Lucas Fox (born 25 February 1953) is an English drummer who was a founding member of British rock band
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
and London punk rock band Warsaw Pakt.
Career
Motörhead
In 1975, Fox picked up
Lemmy from London Airport after he was sacked from Hawkwind. Lemmy, Fox and
Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was a British rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.
Biography Early bands
In 1968, he formed a band calle ...
started a new band named Bastards, however the band's name was quickly changed to
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
following a suggestion by the band's manager Doug Smith. The band started by supporting
Greenslade at the roundhouse on 20 July performing cover versions except ‘Motörhead’ (Lemmy), ‘On Parole’ and ‘City Kids’ (Larry Wallis). Fox was the drummer for six months before being replaced during their first album at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales, recording sessions by
Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor. Fox's drumming appeared on the ''
On Parole'' album track "Lost Johnny" which, unlike the rest of the songs Fox recorded for the album, were not overdubbed with Taylor's drums.
Fox also appeared in the band's
10th anniversary video in 1985, joining the band on stage for the final number, "
Motorhead" at Hammersmith Odeon, London.
Warsaw Pakt
In Spring 1977, Warsaw Pakt was formed around
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove ( ) is a road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, which passes through Kensal Green and Notting Hill, running north–south between Harrow Road and Holland Park Avenue.
It is also the name of the sur ...
, London, composed of lead guitarist Andy Colquhoun of The Rockets, Fox on drums, vocalist Jimmy Coull, John Walker on rhythm guitar, and Chris Underhill on bass. The band gigged around local venues and played with
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
at a gig in the bar of
Exeter College, Oxford. Their debut album ''Needle Time'' was released through
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
. 5,000 copies were sold in the first week, and at the end of the week Island Records decided they would not have any more pressed. The band continued to play locally for a few months more before finally splitting up in March 1978.
To avoid confusion with Warsaw Pakt, the band
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
changed their band name from the original, Warsaw.
Later career
After the break-up of Warsaw Pakt, Fox played for a brief time with the band Walking Wounded. In 1982 he was in the band The Spy's and they released one album that year, however the band soon split up. Fox was also one of the many drummers
The Scientist employed between 1985 and 1986, of Civilisation Machine in 1985, and worked on
Andrew Eldritch's side-project
The Sisterhood.
In the late 1980s, Fox moved to France and became a technical director and programming director of the
Midem festival, Cannes, France in 1986, 1987 and 1988, programming artists including
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
Al Jarreau
Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...
,
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo ...
, and
Véronique Sanson. This led to him heading an effort by the French Culture Ministry (Jack Lang) to promote French bands abroad with The French Revolution In New York in July 1989, French Invasion Of New York in July 1990, World Music Day (LA, San Francisco) and Bastille Day In The Park (Central Park, NYC) in 1991 with 35, 000 spectators, France En Direct (London and Glasgow) in 1992 with
Salif Keita amongst other artists. These events were responsible for the international success of bands such as the
Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings (originally Los Reyes) are a musical group founded in 1979 in Arles, France. The band, whose members have Catalans, Catalan heritage, play a blend of Catalan rumba, flamenco, Salsa music, salsa, and Pop music, pop. They perform mos ...
,
Mory Kante,
Cheb Khaled,
Mano Negra,
Les Satellites, Pigalle.
At the same time, Fox went on to produce many independent bands: Fixed Up, the Austrian gothic rock group A Wedding Anniversary,
Ekatarina Velika, The Sisterhood, The Batmen, Paul Collins Beat, Les Musiciens Du Métro (compilation of 17 bands from the Parisian Metro), The Bowling Team's first album (co-produced with Troy Henriksen).
In 2018 he joined Paul Rudolph, original singer and guitarist of
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies are an English proto-punk rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and ot ...
and ex-
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
bassist Alan Davey to record the album ''Resident Reptiles'' under the Pink Fairies name for Cleopatra Records.
Discography
;With WH Pierce Band
*''WH Pierce Band – My Cow's A Gonna'' – 5 songs produced by Roger Walters & Nick Mason, Pink Floyd
;With Ross Stagg
*''Ross Stagg – I'll Never Be A Star, But I Might''
Pye Records
PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...
;With Motörhead
*''Motorhead – On Parole''
EMI (724385479427) 1997 Re-issue with 'The
Dave Edmunds
David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...
Produced' tracks of "On Parole", "City Kids", "Motorhead" and "Leaving Here" on which Fox drummed, as well as "Lost Johnny"
*''Motorhead – The Birthday Party – Live'' Originally released as a VHS, and in 1991 as LP, cassette, and CD. It has also been released (in Brazil. 2003) as a DVD.
;With Warsaw Pakt
*''Warsaw Pakt – Needle Time''
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
(ILPS9515)
;Carl Groszman's White Lightning
*''Carl Groszman's White Lightning – Geraldine'' produced by Bruce Lynch, Ringo Records
;With The Spy's
*''The Spy's – Same''
Edel Records Gmbh then
Line Records (LLP5145AP)
;With Civilisation Machine
*''Civilisation Machine – Into the Juice'' Closer Records – EP
*''Civilisation Machine – Walk to the Sea'' Closer Records – Single
;With The Sisterhood
*''The Sisterhood – Gift''
Merciful Release (SIS020) LP
*''The Sisterhood – Giving Ground''
Merciful Release (SIS010) Single
;The Bowling Team
*''The Bowling Team – Serious'' – Fiction Factory Mastering – Album
;With Pink Fairies
*''Pink Fairies – Resident Reptiles''
Purple Pyramid (CLO-0797) Album
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Lucas
Motörhead members
Pink Fairies members
English heavy metal drummers
English rock drummers
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
1953 births