Witness (UK band)
Encyclopedia
Witness were a British
alternative rock
band formed in Wigan
, Greater Manchester
in 1997. The band released two albums via Island Records
between 1999 and 2001, before splitting up in 2004.
, Gerard Starkie
, and guitarist, Ray Chan, first met at Wigan & Leigh College and spent their early years in and out of various local bands which didn't quite match the sound that they were both hoping for; most notably Gerard in Embryonic and Ray in Easter. As a result, they eventually set about writing and recording a number of 4-track demos
together, which were mixed
by their friend, Nick McCabe
.
Bassist Dylan Keeton became the next member to join the band which would eventually go on to become Witness, as a result of an advert he had placed in the local Loot newspaper. After securing a record deal with Island
, they went on to add both drummer, John Langley, and guitarist, Julian Pransky-Poole - initially to enhance their live sound during gigs, but later as a full-time member - to the line-up.
under the names Siren and High Mountain Jag in mid-1997. Witness' big break came in the same year, as they ventured down to London
to watch The Verve
support Oasis
at Earl's Court
in September 1997. Ray, a long-time friend of Nick McCabe
's, met someone backstage at the gig who did press
for The Verve
(Tim Vigon). He passed on a recently recorded demo tape
- produced by former Tansads songwriter and guitarist, John Kettle - and just a week later they had signed a three-album deal with Island Records
. At this stage, Witness had yet to settle on a band name, and had yet to play a gig under the name "Witness", and, as such, their record contract simply referred to them as the "Wigan Band".
The initial press attention enjoyed by the band came as a result of Ray's friendship with Nick
, and so, comparisons with The Verve
were rife. The NME
even went on to refer to the band as Nick McCabe's Mates Band, during the period in which they were still nameless. Moreover, Witness were co-managed by The Verve
's press officer, Tim Vigon, along with Rob Partridge, Chairman of Coalition PR, who, together, comprised Witness-based 'Valiant Management'.
In 1998, Witness managed to secure support slots on tour with Whiskeytown
, The Seahorses
and Gene
, before going on to self-release their debut single, "Quarantine", through Valiant Recordings on November 23. The single was released on 7" limited edition vinyl, with only 1000 copies available. The following year, after performing further support slots with both Mansun
and Deus, the band's first release for Island came with their second single, "Scars", released on March 1, 1999. It entered the UK Singles Chart
at No. 71 and remained there for a sole week, as did their third single, "Audition", which followed in June of the same year. Their debut album, Before The Calm
, was produced by Phil Vinall, recorded at Rockfield Studios
, near Monmouth in Wales, and was released on July 12 to critical acclaim, including a glowing review in the NME
;
Yet, despite the magazine's high regard for the LP, it failed to gain a place on their annual "Top 50 Albums Of The Year" list.
Following Universal's
takeover of Island Records, Witness recorded and released a one-off song in April 2000 to be included on the soundtrack to the UK TV show, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
. The song, titled "Zero Zero", signified somewhat of a departure for the band from the understated, downbeat sound they had delivered on Before The Calm
, as they chose to opt for a much more driving and energetic approach. They went on to perform a number of gigs previewing their new batch of songs throughout 2000, most notably at the famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool
, as a support act for Embrace on May 4, whilst May 16 saw the US release of Before The Calm
, with the inclusion of 2 bonus tracks.
The band continued to pursue a new, Americana
-tinged direction on their second album, Under A Sun, released on July 23, 2001, as their record label's new parent company proved to be more accepting of the band's new material. Just 5 days after its physical release, all of the album's tracks were made available to listen to in their entirety via their then-official website. Despite Pransky-Poole's involvement in the recording of the previous album, his addition to the band's official line-up coincided with the release of their follow-up, leading to assumptions that Witness' new sound was a direct result of his input.
Like its predecessor, Under A Sun garnered a notable amount of critical attention, though not on the same, universal scale as that of their debut. The well-respected Americana UK website went on to crown the LP their 'Album Of The Year' for 2001:
Elsewhere, comparisons with The Verve continued, along with likenings to the country rock
stylings of both Neil Young
and The Byrds
. 'Under A Sun' spawned a further two singles for the band in the form of "You Are All My Own Invention", which preceded the album's release, issued on July 9, and "Here's One For You" which followed on November 5. Though both releases received some solid reviews, they failed to feature in the Top 75 of the UK Singles Chart
. In an effort to broaden the band's meagre fanbase, Universal Records
secured a slot for the latter of the two songs in the soundtrack to the 2001 feature film, American Pie 2, made by their sister company, Universal Pictures
.
'Mill At The Pier' for April 5, set to promote the independent release
of the planned EP
. Yet, despite the gig being a sold-out success, the EP was never issued.
to teach English.
Throughout 2005, Gerard continued to perform solo gigs, whilst August 2006 saw the self-release of his debut solo album, Drawbridge. The album release was exclusive to his official MySpace
site and was made solely available in download form. In November 2006, Gerard embarked on his first proper solo tour, to coincide with a new one-off track titled "The Whispering", released on the limited edition 10" vinyl compilation Tales From The Lux via Wigan
-based Lupine Records
.
