Difference between revisions of "The March Violets"

From SistersWiki.org - The Sisters Of Mercy Fan Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (tidied the links up)
m
 
(59 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
==Biography==
+
[[File:The March Violets 2013 Logo.jpg|right|thumb|600px|''The March Violets'' - ''Made Glorious'' album and band logo]]
 +
__NOTOC__
 +
<br/>
 +
A Leeds-based band, started in 1981 by (among others) [[Simon Denbigh|Si Denbigh]],<br/>
 +
the long-time Nurse to [[The Sisters of Mercy|The Sisters']] [[Doktor Avalanche]].<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
Their first two 7" singles [[Religious As Hell]] and [[Grooving In Green]]<br/>
 +
were released through [[The Sisters of Mercy]]'s label [[Merciful Release]].<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
The March Violets usually described themselves as: <br/>
  
−
from http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=march_violets
+
&nbsp;&nbsp;'''''Original Post Punk Drum Machine Band From Leeds.'''''<br/>
  
−
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.
+
&nbsp;&nbsp;'''''Started at the Beginning, Imploded, Reborn for the 21st Century.'''''<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
For additional information about The March Violets history, please check <br/>
 +
[[The March Violets - Biography]] or the official links under [https://web.archive.org/web/20190126060332/http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/biography Biography (archieved)].<br/>
  
−
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. 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.
+
Btw, [https://www.marchvioletsband.com/ The March Violets] have released a new album in July 2024, see [https://marchvioletsband.bandcamp.com/album/crocodile-promises '''Crocodile Promises''' @Bandcamp].<br/>
  
−
By "Snake Dance," Garland had departed, replaced by the more upbeat [[Cleo Murray]]. The lineup 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.
+
[[Simon Denbigh|Si Denbigh]] is currently dwelling [https://archviolet.com/ @ '''Arch Violet'''] featuring his original artworks and designs.<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
== ''Developments up until 2015'' ==
 +
The March Violets then were:<br/>
 +
{|
 +
|[[File:Si Denbigh1.jpg|thumb|165px|[[Simon Denbigh|Si Denbigh]] - vocals]]
 +
|[[File:Rosie Garland.jpg|thumb|180px|[http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Rosie Garland] - vocals]]
 +
|[[File:Tom Ashton.jpg|thumb|165px|[[Tom Ashton]] - guitars]]
 +
|[[File:Jo Violet.jpg|thumb|370px|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets Jo Violet] - bass]]
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
==External Links:==
+
[[File:March Violets Love Will Kill You EP.jpg|thumb|310px|left|''Love Will Kill You'' - EP Cover]]
−
* [http://www.marchviolets.co.uk March Violets website]
+
<br/>
−
* [http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/MVWebsite/index.htm Tom Ashton's archived March Violets site]
+
In November 2010, The March Violets decided to undertake the project of their first full album along ''Pledge Music'',<br/>
−
* [http://www.themultiverse.org/ Tom Ashton's website]
+
 
−
* [http://www.rosielugosi.co.uk/ Rosie Garland's - now Rosie Lugosi - site]
+
a [https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/10/25/rise-and-fall-of-pledgemusic/ crowdfunding-platform that went bankrupt in 2019]. Over 600 fans pledged their support and had The March Violets <br/>
 +
 
 +
raise 196% of the money required. In the course of this pledge project, the band provided funds to the charity organisations <br/>
 +
 
 +
of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_the_Earth Friends of the Earth], [http://www.clothcatleeds.org.uk/ Cloth Cat, Leeds Music Charity], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macmillan_Cancer_Support Macmillan Cancer Support].<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
 
 +
In mid-2011, the limited edition EP [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721092854/http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/discography/lovewillkillyou_ep.html Love Will Kill You (archieved)] was issued for sale at the gigs and offered for free<br/>
 +
 
 +
as a pre-release to people who had pledged toward the new album. An audio stream of "Road Of Bones", the first track of the EP, <br/>
 +
 
 +
was released under [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721092440/http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/audio-video/ this link (archieved)] but is no longer available. A promo video of the song "Dandelion King" from the 5-track EP <br/>
 +
 
 +
was also produced including the participation of pledgers and can be watched [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kFE2-XNkVjw here on YT]. <br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
[[File:March Violets Listening Party.jpg|right|thumb|260px|''Made Glorious'' - Listening Party Invitation]]
 +
[[File:The March Violets Made Glorious Download.jpg|thumb|310px|left|''Made Glorious'' - Download Cover]]
 +
In between recording and production in 2012, The March Violets played <br/>
 +
 
