Dominic Masters

Dominic Masters is the front man of London based rock band The Others, Masters keeps in contact with many of his fans by giving out his mobile telephone number on his band's website, flyers and printing it on cd singles.

Biography

Dominic Masters grew up in Haybridge, a hamlet situated on the outskirts of the City of Wells, Somerset, with his mother, Lisa. He moved to the East End of London at the age of 18 to study Politics at London Guildhall University, where he dabbled in other bands, such as Magnetica with current Others guitarist Jimmy Lager. He graduated Guildhall with a 2:1 in Politics, before working in Market Research and Magazine Advertising Sales in London.

Having made friends with London musicians such The Parkinsons, he took to forming a band. It was The Parkinsons who gave this newly formed four piece their first support slot. He called up two new musicians (Johnny Others, bass and Martin Oldham, drums) to play alongside himself and Lager. The Others played various venues across London, notably Whitechapel's The Rhythm Factory. By 2004, The Others were signed to Poptones Records, a division of the Universal group for a reputed advance of £100,000. This contract was perhaps prompted after much hype from the NME music magazine and a series of energetic and memorable live performances, including playing on the Abbey Road crossing, the BBC Television Centre and on a London Underground Tube.

As frontman of The Others, Dominic Masters became famed for his socialist attitudes, guerrilla gigs, a close relationship with his fans, liberal lifestyle, openness in media interviews, and Narcotic misuse. Friendship between Masters and then Libertines guitarist Pete Doherty prompted both to write songs based upon antics together. The Others wrote and released second single Stan Bowles and Gang Of Thieves based on these experiences with Doherty. Conversely, Doherty penned Tell It To The King from Up the Bracket and later The Man Who Would Be King from the eponymous second album. He then progressed to write the track Killamangiro about rumoured incidents with Masters.

The debut album release from The Others failed to meet contractual sales targets in the UK. This resulted in the termination of their contract with Poptones. Poptones went on to 'drop' 12 other artists as a result of Universal's pulled support for Alan McGee. By this stage the media had turned on Masters, culminating in NME running an article entitled "Whatever Happened To Dominic Masters?"

Dominic presents a regular radio show on Phoenix FM, broadcast in the Brentwood and Billericay area of West Essex, which is also available as a podcast. The Others are currently signed to independent label Lime Records, touring their second album Inward Parts in the UK and Europe (where Inward Parts is to be released by Rough Trade).

External links

* [http://www.phoenixfm.com/dominic-masters.php Dominic Masters' podcast show]
* [http://www.letskilltheothers.info The Others website]

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2004/10/04/dominic_masters_interview_feature.shtml BBC Somerset Interview]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/blast/2005/01/dominic_masters_interview.shtml BBC Shropshire Interview]
* http://www.letskilltheothers.com