- My Passion
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My Passion 
My Passion (l–r:) Rowlands, Nicholls, René, Gaskin, Be in August 2010.Background information Origin Hitchin, England Genres Rock
Electronica
Dance PunkYears active 2005 – present Labels Style Suicide, Mascot/Cool Green Recordings, Spinefarm Records Associated acts Shard, The Pleasure, Firetone, King of Beggars Website My Passion Members Laurence René
John Be
Jonathan Gaskin
Simon Rowlands
Jamie NichollsPast members Harry B. Wade Notable instruments Vocals
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar
Synthesisers
DrumsMy Passion is an English band formed in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England in 2005. They released their debut album, Corporate Flesh Party, in May 2009 on Cool Green Recordings. Produced by John Mitchell at Outhouse Studios in Reading,[1] the album features eleven tracks, six of which are re-recorded versions of older demos either presented only on the band's MySpace, or released on their Style Suicide record label. In April 2010, My Passion re-joined John Mitchell at Outhouse to record their second album, titled "Inside This Machine". It was initially slated for release in Autumn 2010, however it was finally released on April 25, 2011[2] through Spinefarm Records, which the band signed to in early 2011.[3]
In July 2009, My Passion were nominated for Best British Newcomer at The Kerrang! Awards[4] and in 2010 toured the UK and Ireland on the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour.[5] My Passion have played gigs with Kill Hannah, Jeffree Star, InnerPartySystem, The Faint, The Automatic and Julien-K as a support act and also headlined their own tours. They headlined a tour to promote their second album in October 2010.[6][7][8][9]
Contents
History
Formation - Post "Shard" (2005)
My Passion formed in late 2005 after previous band, glam-rock act, Shard split.[10] The only difference in line up to Shard is that female bassist Charlie Pyne was replaced by Simon Rowlands. All other members, childhood friends who grew up and were in bands together from a young age, resumed their roles on their respective instruments. The last months of 2005 were spent writing new material to compliment their re-invention and then promoting it on online social networking site, MySpace in preparation for the next year; which included songs such as Tomorrow Girls, the original recording of Day of the Bees and Never Everland. These tracks were recorded in Rene's home studio but were never released any further than digital recordings on MySpace. In July 2011, the band auctioned off the only CD copies of these songs alongside exclusive merchandise.
2006
On Friday 3 February 2006, My Passion played their first live date under their new name at Simon Price's London goth club night, Stay Beautiful.[11] Throughout 2006, My Passion toured and promoted their releases, Make Me Butterfly which is one of Shard's last songs, Bitter Too and Winter For Lovers. The former two had physical CD releases and the latter was available for digital download only. Stylistically, the songs represented an up-tempo and more hard-edged departure from Shard's 2004 album "InPerfection" and the earliest My Passion demos, Modern Way To Madness and One Joy Kid, though still used the soft edged and sometimes ethereal synth textures that made them a popular act with the glam crowd at Stay Beautiful. One new track played live on the 2006 tours was The Fabulous Blood Disco, the title of which became somewhat of a tag-line for the band, being printed on merchandise and used by singer Laurence onstage to describe the band and the live experience.[12] A demo was recorded and although never released officially, some fans claim to have heard it or been played it by the band. This track was also re-recorded for the album. Towards the end of the year, My Passion debuted songs Hot In The Dolls House and Last Day In Paradise. The former, which would become the A-Side to the next single, was recorded and co-produced by David Ryder-Prangley and had low budget video shot for it which was shown in TopShop's flagship store on Oxford Street, London. The year culminated in a second, celebratory performance at Stay Beautiful on New Year's Eve.[12]
2010 – present
In January and February 2010, My Passion joined All Time Low, The Blackout and Young Guns on the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour 2010 where they shared opening slots with Young Guns.[5] After receiving much coverage by Kerrang! during the tour in the form of videos and blog posts, My Passion appeared on the front cover of the magazine.[13]
On 4 March, My Passion released the video to "Crazy and Me".[14] It has since received 47,000 views on YouTube and been screened on Kerrang! Television and Scuzz. Towards the end of March, My Passion played three dates sponsored by Red Bull in Belfast, Dublin and Limerick,[15] before rejoining friends and touring partners Kill Hannah in April for their "Wake Up Sleepers" tour, on which My Passion played many songs from their unreleased second album.
