rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band, formed in 1994 in London. They achieved their biggest chart success at the end of the 1990s, along with other British rock bands such as Ash,
Stereophonics
Stereophonics are a Welsh pop and rock music, Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (Stereophonics), Richard Jones (n ...
and Feeder. The band was named by sticking a pin in a London
listings magazine
A listings magazine is a magazine which is largely dedicated to information about the upcoming week's events such as broadcast programming, music, clubs, theatre and film information.
The BBC's '' Radio Times'' was the world's first listings ...
, '' Time Out''. It landed randomly on an advertisement for the concluding part of the Polish film director
Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski (, 27 June 1941 – 14 March 1996) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. He is known internationally for ''Dekalog'' (1989), ''The Double Life of Veronique'' (1991), and the Three Colours trilogy, ''Three Colours'' ...
's, ''
Three Colors
The ''Three Colours'' trilogy (, ) is the collective title of three psychological drama films directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski: '' Three Colours: Blue'' (1993), '' Three Colours: White'' (1994), and '' Three Colours: Red'' (1994), represented b ...
'', trilogy. They went on to record two UK Top 20 albums, and six Top 40 singles.
Early history
In 1994, it was suggested by a mutual friend that bass player/singer Pete Vuckovic should contact guitarist Chris McCormack (ex-Forgodsake/Gunslinger) to start a band, as both had recently left their previous bands and were looking for something new. Due to location they spent the following months trading four-track recordings and developing song ideas via post, until they had enough material to record a three-song demo with newly-acquired drummer Keith Baxter (formerly of Skyclad). Terry Thomas was hired as the band's manager as well as producer of the demos (the first to feature guitarist Ben Harding) that secured their recording contract.
McCormack is the younger brother of
Danny McCormack
Danny McCormack (born 28 February 1972) is an English rock musician, best known for several tenures as the bassist and backing vocalist for The Wildhearts.
Biography
McCormack became the bass player for The Wildhearts at age 19 in 1991, enjoy ...
, bassist in
the Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in 1989 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as the Beatl ...
, another British rock band who had already achieved commercial success, and with whom 3 Colours Red would play some of their first concerts. Ben Harding had been a founder member of
Senseless Things
Senseless Things were an England, English pop punk band, formed in 1986 in London. The band released four studio albums and achieved two UK Singles Chart, UK Top 20 hit singles before splitting up in 1995. Senseless Things reformed in 2017 to p ...
, whilst Vuckovic's stint with Diamond Head had galvanised his songwriting.
Fierce Panda Records
Fierce Panda Records is a London-based independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-s ...
released their first single, "This Is My Hollywood", published by Warner Chappell Music. The band then signed to
Creation Records
Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...
, after
Alan McGee
Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for ''The Guardian''. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, r ...
, Creation's founder and discoverer of
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment
Creation Records period
While with Creation, the band recorded two albums. The first, '' Pure'' (1997) was produced by Terry Thomas. There was controversy over the resulting single "Sixty Mile Smile", the lyrical content of which referred to frontman Vučković's overnight hospitalisation after taking the drug ecstasy.
''
Revolt
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
'' (1999) was produced by
Dave Eringa
David James Eringa (born 30 July 1971 in Brentwood, Essex, Brentwood, Essex) is an English people, English record producer, sound engineer, and mix engineer.
Biography
He has had a long-standing association with Manic Street Preachers. His ea ...
. At the peak of their success, following the band's biggest hit (the Vuckovic-penned "
Beautiful Day
"Beautiful Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track on their tenth studio album, '' All That You Can't Leave Behind'' (2000), and was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2000. The song was a commercial success, ...
") they embarked upon US tours with
Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
,
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
and
Silverchair
Silverchair was an Australian Rock music, rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, with Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, Ben Gillies on drums, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got thei ...
. However, the group disbanded after the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
in 1999, citing musical and personal differences in a press release.
Vuckovic was signed to
Sony Records
Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation.
Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the la ...
and Sanctuary Management and spent two years writing an album for his new project Elevation, which was never released. McCormack joined Rich Battersby and EMF producer Ralph Jezzard for a stint in
Grand Theft Audio
Grand Theft Audio are a British rock band who formed in London in 1998. They were signed to London-Sire Records in 1999 and produced their only album at the time ''Blame Everyone'' in 2000 until the band split up in 2003 due to the record label ...
, who spent considerable time touring
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
before being dropped.
Reformation
In 2002, Vuckovic and McCormack reconciled their differences and reformed the band with original drummer Keith Baxter. Ben Harding had by this time forged a career in public relations and was replaced by Paul Grant (ex-Pornstar).