 +
a short tour of the UK, some festival gigs at the [https://www.facebook.com/events/120620918016305/ WGT] in Leipzig, <br/>
 +
 
 +
Germany and at the [http://sisterswiki.org/File:DV8_2012.jpg DV8 Fest in York] as well as a support act with <br/>
 +
 
 +
the [http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/Event/Details/651 Psychedelic Furs] in Leeds.<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
In April 2013 the new album [http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/themarchviolets/ Made Glorious] was finally ready <br/>
 +
 
 +
for release and made available to the pledgers for a live [https://www.facebook.com/events/565358703497180/ listening party] <br/>
 +
 
 +
at The March Violets' Facebook page on April 7, 2013.<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
Meanwhile all pledgers had received their items and an according <br/>
 +
 
 +
[[The_March_Violets_-_Made_Glorious_Tour_2013|''Made Glorious Tour'']] started on October 26th and <br/>
 +
 
 +
ended on November 23rd, 2013. <br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
 
 +
The lyrics to all songs of the new '''''Made Glorious''''' album are <br/>
 +
 
 +
available [https://web.archive.org/web/20190119225420/http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/lyrics/ on the very old March Violets' Website (archieved)].<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
[[File:March Violets Mortality Tour 2015.jpg|thumb|left|310px|Mortality Tour Announcement 2015]]
 +
<br/>
 +
== ''<span style="color:DarkMagenta"><p><font size="5">Purple News - Mortality Album and Tour</font></p></span>'' ==
 +
The [http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/mortality ‘Mortality Tour and Album’ is the new Pledge from the March Violets]. <br/>
 +
Throughout October pledgers get to experience a month of touring around the East Coast, with Backstage Action, Road Movie high jinx and other Purple nonsense. The Violets will be playing classic tracks live, then recording them in November in Chicago. With exclusive daily footage and a virtual Access Pass pledgers will be able to participate in the highs and lows of the entire Tour and Studio Saga. The involvement continues right up to Xmas, with an Advent Calendar with interesting Violet goodies behind each door, culminating in the Album download on Xmas day!<br/>
 +
 
 +
During this tour the March Violets were supported by [https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12112336_10156346447765413_1468258453417220572_n.jpg?oh=532a31c1e06b8b43a4b5b01e54c3289a&oe=56C13BF5&__gda__=1451757623_217539944701a05a26ae429c5730c7dc William Faith] on bass. <br/>
 +
 
 +
While the above mentioned tour was almost done (see tour announcement on the right), pledgers for the new [http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/mortality ''Mortality'' Album] were still welcome. In May 2014, the album got also released as a digital download via [https://marchviolets.bandcamp.com/album/made-glorious-2 ''bandcamp'']. For further live and other news from the time, please check [http://uberviolet.co.uk/violets%20live.htm '''''The Violets Überviolet Live Page...'''''] and '''[http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-March-Violets/7570831190?v=info The March Violets on Facebook]'''<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
'''Unpredicted Occurrences<br/>
 +
As some of you may have heard, Si suffered a pretty serious haemorrhagic stroke and was in the Neurological Rehab unit in Hospital, where he had to stay for a while. In November 2016, a [[Sun, 27-Nov-2016|fundraising event]] for Si Denbigh was initiated by [[Chris Catalyst]], which also included seeing [[Near Meth Experience]] on a day off. The event was a full success and reached its envisaged goal. Further information about this entirely entertaining evening, running order and stuff can be found [[Sun, 27-Nov-2016|here]] as well as @The Heartland Forums [https://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=25761 here] and [https://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=25775 here].<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
<br/>
 +
<span><font size="4">''External Links'' </font></span>
 +
---- 
 +
For various further information, please see any of the pages listed here below<br/>
 +
 
 +
* '''[http://uberviolet.co.uk/index.htm The March Violets' Home @Uberviolet]'''
 +
 
 +
* '''[http://www.marchviolets.co.uk The March Violets' NEW Website]'''
 +
 
 +
* [http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Rosie Garland's website]
 +
 
 +
* [http://www.rosielugosi.com/ Rosie Lugosi - Rosie Garland's other project]
 +
 
 +
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/110449-William-Faith William Faith @discogs]
 +
 
 +
* [http://louderthanwar.com/march-violets-manchester-academy-live-review/ Louder Than War - Review of the March Violets gig at Manchester Academy June 9th 2012]
 +
 
 +
* for an extensive interview conducted by [https://plunderthetombs.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-march-violets-made-glorious-self.html Plunder the Tombs] with [[Simon Denbigh|Si Denbigh]] talking about his resumee of the tour, the band and the "genre", some future plans etc
 +
: see [http://plunderthetombs.blogspot.de/2013/12/an-interview-with-march-violets-si.html An Interview With The March Violets, Si Denbigh, 15 Decmber 2013]<br/>
 +
<br/>

Latest revision as of 17:59, 21 August 2024

The March Violets - Made Glorious album and band logo


A Leeds-based band, started in 1981 by (among others) Si Denbigh,
the long-time Nurse to The Sisters' Doktor Avalanche.

