Arena are an English
neo-prog
Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog) is a subgenre of progressive rock that developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion, achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the ge ...
band founded in 1995. Their style ranges from
symphonic to
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
.
History
Arena was founded in 1995 by
Clive Nolan
Clive Nolan (born 30 June 1961) is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the development of progressive rock. He has been the regular keyboard player in Pendragon (band), Pendragon (1986–present), Shadowla ...
keyboardist of
Pendragon and
Shadowland, and
Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
, the original drummer of
Marillion
Marillion are a British neo-prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the mo ...
, whose tenure lasting from 1979 until 1983. The other founding members of the band were guitarist Keith More, vocalist John Carson, and bassist Cliff Orsi. Orsi was replaced by
John Jowitt (of
IQ) in the band's inaugural year, whilst Carson and More left the band in 1996 and 1997, and were replaced by Paul Wrightson and
John Mitchell (of
Frost*) respectively.
Both Jowitt and Wrightson left the band in 1998, to be replaced by Ian Salmon and Rob Sowden, creating the band's most stable lineup to date (from 1998 until 2010). This lineup came to an end with Paul Manzi replacing Sowden in 2010. In 2011, Jowitt rejoined the band to replace the departing Salmon, leaving again in 2014 and being replaced by Kylan Amos. In July 2020, Manzi was replaced by
Damian Wilson
Damian Wilson (born 11 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Wilson works in the progressive metal genre and was the lead singer of Headspace (band), Headspace and Threshold (band), Threshold. He sang and toured with ban ...
.
Most of the band's lyrics are written by Nolan, though Pointer contributed lyrics to Sirens and other tracks on the first two albums.
Musically the band's style ranges from symphonic to hard rock. While in the beginning the band sounded like Fish-era Marillion, some of their recent albums have a similar sound to Nolan's earlier band, Shadowland.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
called them one of the dominant
neo-prog
Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog) is a subgenre of progressive rock that developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion, achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the ge ...
groups of the 1990s.
Personnel
;Current members
*
Clive Nolan
Clive Nolan (born 30 June 1961) is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the development of progressive rock. He has been the regular keyboard player in Pendragon (band), Pendragon (1986–present), Shadowla ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
(1995–present)
*
Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
– drums
(1995–present)
*
John Mitchell – guitars, backing vocals
(1997–present)
* Kylan Amos – bass
(2014–present)
*
Damian Wilson
Damian Wilson (born 11 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Wilson works in the progressive metal genre and was the lead singer of Headspace (band), Headspace and Threshold (band), Threshold. He sang and toured with ban ...
– lead vocals
(2020–present)
;Former members
* John Carson – lead vocals
(1995–1996)
* Cliff Orsi – bass
(1995–1996)
* Keith More – guitars, backing vocals
(1995–1997)
*
John Jowitt – bass, backing vocals
(1996–1999, 2010–2014)
* Paul Wrightson – lead vocals
(1996–1999)
* Ian Salmon – bass
(1999–2010)
* Rob Sowden – lead vocals
(1999–2010)
*
Paul Manzi – lead vocals
(2010–2020)
Lineups
Timeline
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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/2025
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1995
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id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_Vocals
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at:22/04/2000 color:black layer:back
at:27/01/2003 color:black layer:back
at:17/01/2005 color:black layer:back
at:01/07/2011 color:black layer:back
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at:25/05/2018 color:black layer:back
at:21/10/2022 color:black layer:back
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bar:Carson text:"John Carson"
bar:Wrightson text:"Paul Wrightson"
bar:Sowden text:"Rob Sowden"
bar:Manzi text:"Paul Manzi"
bar:Wilson text:"Damian Wilson"
bar:More text:"Keith More"
bar:Mitchell text:"John Mitchell"
bar:Orsi text:"Cliff Orsi"
bar:Jowitt text:"John Jowitt"
bar:Salmon text:"Ian Salmon"
bar:Amos text:"Kylan Amos"
bar:Pointer text:"Mick Pointer"
bar:Nolan text:"Clive Nolan"
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width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-6)
bar:Carson from:start till:01/02/1996 color:Vocals
bar:Wrightson from:01/02/1996 till:01/02/1999 color:Vocals
bar:Sowden from:01/02/1999 till:01/07/2010 color:Vocals
bar:Manzi from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2020 color:Vocals
bar:Wilson from:01/07/2020 till:end color:Vocals
bar:More from:start till:01/07/1997 color:Guitars
bar:Mitchell from:01/07/1997 till:end color:Guitars
bar:Orsi from:start till:01/02/1996 color:Bass
bar:Jowitt from:01/02/1996 till:01/02/1999 color:Bass
bar:Jowitt from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2014 color:Bass
bar:Salmon from:01/02/1999 till:01/07/2010 color:Bass
bar:Amos from:01/07/2014 till:end color:Bass
bar:Pointer from:start till:end color:Drums
bar:Nolan from:start till:end color:Keyboards
Discography
Studio
* ''
Songs from the Lion's Cage'' (1995)
* ''
Pride
Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...
'' (1996)
* ''The Visitor'' (1998)
* ''Immortal?'' (2000)
* ''Contagion'' (2003)
* ''
Pepper's Ghost'' (2005)
* ''The Seventh Degree of Separation'' (2011)
* ''The Unquiet Sky'' (2015)
* ''Double Vision'' (2018)
* ''The Theory of Molecular Inheritance'' (2022)
Live
* ''Welcome to the Stage'' (1997)
* ''Breakfast in Biarritz'' (2001)
* ''Live & Life'' (2004)
* ''Arena: Live'' (2013)
* ''Arena: XX'' (2016)
* ''Lifian'' (2023)
EP
* ''Edits'' (1996)
* ''The Cry'' (1997)
* ''Contagious'' (2003)
* ''Contagium'' (2003)
Compilations
* ''Ten Years On'' (2006)
Videos/DVDs
* ''Caught in the Act'' (2003) (live)
* ''Smoke & Mirrors'' (2006) (live)
* ''Rapture'' (2011) (live)
* ''Arena: XX'' (2016) (live)
* ''Re-Visited'' (2018) (live)
Fanclub releases
* ''Welcome Back! To the Stage'' (1997)
* ''The Visitor Revisited'' (1999)
* ''Unlocking the Cage'' (2000)
* ''Radiance'' (2003)
References
External links
Official siteThe Shattered RoomOfficial Arena Forum
Interview with Clive Nolan for "TSDoS"
{{Authority control
English progressive rock groups
Musical groups established in 1995
Articles which contain graphical timelines
Metal Mind Productions artists