The band went into the studio in April to record these songs into their follow-up to Corporate Flesh Party. The album, entitled Inside This Machine, is currently being mixed by producer John Mitchell and is planned for release in September,[when?] as confirmed by René at Slam Dunk Festival in May. My Passion announced a UK headlining tour, the "Inside This Machine Tour", in October 2010 to coincide with the album's release.[16] Songs from My Passion's recently announced second album include "The Girl Who Lost Her Smile" and "Asleep In The Asylum", which have been played at live shows since October 2009, 'The Mess We Made Of Our Lives' which has been played since the 2010 European Wake Up The Sleepers tour with Kill Hannah. 'Seven Birds', 'In My Fever' and "My Confession" were revealed in the April 17 issue of Kerrang! magazine.[13] "In My Fever" was played by Daniel P. Carter on his Radio 1 Rock Show and Seven Birds was released as a free download via the band's website in July.
On 11 August 2010, My Passion revealed Jamie Nicholls from defunct Alt' rock outfit Firetone as their new drummer. Jonathan Gaskin will continue to play for My Passion as second guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist.[17]
In October 2010, the band toured the UK in the 'Asylum Tour',[18] previously a tour to promote the album Inside This Machine but then became a tour to promote the single "Asleep in the Asylum". Their support acts were Dead by April, Don Broco, Kyra and Summerlin. An extra date was added on Hallowe'en weekend (December 30, 2010) for the farewell of the Student's Union of the University of Bedfordshire in Luton in which they played along with Proceed, Don Broco, None the Less and more on its last weekend before the building was closed down completely.
The single "Asleep in the Asylum" entered general sale on October 4, 2010. It contains three tracks: "Asleep in the Asylum, Dream in Colour and Seven Birds".[19]
My Passion released their new album, Inside This Machine, on April 18, 2011 through Spinefarm.[20][dated info]
On March 25, 2011, the video for single "The Mess We Made Of Our Lives" was released.[21]
On April 1, the band was involved in an April Fools prank held by the Kerrang! Magazine. In this, the magazine's website created an article in which the band was erroneously reported as dying themselves permanentely gold
They toured on the album Inside This Machine from the 21st April to the 17th May, in which they performed covered entirely in gold paint. Their support was LostAlone[22] alongside Red Bull Bedroom Jam contestants Never Means Maybe and Hearts Under Fire.
The bands second album, Inside This Machine was released on April 25, 2011
After the band's successful headline tour, they headed out to support American alt.rock band Framing Hanely alongside Leeds punk/rock The Headstart. The tour started in Newcastle on the 27th of May and finished in Glasgow on the 22nd of June.
The band released their second single, The Girl Who Lost Her Smile on iTunes, accompanied by a DJ Remix and an acoustic version. The video was recorded LIVE at the London dates of the Framing Hanely tour for whom My Passion were main support.
Sponsorships & Endorsements
Even before being signed by Mascot Records in 2009, My Passion secured many sponsorship deals with companies including Cort Guitars,[23][24] Hughes and Kettner,[25][26] Blackstar,[27] Hartke[28] and EBS[29] amplification. Jonathan Gaskin endorsed Stagg Music.[28] cymbals between February 2009 and February 2010, when he signed to Zildjian.[30] Ernie Ball provide the band with plectrums and guitar strings. The band's most prolific sponsorship deal however was arguably with drink corporation, Red Bull. Since signing the deal in 2008, the band have played under the company's banner at Underage, Download and T in The Park Festivals, as well as having their music featured on adverts for the Red Bull X Fighters Motocross[31] event and in the teen drama, Freak, in which the characters attend a My Passion gig. The program was broadcast on MySpace.
