Legacy (band)

Legacy Was the original name of the bay area thrash metal band what is now Testament with Exodus's lead singer.

Legacy was formed in 1997 on the south coast of England near the town of Chichester.The critical members were: Mal Simms (vocals, bodhrán, guitar, cittern, and whistle), Paul Burgess (guitars, mandolin, bass, and percussion), Juliet (Jules) Bell, (fiddle, bodhrán, and vocals), Clare Sanders (flute, vocals, whistle, and bodhrán) and Tim Cotterell, (fiddle). The band evolved from the fall out of Simms & Burgess' other band Calluna that folded the year before.Legacy's early sound was a mix of acoustic arrangements of the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland & England.

"First Will"

Legacy's début album, "First Will", was released in summer 1998 and blended a mix of tunes and songs arranged by Legacy. The album brought the band to the attention of agents and festival organisers and Legacy was invited to perform at the UK's largest indoor festival The Fareham & Gosport Festival the following April. In late 1998 Legacy began recording their follow up album Bamboozle which was released in April 1999.Bamboozle was a darker album and the sound was maturer and included guests such as all-Ireland fiddle champion Brendan McGlinchey, who remains a friend of the band.

Change

Although Legacy had built a following and was being invited to more festivals and larger venues, Juliet Bell left the band in late 1999 and was replaced by Brighton based fiddler Tim Cotterell. Cotterell was an experienced musician bringing further improvisational skills to the sound of the band which went on to become their trademark.The band continued to perform further afield gaining a growing reputation in the traditional music scene.

2000-2005

2000 was a turbulent year for Legacy. Guitarist Burgess temporally left the band while the other members continued with commitments using various stand-in players.Burgess returned in 2001 and Legacy toured Ireland and became busier than ever.2002 saw the release of The Factory Girl EP which was 5 tracks taken from recording sessions intended to be their third album (The EP was extended in 2005 to a full album and includes further material from those sessions). The Factory Girl EP showcased the new Legacy line up with its polished sound and Legacy's jazzed up version of the popular tune 'The Mountain Road' first appeared on this release.Through 2002/2003 Legacy toured the festival scene, the folk club circuit and even enjoyed a small tour to the Netherlands as also providing support for established bands such as Dervish. The band began working on their next album, Poly On The Shore, which wasn't eventually released until 2005.In 2004 the band enjoyed a busy summer performing at many of the major UK folk festivals, a two week tour of Ireland in August 2004 and in February 2005 they visited Denmark for a series of concerts.In August 2005 at the Broadstairs folk festival, Kent, UK. Legacy played their last concert before entering a period of hiatus.

The present

Simms & Cotterell continued performing as a duo and with other established musicians. Cotterell went on to perform with artists such as Martha Tilston and continued his regular spot in the Scottish based folk rock band The Electrics while Simms focused on his painting talents and developing himself as a solo performer (debut solo album released 2006).Sanders & Burgess are now based in Ireland where they have built a music based business.

The band regrouped on the 21st of June 2008 to play a one off informal gig to celebrate Mal Simms 60th Birthday.

External links

* [http://www.legacyband.co.uk Legacy's website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/uklegacy Legacy's myspace site]