“My depth of
passion’s like a loaded gun. I’m waiting to explode.”
Harem Pilots – The Future’s Not Bleak
Harem Pilots are:
Andy Bennison - Drums
Simon Dumpleton – Bass
Leigh Hayes – Vocals/Guitars
Phil M. Poole – Vocals/Guitars
The founder members of Harem Pilots were introduced through a shared musical acquaintance with a debauched, hard smoking, bleeding fingered swinger.
Harem Pilots are another guitar rock pop dirge band, spawned from the bowels of Manchester...
Except:
We are not another Manchester band
We don't sound like a Manchester band
None of us come from Manchester
Though distance often hampered them, the weirdy one jacked in his high flying career in the city (Leeds) to “move to Manchester and become a rock star” (Phil M. Poole. June 2002).
Despite tunes in abundance, band members were not so easy to find. After sifting through various numpties, Beardy and Weirdy found Bongo and Boffin hanging around a sixth form college admiring the ladies (but nobody saw them and nothing can be proved…) After trading licks for a couple of months our four heroes found themselves at a gig at The Land of Cakes.
There were no cakes to be seen but there was plenty of Ambrosia to be quaffed and a merry time was had by all.
Following said “happening”, the intrepid four got down to some intense recording. Though things were going swimmingly, a short break was required as Boffin had a high seas adventure to attend (sailing around Whitby, no less.)
During the following months the gigs that took place flowed like fine wine at a Keith Floyd restaurant. The Night and Day was the venue of choice for the warriors of rock and roll (as the Pilots have become known...mainly to themselves) and that rainy Tuesday night was illuminated like an idea spurned from the brain of Jade Goody.
The response was so magnanimous that the jammy bastards (as the Pilots became known to everybody else) landed a prime slot at Club Fandango supporting Minus, who apparently demanded pizza on their rider. I mean who do they think they are! Black-fucking-Sabbath!(If you'd heard them you'd realize how close to the truth this is) I digress...The Pilots performed a fine and rocking set that was compared by Manchester Online to the Pixies. I would like to comment at this point that just because Leigh's a fat bastard and Phil looks a bit like a girl, this was for the musical qualities alone.
Another venue that became almost like home to the Pilots was the Night and Day's no less illustrious neighbour, the legendary Dry Bar. Though they started downstairs the boys wormed their way into the promoters affections so efficiently they were offered a slot at the venues "In The City" gig faster than you can say "whothehellarethesecheekymutherfuckers?"
The Academy Unsigned was new event that allowed the cream of Manchester’s (sorry Boddingtons...really sorry actually) unsigned bands a chance to shine on stage graced by the likes of Coldplay, Placebo,...and the mighty Country Joe Macdonald. A band of the people was required, a band for which fables were created....they could get anyone like that so they asked Harem Pilots. The band fizzed, whopped and bitched their way through an astonishing set that inspired a reaction from the crowd that was equivalent to Sellafield mating with Chernobyl...if nuclear power stations had sex that is.
Harem Pilots are ready to rock out for all the perverts and freaks (though normal people will be granted access for a small fee . . . a vial of blood .. . a lock of hair . . . a pint of straappomannn perhaps . . .)
Welcome to our world. Twisted as it may be, we hope you enjoy it.
© Harem pilots 2003