Members
Current
- Laurence René - Vocals
- John Be - Guitar
- Jonathan Gaskin - Vocals, Electronics, Guitar
- Simon Rowlands - Bass Guitar
- Jamie Nicholls - Drums
Former
- Harry B. Wade
Discography
Studio Albums
- Corporate Flesh Party (2009)
- Inside This Machine (2011)
Singles and EPs
- Make Me Butterfly/Die Happy Picnic EP (2006)
- Bitter Too/Tomorrow Girls EP (2006)
- Winter For Lovers (2006)
- Hot in the Dolls House/Last Day in Paradise EP (2007)
- After Calais - Demo (Free download, 2007)
- BooMan (2007)
- Day of the Bees (2008)
- Crazy and Me (2008)
- Thanks for Nothing (Free Download, 2009)
- Day of the Bees - ReRelease (2009)
- Vultures Are People Too (Free download, August 2009)
- Crazy & Me - ReRelease (2010)
- Seven Birds (Free download, July 2010)
- Asleep in the Asylum (2010)
- The Mess We Made of Our Lives (2011)
- The Girl Who Lost Her Smile (2011)
Videography
- One Joy Kid (2005)[32]
- Modern Way To Madness (2006)
- Hot in the Doll's House (2007)[33]
- Day of the Bees (2008, "DIY" Version)[34]
- Never Everland (2009, Presently Unreleased)[35]
- Day of the Bees (2009)[36]
- Crazy and Me (2010)[14]
- Asleep In The Asylum (2010)[37]
- The Mess We Made Of Our Lives (2011)[38]
- The Girl Who Lost Her Smile (2011)[39]
- Lily White Lies (2011)[40]
Equipment
Below is a list of equipment used by members of My Passion. It consists of eye witness accounts and discussions with band members.
Note; all current guitars and basses are custom decorated with My Passion's 2009 onwards, Heart Logo.
Laurence René
Current Equipment:
Past Equipment:
- Cort Claudio Pagelli II Guitar - Custom decorated with white LEDs in the pickup mounts and My Passion Logo
- Cort Source - Custom decorated white and small My Passion Logo[41]
- Parker P-42 Fly - Custom decorated with green LEDs in the pickup mounts and red "racing stripes"
- Squier Standard Telecaster - Candy Apple Red with leopard print pickguard
- Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion
- Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner
- Blackstar Series One 200 Amp Head[41]
- Blackstar Series One 412B Cabinet
- Hughes & Kettner Switchblade Amp Head
- Hughes & Kettner Vortex 412 Cabinet
- Hughes & Kettner Vortex Amp Head
- Hughes & Kettner Trilogy Amp Head
- Korg R3 Synthesiser - Used live by both René and Rowlands[42]
John Be
Current Equipment:
- Cort John Be Signature prototypes - Two, one with a vibrato, one without[43]
- Cort EVL-K4
- Cort Z44
- Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner[44]
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
- Boss DD-6 Digital Delay
- Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer
- Boss PH-2 Super Phaser
- Fulltone FB-1 Fatboost
- Blackstar Series One 200 Amp Head
- Blackstar HT Venue 100 Amp Head - Two, in stereo, housed in a double head case by Castle Cases
- Blackstar HTV 412 Cabinet - Two, in stereo.
Past Equipment:
- Cort EVL-Z4
- Cort EVL-Z2
- Squier Double Fat Telecaster Deluxe - Two, both in Black Metallic finish and modified with a Seymour Duncan JB Pickup in the bridge position and Graptech String Saver saddles.
- Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensembe
- Boss MT-2 Metal Zone - Two, set at different levels
- Boss PSM-5 Power Supply and Master Switch
- Digitech Death Metal
- Blackstar Artisan 100 Amp Head
- Hughes & Kettner Trilogy Amp Head
- Hughes & Kettner Alex Lifeson Signature TriAmp Head
- Hughes & Kettner Custom Class 412 Cabinet w/ Celestion Vintage 30s
- Orange Tiny Terror Amp Head
- Randall Head
- Randall 212 Combo
- Randall 412 Cabinet
Jonathan Gaskin
- Sennheiser Evolution 800 Microphone
- Shure SM58 Microphone
- Apple Macbook - Black polycarbonate MacBook, used for triggering live samples and backing tracks
- Korg R3 Synthesiser
- Moog Prodigy Synthesiser
- Evolution MK 149 MIDI Keyboard Controller
- Korg KaossPad 3
- Cort KX5FR - Two, one black, one white
- Cort X-TH
- Cort EVL-Z4
- Cort Z44
- Blackstar HT Venue 100 Amp Head
Past Equipment:
- Pearl Export EXR Drum Kit including 22" Kick, 14" Floor Tom, 12" Rack Tom, 10" Rack Tom and 14" Stainless steel Snare
- Zildjian A Custom Crash
- Zildjian A Custom Rezo Crash
- Zildjian A Custom Mastersound HiHats
- Zildjian K Brilliant Crash Ride
- Zildjian K Custom Dark China
- Zildjian Oriental China Trash
- Zildjian Zil Bel - Small
- Stagg and Sabian cymbals
- Korg Electribe ESX-1 Sequencer
- Korg KaossPad
Simon Rowlands
Current Equipment:
- Vigier Excess Indus
