liverpool

When 6 best friends move from Derry to Liverpool, here's The Prelude. Singing slur-along classics for boozers, football terraces and radio, tales of joy, despair, confusion, contagious melodies and bellowed choruses. Influenced by Neil Young, The Band and The Pogues. Good time rock and roll. Marrying the pathos of Dylan, the melodies of The Band and the drunken celebration of The Pogues, The Prelude have shaken audiences up and down the country with their unique brew of classical song-writing and good time rock and roll.

Formed in 1976 in Liverpool Art College, the members where all members of the same art college as Deaf School two years before them.
The Band consisted of Henry Priestman on vocals and keyboards; Martin Watson on Guitar and Vocals; Bob Bellis on Drums; Martin Dempsey on Bass and JJ Campbell on vocals.
Two albums where recorded Yachts (1979) and Yachts Without Radar (1980) and a clutch of singles.

I was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, in the year of "Beatlemania" and first took an interest in music when my dad bought me my first two albums, "The Beatles 66-70" and "Ziggy Stardust". I spent many hours in the front room of my house playing "air guitar" and could not decide whether I wanted to be George Harrison or Mick Ronson, a tough choice for a 10 year old, I think you will agree. At the age of eleven I borrowed a beaten-up guitar from a friends dad and my cousin Mark O’Toole, later of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, taught me my first chords and I was hooked.

Seminal Liverpool band the Stands was formed by Scouse legend Howie Payne after his previous band, The Big Kids, parted ways. (Howie Payne's brother and best mate drummer Sean Payne and bass player Russ Pritchard of The Big Kids would go on to form The Zutons with Dave McCabe, Boyan Choudhury, and Abi Harding.) The Stands first came to international attention after Noel Gallagher of Oasis saw the Stands play at the Zanzibar Club in Liverpool. Both Gallagher brothers remain major fans of Payne, stating in jest that their support "shouldn't cause anyone to doubt" Payne's brilliance.