Alongside his solo appearances, Gerard has performed on stage with The Blue Aeroplanes
, who have also featured John Langley on drums. In August 2008, it was announced that Gerard and Ray would reunite to play a one-off gig of Witness material in Hong Kong
.
Throughout 2010, Gerard undertook a string of fully backed solo performances to promote his forthcoming solo album, featuring Joe Allen, John Langley and Loki Lillistone
of The Blue Aeroplanes
.
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...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
in 1997. The band released two albums via Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
between 1999 and 2001, before splitting up in 2004.
Formation
Singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Gerard Starkie
Gerard Starkie
Gerard Starkie is an English musician and former lead singer of Witness. After Witness split up in 2004, Gerard went onto record his debut album Drawbridge with former Witness band members, releasing it as a free download on his official Myspace site....
, and guitarist, Ray Chan, first met at Wigan & Leigh College and spent their early years in and out of various local bands which didn't quite match the sound that they were both hoping for; most notably Gerard in Embryonic and Ray in Easter. As a result, they eventually set about writing and recording a number of 4-track demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
together, which were mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by their friend, Nick McCabe
Nick McCabe
Nick McCabe is a musician best known as the lead guitarist of The Verve.-Early life:Nick McCabe was the son of a bus driver and has two older brothers, Alan and Paul...
.
Bassist Dylan Keeton became the next member to join the band which would eventually go on to become Witness, as a result of an advert he had placed in the local Loot newspaper. After securing a record deal with Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, they went on to add both drummer, John Langley, and guitarist, Julian Pransky-Poole - initially to enhance their live sound during gigs, but later as a full-time member - to the line-up.
Breakthrough
Before settling on the name Witness, the band initially played a handful of gigs in nearby ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
under the names Siren and High Mountain Jag in mid-1997. Witness' big break came in the same year, as they ventured down to 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...
to watch The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
support Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
at Earl's Court
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
in September 1997. Ray, a long-time friend of Nick McCabe
Nick McCabe
Nick McCabe is a musician best known as the lead guitarist of The Verve.-Early life:Nick McCabe was the son of a bus driver and has two older brothers, Alan and Paul...
's, met someone backstage at the gig who did press
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
(Tim Vigon). He passed on a recently recorded demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
- produced by former Tansads songwriter and guitarist, John Kettle - and just a week later they had signed a three-album deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. At this stage, Witness had yet to settle on a band name, and had yet to play a gig under the name "Witness", and, as such, their record contract simply referred to them as the "Wigan Band".
The initial press attention enjoyed by the band came as a result of Ray's friendship with Nick
Nick McCabe
Nick McCabe is a musician best known as the lead guitarist of The Verve.-Early life:Nick McCabe was the son of a bus driver and has two older brothers, Alan and Paul...
, and so, comparisons with The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
were rife. The NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
even went on to refer to the band as Nick McCabe's Mates Band, during the period in which they were still nameless. Moreover, Witness were co-managed by The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
's press officer, Tim Vigon, along with Rob Partridge, Chairman of Coalition PR, who, together, comprised Witness-based 'Valiant Management'.
In 1998, Witness managed to secure support slots on tour with Whiskeytown
Whiskeytown
Whiskeytown was an alternative country band formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994. Fronted by Ryan Adams, other members included Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000, with Adams leaving to pursue his solo career...
, The Seahorses
The Seahorses
The Seahorses were an English rock band, formed in 1996 by guitarist John Squire, following his departure from The Stone Roses.The band released one album in 1997 and began work on a follow up, before splitting up due to musical differences during recording sessions in January 1999.-History:Formed...
and Gene
Gene (band)
Gene were an English alternative rock quartet that rose to prominence in the mid 1990s. Formed in 1993, they were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew comparisons to The Smiths because of their Morrissey-esque lead singer, Martin Rossiter. Gene's music was influenced by The Jam, The...
, before going on to self-release their debut single, "Quarantine", through Valiant Recordings on November 23. The single was released on 7" limited edition vinyl, with only 1000 copies available. The following year, after performing further support slots with both Mansun
Mansun
Mansun were an English alternative rock band formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. The band broke up in May 2003....
and Deus, the band's first release for Island came with their second single, "Scars", released on March 1, 1999. It entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at No. 71 and remained there for a sole week, as did their third single, "Audition", which followed in June of the same year. Their debut album, Before The Calm
Before the Calm
-Witness:*Gerard Starkie – vocals, guitars*Ray Chan – guitars*Dylan Keeton – bass*John Langley – drums-Release history:...
, was produced by Phil Vinall, recorded at Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
, near Monmouth in Wales, and was released on July 12 to critical acclaim, including a glowing review in the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
;
Yet, despite the magazine's high regard for the LP, it failed to gain a place on their annual "Top 50 Albums Of The Year" list.