- Fender American Standard Jazz Bass - Maple neck, custom black pickguard
- Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive
- Korg Pitchblack Tuner
- EBS Pedals
- EBS TD 660 Bass Amp
- EBS ClassicLine 810 Bass Cabinet
Past Equipment:
- Washburn Bass[45]
- Cort T34
- Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner
- Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
- Hughes & Kettner BassBase 600 Head
- Hartke Bass Head
- Hartke 410 Bass Cabinet
- Korg R3 Synthesiser - Used live by both Rowlands and René[45]
Harry B. Wade
- Squier Telecaster Custom
- Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner
- Boss CE-2 Chorus
- Ibanez 7 Series Pedal
- Hughes & Kettner Vortex Head
- Hughes & Kettner Vortex 412 Cabinet
- Yamaha SY55 Synthesiser
- Roland V-Synth XT Rack Unit
- Korg KaossPad II
- Korg Electribe EMX-1 Sequencer
References
- ^ My Passion on Outhouse Studios' Clients' Section Retrieved 1st June 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2011/02/my_passion_sign_new_record_dea.html
- ^ My Passion Nominated For Kerrang! Award Retrieved 16th August, 2009
- ^ a b My Passion on the Kerrang! Tour Website Retrieved 1st June 2010
- ^ Lawrence, Alistair (June 20, 2009). "My Passion: Kings of Hearts." Kerrang! (1266): 28.
- ^ Lewis, Faye (June 2009). "My Passion: Rising from the Ashes." Rock Sound (123): 34.
- ^ My Passion – Corporate Flesh Party. Mascot Records. Retrieved 17th July, 2009.
- ^ My Passion (official site). Retrieved 17th July, 2009.
- ^ Review of "Make Me Butterfly EP" on StarVox.net Retrieved 1st June 2010
- ^ My Passion At Stay Beautiful Retrieved 16th August, 2009
- ^ a b My Passion Play Stay Beautiful Club, New Year's Eve 2006 on YouTube Retrieved 17th August, 2009
- ^ a b Lane, Daniel J. (27 February 2010). "Dark, Dedicated, Desired.." Kerrang! (1301): 22.
- ^ a b Crazy and Me video on YouTube Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ March 2010 Mini Red Bull Tour Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ October 2010 Tour Announced on Kerrang! Website Retrieved 1 June 2010
- ^ http://amplified.tv/2010/08/11/my-passion-announce-new-lineup/
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/mypassion
- ^ http://www.mypassionfashion.co.uk/asylum.html
- ^ http://amplified.tv/2011/02/23/my-passion-sign-new-record-deal/
- ^ http://amplified.tv/2011/03/25/my-passion-the-mess-we-made-of-our-lives-music-video/
- ^ [2]
- ^ John Be, Photographed by Marianne Harris for Cort Guitars Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ My Passion in Cort Guitar's Top Friends Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ Screenshot of "A Passion For Sound", published 17.09.2008 Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ Screenshot of Hughes & Kettner Article, published 19.08.2009 Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ John Be featured on the Blackstar Amps Artists' Section Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ a b My Passion's The Agency Group page Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ Screenshot of Simon Rowlands' Page on the EBS Website Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ Jonathan Gaskin on the Zildjian Website Artists' Section Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ "Hot In The Doll's House", Featured on Red Bull Advert Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ Video Retrieved 27th July 2010
- ^ "Hot In The Dolls House" Video Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ "Day of the Bees" 2008 "DIY" Video Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ "Never Everland" Video Retrieved 4th June, 2010
- ^ "Day of the Bees" Video Retrieved 1st June, 2010
- ^ "Asleep In The Asylum" Video Retrieved 6th October, 2010
- ^ "The Mess We Made Of Our Lives" Video Retrieved 5 November 2011
- ^ "The Girl Who Lost Her Smile" Video Retrieved 5 November 2011
- ^ "Lily White Lies" Video Retrieved 5 November 2011
- ^ a b Photo of René's Cort Source and Blackstar Amp Retrieved 15th August 2010
- ^ Photo of René' Playing Korg R3 Synthesiser Retrieved 23rd August 2010
- ^ Photo of John Be's Signature Cort Retrieved 15th August 2010
- ^ Photo of John Be's Pedal Board Retrieved 1st September 2010
- ^ a b Photo of Rowlands Playing Korg R3 Synthesiser & Washburn Bass Retrieved 23rd August 2010
External links
Categories:- English rock music groups
- Musical groups established in 2005
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