Patrick Walden

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Patrick Walden
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Patrick George Walden
Born = birth_date_and_age|1978|10|5} 30}
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Instrument = Guitar, Bass Guitar
Genre = Rock, Jazz
Occupation = Guitarist, Songwriter
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Associated_acts = The White Sport, Babyshambles, Big Dave
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Notable_instruments = Olympic White 1960 Fender Jazzmaster

Patrick George Walden (born October 5 1978) is best known as the former guitarist for Babyshambles. Prior to joining Babyshambles, Walden belonged to a variety of London groups, among which were Fluid, the Six Cold Thousand, and The White Sport. He played guitar for The White Sport alongside another future Babyshambles member, drummer Adam Ficek. Walden also worked as a live guitarist and as a session musician, playing bass and guitar for numerous recording artists. Among those acts were Whitey, James Blunt, 500 and Crave, Ed Laliq, and, very briefly, The Honeymoon.

Career

Babyshambles

In the early summer of 2004, when Pete Doherty once again found himself cast out of The Libertines because of his drug use [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060220023012/http://www.nme.com/news/109000.htm Nme.Com - News - Libs Continue Without Pete ] ] , he brought Babyshambles to the fore with Walden on lead guitar. The band's line-up underwent several changes before stabilizing during the late summer of 2004 with Doherty on vocals, Patrick Walden on guitar, Gemma Clarke on drums and Drew McConnell on bass. Walden co-wrote a number of Babyshambles songs with Pete Doherty. One of them, "The Man Who Came To Stay," was released as the B-side to the Killamangiro single in November 2004. Other Doherty/Walden compositions include Top-10 single "Fuck Forever" and "Loyalty Song," "352 Days," "In Love With a Feeling," "Up the Morning," "Pipe Down," "32nd of December," and "8 Dead Boys." He co-wrote six of the sixteen tracks that made it onto "Down In Albion", Babyshambles' debut album.

At Babyshambles' live shows, he usually performed using an Olympic White 1960 Fender Jazzmaster, with a 1985 Jazzmaster and a 90s American Stratocaster as backups. Often citing experimental guitarists like J Mascis, Thurston Moore and Jimi Hendrix as early influences, Walden's unusual playing style set Babyshambles apart from other bands in the East London music scene. Marshall magazine "Marshall Law" lists him as using a JCM900 head with a 1960A cab. [ [http://www.marshallamps.com/images/mars_law_issue_pdfs/ml%2009.pdf Marshall Law Issue 9] ]

In December 2005, Walden left Babyshambles. The band continued to perform under the same name, but did not replace Walden with a different guitarist immediately. In the January 10, 2006, issue of "NME", Walden's departure was officially announced. [ [http://www.nme.com/news/babyshambles/21920 Babyshambles kick off UK tour without guitarist | News | NME.COM ] ] However, on January 23, 2006, Walden turned up to play guitar for the Babyshambles at a gig in the Junction, Cambridge. [ [http://www.nme.com/reviews/babyshambles/7846 Babyshambles - Babyshambles: Junction, Cambridge, Monday, January 23 - Live Reviews - NME.COM ] ] He returned once more to the band in February and played several of the gigs on that tour, but has not appeared with them onstage since.

Walden's reason to leave the band was his heavy drug abuse. In April 2006 Babyshambles went on tour without Walden who was accused of assaulting his girlfriend, arrested and spent nine days in Pentonville prison. All charges against Walden were eventually dropped. He left London in order to get clean of drugs and Mick Whitnall became Babyshambles' new guitarist. Walden was supposed to have played with Babyshambles on their Nov/Dec 07 Arena tour. The band released a statement saying that he had dropped out at the last minute, even after travelling with them on the tour bus. Walden later stated that he did not appear on stage because there were drugs about, even though it was supposed to be a drug-free tour. Furthermore Walden stated that his successor, Mick Whitnall, didn't want him to play with the band anymore. [http://www.nme.com/news/babyshambles/33774 Ex-Babyshambles guitarist breaks silence on Pete Doherty and co | News | NME.COM ] ] [January 21, 2008, issue of NME]

Post Babyshambles

Walden was rumoured to have been playing at The Cheltenham Jazz Festival (27 April-2 May) as a special guest with Seb Rochford's band Fulborn Teversham, but cancelled the appearance.

A message was posted on The Official Libertines Forum that stated (as of 8 May 2007) he has been 'clean' of heroin for six months, 'even off the methadone', and on June 30th he appeared onstage, for the first time in London since leaving Babyshambles, with the Rebecas at the Vice Magazine run venue, The Old Blue Last.

Walden appeared at the Rock Against Racism 30th Anniversary Show at the Hackney Empire on July 19, 2007. He played Babyshambles' classics with his old band mate Drew McConnell. The set list included "The Man Who came To Stay" and "8 Dead Boys"

On August 3 2007 played a small gig in Hackney with all of his former Babyshambles bandmates (as well as Mick Whitnall) for friend Peter Wolfe's birthday.

Big Dave

In late 2007 Walden formed the band "Big Dave" with drummer Seb Rochford and Ruth Goller on bass. In the first half of 2008 the band played a few gigs in small venues. Walden announced that a debut EP will be recorded in 2008.

External links

* [http://www.babyshambles.net Official Babyshambles website]
* [http://www.thewhitesport.com Official White Sport website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/bigdaveband Big Dave's myspace]

References

Persondata
NAME= Walden, Patrick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Walden, Patrick George
SHORT DESCRIPTION= British guitarist, songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH= 1978-10-05
PLACE OF BIRTH= United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=