Under A Sun
After the release of their debut LP, the band had hoped to put out a follow-up shortly after, yet the songs they chose to submit to Island for inclusion on the album were rejected outright by the label's bosses, "who questioned the quality of the new songs".Following Universal's
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
takeover of Island Records, Witness recorded and released a one-off song in April 2000 to be included on the soundtrack to the UK TV show, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk is a British television series, produced by Working Title Films for BBC One. It is a remake of the 1960s television series Randall and Hopkirk and stars Vic Reeves as Hopkirk and Bob Mortimer as Randall, Emilia Fox as Jeannie, and Tom Baker as Wyvern.- Background :Two series...
. The song, titled "Zero Zero", signified somewhat of a departure for the band from the understated, downbeat sound they had delivered on Before The Calm
Before the Calm
-Witness:*Gerard Starkie – vocals, guitars*Ray Chan – guitars*Dylan Keeton – bass*John Langley – drums-Release history:...
, as they chose to opt for a much more driving and energetic approach. They went on to perform a number of gigs previewing their new batch of songs throughout 2000, most notably at the famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, as a support act for Embrace on May 4, whilst May 16 saw the US release of Before The Calm
Before the Calm
-Witness:*Gerard Starkie – vocals, guitars*Ray Chan – guitars*Dylan Keeton – bass*John Langley – drums-Release history:...
, with the inclusion of 2 bonus tracks.
The band continued to pursue a new, Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
-tinged direction on their second album, Under A Sun, released on July 23, 2001, as their record label's new parent company proved to be more accepting of the band's new material. Just 5 days after its physical release, all of the album's tracks were made available to listen to in their entirety via their then-official website. Despite Pransky-Poole's involvement in the recording of the previous album, his addition to the band's official line-up coincided with the release of their follow-up, leading to assumptions that Witness' new sound was a direct result of his input.
Like its predecessor, Under A Sun garnered a notable amount of critical attention, though not on the same, universal scale as that of their debut. The well-respected Americana UK website went on to crown the LP their 'Album Of The Year' for 2001:
Elsewhere, comparisons with The Verve continued, along with likenings to the country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
stylings of both Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
. 'Under A Sun' spawned a further two singles for the band in the form of "You Are All My Own Invention", which preceded the album's release, issued on July 9, and "Here's One For You" which followed on November 5. Though both releases received some solid reviews, they failed to feature in the Top 75 of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In an effort to broaden the band's meagre fanbase, Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
secured a slot for the latter of the two songs in the soundtrack to the 2001 feature film, American Pie 2, made by their sister company, Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
.
The beginning of the end
In December 2001, Julian was asked to leave the band, for reasons unknown, and by March 2002, in the midst of demoing what would have been their third album, it had been announced that Witness had been dropped by their record label. Despite this setback, they went on to perform a well-received headline set at the 'Americana One' festival in August 2002, and also returned to the studio to record an EP's worth of new material, slated for release in early-2003. In January 2003, a hometown gig was announced at Wigan'sWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
'Mill At The Pier' for April 5, set to promote the independent release
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
of the planned EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. Yet, despite the gig being a sold-out success, the EP was never issued.
Post-split
The band 'split up' in February 2004, but continued as 'Gerard Starkie' with the same personnel. The following year the band split properly when Ray left, moving to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to teach English.
Throughout 2005, Gerard continued to perform solo gigs, whilst August 2006 saw the self-release of his debut solo album, Drawbridge. The album release was exclusive to his official MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site and was made solely available in download form. In November 2006, Gerard embarked on his first proper solo tour, to coincide with a new one-off track titled "The Whispering", released on the limited edition 10" vinyl compilation Tales From The Lux via Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
-based Lupine Records
Lupine Record label
Lupine Records is an independent record label based in Wigan, England. Their debut EP Tales From The Lux was released in October 2006.The label has featured releases from Gerard Starkie of Witness fame, Moco, The Loungs, Mat Turner; formerly of Gomez, The V.C's and Dirty Circus; previously signed...
.
Alongside his solo appearances, Gerard has performed on stage with The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
, who have also featured John Langley on drums. In August 2008, it was announced that Gerard and Ray would reunite to play a one-off gig of Witness material in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Throughout 2010, Gerard undertook a string of fully backed solo performances to promote his forthcoming solo album, featuring Joe Allen, John Langley and Loki Lillistone
Loki Lillistone
Loki Lillistone is an English songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, session musician, and guitarist for British band The Blue Aeroplanes.- Biography :...
of The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
.
Albums
- Before The CalmBefore the Calm-Witness:*Gerard Starkie – vocals, guitars*Ray Chan – guitars*Dylan Keeton – bass*John Langley – drums-Release history:...
(1999) - Before The Calm (2000) (US version released as "Witness UK")
- Under A Sun (2001)
Singles
- "Quarantine" (1998)
- "Scars" (1999)
- "Audition" (1999)
- "Hijacker" (1999)
- "You Are All My Own Invention" (2001)
- "Here's One For You" (2001)