in 2008, Moore became the regular presenter of a one hour live show called "Lets Talk Music" for the Maltese
television station One TV . Broadcast every Thursday night at 8.35 pm (Maltese time), it features a panel of music professionals who discuss different aspects of the music business and answer questions from the audience, together with live performances by celebrity guests. He also has a regular Thursday morning preview slot on the show "One Breakfast".http://www.one.com.mt/index.php?id=69
in London. The formula of providing an excellent sound system
, sourcing the best of emerging and established artists, hosting the show - like live TV - and getting everyone to perform in an acoustic and "back to basics" format, quickly made it into one of the most important live music venues in London. Over its seven year history Moore introduced debut London performances from Damien Rice
, Tom Baxter
, Lucie Silvas
, and KT Tunstall
as well as unannounced sets from Sheryl Crow
, Dave Stewart
, Fleetwood Mac
, Nik Kershaw
, Rick Astley
and many more. The Kashmir closed in 2003 after the building was closed for re-development.
In July 2003 he took over the management of music nights at The Bedford in Balham
, creating a similar live music venue, with an emphasis on emerging talent as well as established acts. In 2004 it won Best Pub in the country, it has twice won the best pub and club award as well as the Evening Standard
pub of the year. Moore was one of the first promoters to pioneer the use of the internet and the regular live performances at The Bedford are freely available to all four nights a week, via a dedicated webcam
and chatroom.
From 2003–2005 Tony Moore also co-presented an overnight show on BBC London
94.9fm where he brought live music
guests into the studio
and championed the cause of new talent.
In 2004 he was made the sole Inductee into the MMF (Music Managers Forum) Roll of Honour for outstanding contribution to the British Music Industry.
In 2006 he started to collaborate with Quirky Motion on the weekly Bedford Bandstand music program, which he presents. Each show seeks to bring a new artist to a wider audience. These episodes are freely available both as a podcast
and on YouTube
.http://www.bedfordbandstand.com/
Tony Moore opened an additional live acoustic venue, The Regal Room, in December 2006, based at The Distillers, 64, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London. Showcasing up and coming artists, this is run along the same lines as the Kashmir Klub and The Bedford, with free entry and live webcasts.http://www.myspace.com/theregalroom
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...
singer/songwriter, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, radio presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and music promoter. He was also one of the early members of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. He first became famous in 1986 as keyboard player with the band Cutting Crew
Cutting Crew
The Cutting Crew is a pop rock band formed in England in 1985, best known for their #1 hit, " Died in Your Arms".-Career:Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin...
, and in 1997 he founded The Kashmir Klub
The Kashmir Klub
The Kashmir Klub was a unique, non profit making, live music club housed in the basement of a Restaurant and Bar called "Fabrizio" at the "Baker and Oven" at No 6 Nottingham Place, central London, England...
to showcase live music in 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...
.
Iron Maiden
Tony Moore's background in the music industry has been eclectic and diverse. The first band he joined in 1977 was (the then unknown) Iron Maiden. A fan of Progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, Moore was working in the Hi-Fi department of Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
store in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and had just bought a small Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
synthesiser when he saw an advertisement in the Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
for a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player for a London band. This turned out to be Iron Maiden. He contacted Steve Harris
Steve Harris (musician)
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
, and even though their music was not the kind of thing Moore had played or really listened to before, he auditioned and was invited to join the band. He moved to London to begin rehearsals. At that time members of the band all had day jobs and rehearsed once or twice a week. As this was the height of the Pop rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
era, their first gig with the new line-up was at a pub called The Bridgehouse in Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
.
In Moore's own words:
"The whole gig was a bit of a blur (as live performances often are). The adrenaline, the nerves, the concentration all played their part to produce a misty memory of the event.
However, I think it is right to say, everyone felt there was something fundamentally not right in what was happening. For my part, I felt that the whole show felt a little pub rock and amateurish, I didn't think that my contribution was actually enhancing the band.
In many ways it was an important bad gig. I think that, had the gig gone well, we may have struggled on with that lineup when, in hindsight, it was so obviously wrong.
The following weeks produced a sense of unrest within the band and a feeling that things were unspoken and resentments and frustrations were being surpressed [sic] just below the surface. I remember the last rehearsal I had with the group, in a railway arch midway between Elephant and CastleElephant and CastleThe Elephant and Castle is a major road intersection in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is also used as a name for the surrounding area....
and Blackfriars BridgeBlackfriars BridgeBlackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station...
, where things seemed strained and un-natural.
I think I realised at that point, that the band didn't really need a keyboard player. No matter how much I liked and respected Steve's dream, and passion and energy, I didn't seem to fit in."
Moore left soon afterwards, and joked later that he left because he believed Iron Maiden would never make it. He then began working with Brian James (from The Damned) releasing a single on RADAR records and touring in support to Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
before moving on to join a progressive rock band called England. In the early 1980s he formed his own group called Radio Java and made an album at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
that spawned a number one hit single in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
before disbanding after the label closed down.
