The March Violets - Biography

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The following text is, apart from few additions and updated links, quoted from http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=march_violets

The March Violets began in 1981 as one of Leeds' four famous drum machine bands, alongside the Sisters of Mercy, Three Johns and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. The Violets favoured stark, primitive rhythm-box beats (as did the others), overlaid by Loz Elliott's heavy bass throb and Tom Ashton's inventively droning guitar (reminiscent of Magazine's John McGeoch). What set this quartet apart was the unique interplay (a la X or the Airplane) between the two complementary lead vocalists - big, bearded Simon Denbigh and enigmatic Rosie Garland. His dark, commanding intonations intertwined with her eerie soprano wailing, imbuing the simplistic material with a strident, almost dissonant mystery.

Before a schism with Andrew Eldritch led the Violets to start their own Rebirth label, they were on the Sisters' label, Merciful Release, starting with Religious As Hell, an establishing 7-inch. The later compilation album Natural History collects the band's early work, including the EP (save for the odd "Bon Bon Babies"), three follow-up 45s (the brilliant Grooving In Green, "Crow Baby" and the insistent '84 dancefloor hit, "Snake Dance") and such rarities as the searing "Radiant Boys" (copping the riff from the Cure's "Object") and mesmerizing "Undertow". Though not a discrete album, Natural History flows magnificently.

By "Snake Dance", Garland had departed, replaced by the more upbeat Cleo Murray. The line-up held for the subsequent "Walk into the Sun" but, as 1985 dawned, Denbigh was squeezed out of the band (he immediately formed Batfish Boys). The first post-Denbigh 45 (the misnamed "Deep") laid bare the Violets' weakened condition. Electric Shades, the band's second compilation album, assembles the entire contents of the three later singles: "Snake Dance", "Walk into the Sun" and "Deep". With the dissipation of the band's intensity, Cleo's thin, pretty lead vocals simply don't carry the new material. The Violets continued to surrender to conventionality, obtaining a real drummer and crassly exploiting Cleo's beauty. After contributing two items (including an amazingly catchy rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Miss Amanda Jones") to 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack, the March Violets faded away ...

... until their first reunion gig on 8th December 2007, now consisting again of Simon Denbigh (vocals), Rosie Garland (vocals) and Tom Ashton (guitars) plus Mat Thorpe on bass, and the issue of their limited edition Trinity EP (1000 self-released CD-r copies).

Limited Edition CD Front

Limited Edition CD Back

Flyer 2007 Reunion

Announcement Reunion Gig

It would take some time after their 2007 reunion, but their next reform and release (now with Jo Violet on bass) was already underway.

Read everything about it here:

The March Violets Interview in Terrorizer/Dominion July 2011 - Part 1

The March Violets Interview in Terrorizer/Dominion July 2011 - Part 2

Further Interviews and Stuff

Video footage of the show of November 13th, 2010 at Islington Academy can be found in this YouTube Playlist

Gig reviews of the entire event are in the March Violets Newsflash on Heartland Forum

The March Violets and The Batfish Boys

an extensive interview with Simon Denbigh shortly before The March Violets' gig at O2 Academy, London in 2010

Quote from wikipedia

Reformation and subsequent activity
On 8 October 2007, the March Violets played a one-off reunion gig in Leeds with original members Denbigh, Garland and Ashton, plus Mat Thorpe (Isolation Division) standing in on bass. Although the show was a success, plans for further shows were put on hold whilst Garland was ill with throat cancer in 2009. Once Garland was fully recovered, the March Violets restarted their live reformation with a secret warm-up show at Whitby in October 2010. On 13 November 2010, the March Violets played their first London show in 25 years, at O2 Academy Islington with new bassist Joanna Moy (previously of Screaming Banshee Aircrew).

In November 2010, the band embarked on a project to make their first proper album using Pledge Music (as opposed to the previous compilation albums of their singles and EPs). Over 600 fans pledged support and they raised 196% of the money required. In addition to raising money for the recording of the album, the band provided funds to charities (Friends of the Earth, Cloth Cat and Macmillan Cancer Support). During the recording of the album, they released several promotional items, including a digital-only promo release of "Tokyo Flow" and a remix of "Dandelion King", as well as a "gigeo" (a combination of a gig in Leeds where they shot the promo video with members of the audience) of "Dandelion King". In 2012, they did a small live tour that showcased some of the new tracks.

The album Made Glorious was released in April 2013 as a digital download to all fans who had pledged support. The album primarily consisted of original tracks, with some material being remixes of tracks from the Trinity and Love Will Kill You EPs. Physical hard copies, T-shirts, an A4 booklet (featuring lyrics, artwork and photos) and posters were distributed to those who had pledged support in June 2013. Pledgers received a special 2-CD pack featuring 12 additional remixes including two tracks not included on the original album ("Liam Hits Seven" and "Black Heart"). To support the new album, the band performed gigs in October and November 2013, and a short tour in April 2014, including a headlining slot at the Convergence 20 festival in Chicago, the first US appearance of the reformed lineup. This was followed by a return tour of the West Coast in June 2014.

In August 2015, the band confirmed that Moy had officially left the band. The following month, they announced an American tour with William Faith on bass, scheduled for October. In early October, the band announced that after completing the Mortality tour, they would record a new album of the same name. It was funded via PledgeMusic and achieved 167% funding, with 10% of the funding going to Macmillan Cancer Support. The initial version of the Mortality album was released for download by Denbigh on Christmas Day to those who had supported its development. This version consisted of 10 tracks; all except the title track were "re-forged" versions of older songs. Mars Williams of the Psychedelic Furs provided additional saxophone on several tracks. The physical release of the album was planned to include additional remixes and extended versions but never made it to fruition. After releasing the first remix to pledgers in early 2016, Denbigh suffered a stroke and was hospitalised for a long period.

On 16 July 2021, the band released a limited edition double vinyl album, Big Soul Kiss: The BBC Recordings via Jungle Records. This was a special for Record Store Day in the UK and also available as a standard release in other territories. It sold out within three weeks of release. A repressing was made in 2022, alongside a new compilation Play Loud Play Purple and a five-CD box set that included two CDs of unreleased material, The Palace of Infinite Darkness.

On 7 October 2022, the band announced on a new website that they were having a reunion for tours and new recordings in 2023/24. The reunion lineup is Rosie Garland, Tom Ashton, William Faith, all survivors from their previous live activity in 2015. In January 2024 it was announced on Facebook that William had left band and was replaced by Mat Thorpe on Bass and Vocals shortly after. On 19 July 2024, a new album was released titled Crocodile Promises.