The new line-up signed to
Mighty Atom Records
Mighty Atom Records is a Welsh-based record label. The company was formed in early 2000 by Dave Simpson and Roger Hopkins. It is known for having been one of a few independent record labels at the forefront of the UK emo scene in the early 2000 ...
and Sanctuary Management and recorded ''
The Union of Souls
''The Union of Souls'' is the third and final studio album from UK rock band 3 Colours Red. It was released on Mighty Atom Records in 2004. The album was released on Mighty Atom Records in 2004 to critical acclaim but little commercial success. ...
'' album with producer Joe Gibb (
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, Wales, Bridgend, formed in 2001. The band's members are Kris Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, vocals), Darran Smith (guitar), Richard Boucher (bass), an ...
/
Million Dead
Million Dead are an English post-hardcore band from London, active between 2000 and 2005 with a reunion planned for 2025.
History
The band was founded in 2000 by Cameron Dean and Julia Ruzicka, after both came to London from Australia. They we ...
) in 2004, to critical acclaim but little commercial success. "Repeat To Fade" and "The World is Yours", taken from the album, were released as singles and the band toured
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and Japan with German bands
Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen are a German punk rock band from Düsseldorf. The name is taken from the German slang idiom ''tote Hose'' (literally "dead trousers"), which means "nothing happening"; "boring". The band has had an important success through th ...
and The
Donots
The Donots are a German punk rock band from Germany, formed in 1993 in Ibbenbüren.
Band history Early years (1993–1998)
The Donots were founded in 1993 by Ingo Knollmann on lead vocals, his brother Guido Knollmann on guitar, Jan-Dirk Pogge ...
as well as a handful of UK tours and festival slots including the first
Download festival
Download Festival is a rock festival created by Andy Copping, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 2019); Flemington ...
b-sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...
from the Creation period was released by
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is, as of 2013, a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest ...
, with accompanying sleeve notes penned by Vuckovic.
A live DVD recorded at the Islington Academy in 2004 was also released, followed by a
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
, ''
Nuclear Holiday
''Nuclear Holiday'' is a live album by UK rock band 3 Colours Red.
It was recorded at the Islington Academy in London, England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on ...
'' from the same show. The band split again in September 2005 after a UK farewell tour with The Yo-Yos, having been dropped by Sanctuary and disappointing sales of the third album, and continuing personal differences between Vuckovic and McCormack.
Band members
* Pete Vuckovic (lead vocals, bass)
* Chris McCormack (guitar, vocals)
* Ben Harding (guitar, vocals, 1996–1999)
*Paul Grant (guitar, vocals, 2002–2005)
* Keith Baxter (drums)
As a youngster, Vuckovic was a keen hard rock/heavy metal fan and played in bands with his older brother throughout his teens in his hometown of Tiverton in
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
. His first notable success came in 1993 after leaving his own band, Blackout, and moving to
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
to join reformed N.W.O.B.H.M./ Heavy metal band Diamond Head as their bassist. He recorded on the ' Death and Progress' and ' Evil Live' albums but they split again soon after.
McCormack's first success was as a member of Newcastle upon Tyne heavy metal outfit Forgodsake, who released an album on Bleeding Heart Records before McCormack eventually left. He originally moved to London to join Honeycrack with Willie Dowling and CJ from
the Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in 1989 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as the Beatl ...
but ended up forming 3 Colours Red with Vuckovic instead. Afterwards, he joined electro rockers Grand Theft Audio with Rich Battersby from the Wildhearts, and spent several months touring the U.S. with them before they were eventually dropped by the record label, forcing them to return home. He also tours as the guitarist in
Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...
's live band and co-wrote several songs with
Adam Ant
Stuart Leslie Goddard (born 3 November 1954), known professionally as Adam Ant, is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK ...
for Ant's 2013 album '' Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter''.This Charming Man - Adam Ant cover-feature interview by John Robb, Vive Le Rock magazine issue 2 pages 46-51
Harding embarked upon a career in public and media relations following the first split of 3 Colours Red in 1999.
Grant went on to form Bassknives with Vuckovic, as well as joining CJ & the Satellites with CJ from the Wildhearts in 2006.
As a teenager, Baxter became a founder member of
folk metal
Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example ...
pioneers Skyclad, recording five seminal albums with them before leaving in 1995 to move to London and join 3 Colours Red. Following the split of the band in 1999 he formed the band Elevation with Vuckovic. The pair signed with
Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
but were dropped a year later. He moved back to his hometown of Lancaster and briefly played with the Northern Irish band
Therapy?
Therapy? are a Northern Irish rock band from Larne, formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Therapy? recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band ...
in 2002.
Baxter went on to play with the Lancaster-based band Baby Judas, but died on 4 January 2008 at the age of 36, from a gastrointestinal haemorrhage.