Cutting Crew
In 1986 Moore was invited to play keyboards with a new band called Cutting CrewCutting Crew
The Cutting Crew is a pop rock band formed in England in 1985, best known for their #1 hit, " Died in Your Arms".-Career:Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin...
who went on to have a world wide hit with "(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight". For two more years he toured the world and recorded with the band, at which point he signed a solo deal with a small independent label in 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...
. He released one single to critical acclaim (including airplay from Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
) before joining forces with Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
singer/songwriter Marie Claire D'ubaldo. He co-wrote and co-produced tracks for her debut album on Polydor records that sold over 250,000 worldwide.
A Song For Europe
In 2001, Moore performed his own composition, That's My Love in the A Song For EuropeA Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
contest, hoping to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. He finished 2nd in the competition, behind Lindsay Dracass
Lindsay Dracass
Lindsay Dracass is an English pop music singer.-Career:Dracass was discovered at 13 years old by Alan Wood...
. He wrote other songs for the contest in earlier years.
Perfect and Beautiful
In 2005, after several years concentrating on club management, Moore resumed his solo musical career and began recording his own material independently. He announced his intention to produce an album, with almost no budget, no major record company backing and only 9 days to record, mix and master the final product. This resulted in a 13 track solo album entitled Perfect and Beautiful, recorded at Sphere Studios in London, released in July 2005.The later years
In March 2006 he toured America, performing in Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles and New York and has continued to perform live on his return to the UK in April 2006.More recently Moore has been touring acoustically in pubs all over the Home Counties. He also performs regularly at The Bedford and The Regal Room in London.
Early in 2008, Moore became the regular presenter of a one hour live show called "Lets Talk Music" for the Maltese
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
television station One TV . Broadcast every Thursday night at 8.35 pm (Maltese time), it features a panel of music professionals who discuss different aspects of the music business and answer questions from the audience, together with live performances by celebrity guests. He also has a regular Thursday morning preview slot on the show "One Breakfast".http://www.one.com.mt/index.php?id=69
Club management
In 1997 he established the The Kashmir KlubThe Kashmir Klub
The Kashmir Klub was a unique, non profit making, live music club housed in the basement of a Restaurant and Bar called "Fabrizio" at the "Baker and Oven" at No 6 Nottingham Place, central London, England...
in London. The formula of providing an excellent sound system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
, sourcing the best of emerging and established artists, hosting the show - like live TV - and getting everyone to perform in an acoustic and "back to basics" format, quickly made it into one of the most important live music venues in London. Over its seven year history Moore introduced debut London performances from Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
, Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter is an English singer-songwriter based in London. He was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and grew up in Cornwall with his sister Vashti Anna, two brothers, Jo Spencer and Charlie Winston, and parents Jeff and Julie Gleave...
, Lucie Silvas
Lucie Silvas
Lucie Silvas is a British singer-songwriter.- Early life :...
, and KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
as well as unannounced sets from Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw is an English singer-songwriter. The one time jazz-funk guitarist was a mid-1980s teen idol. His 50 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984 beat all other soloists...
, Rick Astley
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
and many more. The Kashmir closed in 2003 after the building was closed for re-development.
In July 2003 he took over the management of music nights at The Bedford in Balham
Balham, London
Balham is a neighbourhood of south London, England, and is part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and the London Borough of Lambeth.-History:...
, creating a similar live music venue, with an emphasis on emerging talent as well as established acts. In 2004 it won Best Pub in the country, it has twice won the best pub and club award as well as the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
pub of the year. Moore was one of the first promoters to pioneer the use of the internet and the regular live performances at The Bedford are freely available to all four nights a week, via a dedicated webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
and chatroom.
From 2003–2005 Tony Moore also co-presented an overnight show on BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
94.9fm where he brought live music
Live Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
guests into the studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
and championed the cause of new talent.
In 2004 he was made the sole Inductee into the MMF (Music Managers Forum) Roll of Honour for outstanding contribution to the British Music Industry.
In 2006 he started to collaborate with Quirky Motion on the weekly Bedford Bandstand music program, which he presents. Each show seeks to bring a new artist to a wider audience. These episodes are freely available both as a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
and on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.http://www.bedfordbandstand.com/
Tony Moore opened an additional live acoustic venue, The Regal Room, in December 2006, based at The Distillers, 64, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London. Showcasing up and coming artists, this is run along the same lines as the Kashmir Klub and The Bedford, with free entry and live webcasts.http://www.myspace.com/theregalroom
External links
- http://www.tony-moore.com/ Official Homepage
- http://www.bedfordbandstand.com/ Bedford Bandstand (which Tony Presents)
- http://www.cityshowcase.co.uk/index.php?section=BiosDetail&BioID=ugt5ky8JPM&ListID=awNKPRJFSe Biography from City Showcase 2004