Mick Reed is an English musician from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, best known as the drummer for UK

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

act

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...

Psykik Volts/Pop-Tones (1978–81)

Reed recorded his first single aged 18, Psykik Volts' "Totally Useless" / "Horror Stories #5", which received heavy airplay from

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

. The single featured on a 2006 list of "Rarest Punk Singles" in ''Record Collector'', and has been re-issued several times since its original release. Alongside vocalist/guitarist Victor Vendetta aka Slick Vinex, Reed was signed to Rockburgh Records in 1980/81. The pair released a single "Wooden Heart" / "(Rise of the) Appliances", comprising re-recorded versions of Volts songs. The record was released under the name Pop-Tones (after the Public Image song).

1919/The Hive (1981–1985)

Reed joined 1919 shortly after their inception, and quickly formed a songwriting partnership with guitarist Mark Tighe. Although the band were only active for three years, they released the ''Machine'' LP along with the singles "Repulsion" / "Tear Down These Walls", "Caged" / "After the Fall", "Cry Wolf" / "Dream", and the unauthorised EP ''Earth Song''. 1919 also recorded two Peel Sessions and featured on a number of compilations during this time, but in 1984 Reed's departure to form The Hive signalled the end of the band for three decades - his "tribal" drumming and partnership with Tighe having been fundamental to the 1919 sound. In 1985, The Hive released their only album ''Stream Of Consciousness'', and the single "Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall" before their departure.

Ship of Fools (1992–1996)

Reed formed the neo-prog psychedelic band Ship of Fools alongside guitarist Andy Banks, former 1919 synth player Sputnik (bass), and keyboardists Damien Clarke and

Les Smith Keith Leslie Smith is a former English keyboardist, once in the bands Anathema (1996, 2001–2011) and Cradle of Filth (1998–2000). Biography He was born in 1967 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. Smith undertook session work on keyboards ...

. Friendly with the heads of the

Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology, Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally u ...

label, an offshoot of heavy metal distributors

Peaceville Peaceville Records is a British independent heavy metal record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw (of the bands Instigators and Civilised Society, as well as a former drummer of Sore Throat) in Dewsbury, England, in 1987. ...

Records, the band eventually signed with them and became the premiere psychedelic eccentrics on the label. Offering two albums in their lifetime, 1993's ''Close Your Eyes, Forget the World'' and 1994's ''Out There Somewhere'', the band broke up in 1996. Smith (who went on to join

Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...

) compiled their music and in 2002 released ''Let's Get This Mother Outta Here'', a farewell collection that summed up their career.

Touring and studio projects (1996–2015)

As well as contributing to a number of studio projects such as ''Nine Invisibles'', and a quasi-active touring lineup of Ship of Fools (which would include eventual 1919 bassist Karl Donner), Reed focussed mainly on touring and session work during this period. Working with old friends in

Anathema The word anathema has two main meanings. One is to describe that something or someone is being hated or avoided. The other refers to a formal excommunication by a Christian denomination, church. These meanings come from the New Testament, where a ...

, and

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

, Reed performed a number of roles from stage manager to live and studio sessions, including performing drums for much of Anathema's tour in 2007. In 1996, Reed and ''Nine Invisibles'' provided music for the song "Chip Away", which featured the voice of Labour Party MP

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician and political activist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabine ...

. The song was recorded for Campaign For Free Education's fundraiser CD ''No Compromize'', which helped campaign against the introduction of

tuition fees Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spen ...

in the UK. Alongside "Chip Away" were tracks contributed from others including

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () was a British anarcho-punk band who formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the Brit Awards 1998. Other singles include "Amnes ...

, and

New Model Army The New Model Army or New Modelled Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 t ...

. In 1998, vocals for two tracks on Mandala's album ''Gurning the Midnight Oil'', another project of Reed's, were provided by

Howard Marks Dennis Howard Marks (13 August 1945 – 10 April 2016) was a Welsh drug smuggler and author who achieved notoriety as an international Cannabis (drug), cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases. At his peak he claimed to have been sm ...

. The tracks were "Grow It Everywhere" and "Loose In The Temple".

1919 reformation (2015–present)

After guitarist Tighe had set about reforming the band with vocalist Rio Goldhammer, recording a demo for ''Revenge'' in the process, it was announced that Reed would be returning to the fold full-time, introducing Donner to complete the lineup. The reunion was confirmed on 30 August 2015, and the band wasted no time in getting started. By the end of October they had recorded ''2015: "The Madness Continues" Sessions...'' and performed at La Nuit Fantasmagothic in Angoulême, France. In February 2016, 1919 released ''Death Note'', their first EP in over 30 years, and announced plans for a full new album and tour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Mick English rock drummers Musicians from Dewsbury