Bob Andrews

Bob “Derwood” Andrews is an English guitarist and former member of the punk rock band, Generation X. Drafted in to Generation X at age 17, split after 1979's tour of Japan.

Andrews first and then drummer Mark Laff left Generation X in 1979 to end up together in the band Empire, along with bassist Simon Bernal, releasing one album "Expensive Sound" and one single "Hot Seat" which was all reissued with bonus tracks in 2003 by Poorly Packaged Products. Initially an instrumental band, when no singer surfaced, Andrews depped on vocals. The trio Empire did 4 gigs, Bernal split, did 2 more gigs with Eater's Ian Woodcock on bass, band morphed in to New Empire with Babel Wallace taking over on vocals, Laff split, Babel's Miles Over Matter drummer Crispin joins in time for the release of an obscure twelve inch paring "Love is out of Fashion" with "Inside You", featuring Mike Gregovic on bass, later to do production work for Page/Plant. Eddi Reader M.B.E., later of Fairground Attraction, was enlisted at one point for some studio work, appearances remain unreleased for now. New Empire gigged thru 1984, Andrews noticed things got too funky, rammed his guitar thru his speaker onstage, and New Empire ended.

In the late 1980s and in to the 1990s, Andrews got another guitar & played with the bands Westworld and the country-esque Speedtwinn and the cult artist Swampdogg. 1993 even saw a Generation X reunion for one night only. 2006 saw Andrews & Laff re-record "Hot Seat".

Andrews is currently actively involved with International band, Moondogg with Westworld singer Elizabeth Westwood, completed his first full length solo effort "Tone Poet" and working on an autobiography. Andrews seminal guitar work with Empire was the blueprint for many bands move away from the strictly hardcore formula sound in Washington DC's Revolution Summer roster and the man's song catalog has been covered by a diverse selection of artists from US Bombs to NY's Even Worse to glam artists L.A. Guns.

External links

* [http://home.earthlink.net/~rubbercheese1/ Empire—Expensive Sound]
* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bmf1zf04eh2k~T1 Review of Empire’s album at allmusic.com]
* [http://www.rocketcityrecords.com/speedtwinn/ Speedtwinn]