Black cab band

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Black Cab
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Melbourne, Australia, Australia
Instruments = guitar, bass, drums, electronic programming and treatments
Genre = Drone Indie Rock, Industrial Rock, Shoegazing
Years_active = 1999–present
Label = Interstate 40 Music Stickman Records
URL = [http://www.interstate40music.com Official site]
Current_members = Andrew Coates James Lee Richard Andrew Anthony Paine Steve Law Alex Jarvis
Past_members = Ashley Davies

Black Cab is a Melbourne based drone guitar and electronica group. The band is heavily influenced by 70's psychedelic rock coupled with elements of Krautrock and more programmed driven beats and electronic soundscapes.

Biography

Melbourne-based Australian band Black Cab's principal songwriters are guitarist James Lee and vocalist Andrew Coates, who originally performed together in early 90's industrial rock group Foil. After an initial collaboration in 1999 produced a limited edition 3 track EP entitled 'Illinois Chapter', Coates moved to San Francisco and began writing what would become the bands first full length album 'Altamont Diary' (2004), a concept album loosely based on the Rolling Stones' disastrous Altamont Free Concert on December 6th 1969. The album was recorded gradually over a two year period and was produced and mixed by Melbourne producer Woody Annison when Coates moved back to Melbourne in early 2002. At that time James Lee was playing in Melbourne bands Registered Nurse and The Fergs. The debut album also featured a number of local Melbourne musicians including Richard Andrew on drums (Registered Nurse, Underground Lovers), Andrew McCubbin and Glenn Sharpe on sitar, as well as Adam Cunha from San Francisco mod rock group Helium Angel. On release in mid 2004 the album attracted significant Australian and international acclaim and a full band was pulled together to take the album live. Joining Black Cab for the early live shows was Anthony Paine on bass (High Pass Filter), Steve Law (Zen Paradox) and Alex Jarvis (Automatic). Ashley Davis (Even) also guested at a number of shows during 2005 and 2006. The band would often play shows to a video backdrop of slow moving images taken from concert footage of the Altamont Free Concert.

The full band contributed recordings for what would become the bands' second album 'Jesus East' which was released in Australia in 2006 on Interstate 40 Music/Pharmacy Records and in Europe in early 2007 courtesy of Hamburg based indie label Stickman Records (home of Norwegian psychedelic rockers Motorpsycho). Guest vocals on the track 13 Days were performed by Japanese LA-based vocalist and performance artist Sayaka Yabuki. The album also featured studio recordings from a sitar master and tabla percussionist. On the strength of international reviews the band received an Australia Council for the Arts International Pathways grant to tour the Netherlands, Germany and Austria in May 2007, and 'Jesus East' was also nominated for the 2006 Australian Music Prize. A limited edition tour EP, 'Surrender', was released to coincide with the 2007 European tour and featured remixes of tracks from 'Jesus East' by Woody Annison and Steve Law, as well as a number of live recordings from shows in 2006.

The bands' third album is currently being recorded and will be released in early 2009.

Recent activity & trivia

*Black Cab played a 12 date European tour in May 2007 to support the release of 'Jesus East'. The band blew out their Berlin show after their tour van died on the Autobahn 100km outside Berlin but subsequently did a second show at the Paradiso (Amsterdam) instead.
*The band are currently recording their third album (working title is apparently 'Church In Berlin'). The album will include a vocal track written and performed by Ron Peno of legendary Australian rock group Died Pretty.
*Both 'Altamont Diary' and 'Jesus East' will be available in vinyl in late 2008 via the Vinyl Factory, Australia.

*Sam Cutler appeared in Black Cab's 2006 album Jesus East performing a spoken word vocal over the track Valiant. Cutler was the road manager for the Rolling Stone's legendary 1969 US tour and was the MC and organizer of the Altamont Free Concert. Sam was living in northern Queensland when he heard a Melbourne group had done a concept album about the 'Stones' 1969 Altamont concert and subsequently contacted the band. He was then invited to contribute vocals during the bands' 'Jesus East' recording sessions and MC'd the bands album launch live shows in Melbourne and Sydney in mid 2006. The Grateful Dead's early live sound man and LSD producer Owsley Stanley (aka Bear) also lives in northern Queensland.
*Ron Peno, vocalist of legendary Sydney rock band Died Pretty is contributing guest vocals on the bands' forthcoming album.
*The Stickman Records release of 'Jesus East' contains a slightly shorter edit of the track Hearts On Fire.

Discography

* "Illinois Chapter" (Interstate 40/Pharmacy Records) 1999)
* "Altamont Diary" (Interstate 40/Pharmacy Records 2004)
* "Altamont Diary" (Pharmacy Records/Shellshock UK 2005)
* "Altamont Diary" (Stickman Records Germany 2005)
* "Jesus East" (Interstate 40 Music/Pharmacy Records) 2006)
* "Jesus East" (Stickman Records Germany 2007)
* "Surrender EP" (Interstate 40 Music 2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.interstate40music.com Official Site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/black_cab Black Cab Myspace page]