Their first two 7" singles Religious As Hell and Grooving In Green
were released through The Sisters of Mercy's label Merciful Release.

The March Violets usually described themselves as:

  Original Post Punk Drum Machine Band From Leeds.

  Started at the Beginning, Imploded, Reborn for the 21st Century.

For additional information about The March Violets history, please check
The March Violets - Biography or the official links under Biography (archieved).

Btw, The March Violets have released a new album in July 2024, see Crocodile Promises @Bandcamp.

Si Denbigh is currently dwelling @ Arch Violet featuring his original artworks and designs.

Developments up until 2015

The March Violets then were:

Si Denbigh - vocals
Rosie Garland - vocals
Tom Ashton - guitars
Jo Violet - bass
Love Will Kill You - EP Cover


In November 2010, The March Violets decided to undertake the project of their first full album along Pledge Music,

a crowdfunding-platform that went bankrupt in 2019. Over 600 fans pledged their support and had The March Violets

raise 196% of the money required. In the course of this pledge project, the band provided funds to the charity organisations

of Friends of the Earth, Cloth Cat, Leeds Music Charity, and Macmillan Cancer Support.

In mid-2011, the limited edition EP Love Will Kill You (archieved) was issued for sale at the gigs and offered for free

as a pre-release to people who had pledged toward the new album. An audio stream of "Road Of Bones", the first track of the EP,

was released under this link (archieved) but is no longer available. A promo video of the song "Dandelion King" from the 5-track EP

was also produced including the participation of pledgers and can be watched here on YT.

Made Glorious - Listening Party Invitation
Made Glorious - Download Cover

In between recording and production in 2012, The March Violets played

a short tour of the UK, some festival gigs at the WGT in Leipzig,

Germany and at the DV8 Fest in York as well as a support act with

the Psychedelic Furs in Leeds.

In April 2013 the new album Made Glorious was finally ready

for release and made available to the pledgers for a live listening party

at The March Violets' Facebook page on April 7, 2013.

Meanwhile all pledgers had received their items and an according

Made Glorious Tour started on October 26th and

ended on November 23rd, 2013.

The lyrics to all songs of the new Made Glorious album are

available on the very old March Violets' Website (archieved).


Mortality Tour Announcement 2015


Purple News - Mortality Album and Tour

The ‘Mortality Tour and Album’ is the new Pledge from the March Violets.
Throughout October pledgers get to experience a month of touring around the East Coast, with Backstage Action, Road Movie high jinx and other Purple nonsense. The Violets will be playing classic tracks live, then recording them in November in Chicago. With exclusive daily footage and a virtual Access Pass pledgers will be able to participate in the highs and lows of the entire Tour and Studio Saga. The involvement continues right up to Xmas, with an Advent Calendar with interesting Violet goodies behind each door, culminating in the Album download on Xmas day!

During this tour the March Violets were supported by William Faith on bass.

While the above mentioned tour was almost done (see tour announcement on the right), pledgers for the new Mortality Album were still welcome. In May 2014, the album got also released as a digital download via bandcamp. For further live and other news from the time, please check The Violets Überviolet Live Page... and The March Violets on Facebook


Unpredicted Occurrences
 As some of you may have heard, Si suffered a pretty serious haemorrhagic stroke and was in the Neurological Rehab unit in Hospital, where he had to stay for a while. In November 2016, a fundraising event for Si Denbigh was initiated by Chris Catalyst, which also included seeing Near Meth Experience on a day off. The event was a full success and reached its envisaged goal. Further information about this entirely entertaining evening, running order and stuff can be found here as well as @The Heartland Forums here and here.



External Links

For various further information, please see any of the pages listed here below

  • for an extensive interview conducted by Plunder the Tombs with Si Denbigh talking about his resumee of the tour, the band and the "genre", some future plans etc
see An Interview With The March Violets, Si Denbigh, 15 Decmber 2013


Retrieved from ‘http://sisterswiki.org/index.php?title=The_March_Violets&oldid=44759’