Thunder Live in the USA (and British Columbia)

[kgdjpubs]

those in the northwest should try and catch this. I'm very jealous. One of the best British hard rock bands out there, one insanely tight live band, and one of the best singers period in Danny Bowes playing live in the USA (and British Columbia) for the first time in almost 20 years. For those unaware, sound is similar to Bad Company--basically bluesy hard rock.

www.thunderonline.com



from the website...


As reported a few weeks ago, Ben Danny Luke & Peter will be joining a bunch of like minded lunatics in July, on a charity motorcycle ride in Canada and the USA.

The intrepid four's efforts to date have raised just under £6000 (That's over £7,000 with Gift Aid), with all donations going to Childline in the UK, so huge thanks to all of you who have given so generously so far. If you haven't made a donation yet (we know who you are), there's still time (and even £1.00 will make a difference).

The ride goes from Cranbrook British Columbia on July 11th and ends up in Ketchum Idaho on July 15th, and will pass through some wonderfully named towns such as Waterton (Alberta), Whitefish (Montana), Missoula, Lolo, McCall (Idaho) & Stanley. The intrepid four will be part of group of 25 or so lunatics, including former SAS officer turned best selling author Andy McNab (Bravo Two Zero) and others.

The plan is to play music somewhere each night of the ride, and audio recordings will be sent back for broadcast on Planet Rock each morning on the Breakfast show. The audio recordings will be given away to the lovely people who donate £10 or more, and the audio plus various video clips will go to those stellar beings who donate £25 or more. I say somewhere, as it's all a bit ad hoc at the moment, and none of the musical evenings are planned, but rest assured, make music they most definitely will...

ALSO...
I'm very pleased to report that the rest of the members of Thunder & The Union have agreed to fly out to join Ben Danny Luke & Peter, and both bands will play at the Sun Valley Pavilion in Ketchum on July 16th. It will be Thunder's first show since Sonisphere on August 1st 2009, and the band will treat the show as a warm up for their High Voltage appearance on July 24th. There may be another.. Watch this space..

FINALLY
I've been asked to say that anyone interested in joining the ride should visit http://childlinerocks.co.uk/news_item.php?id=400 where full details can be found. You must have a full motorcycle licence and possibly a screw loose, but definitely a few bob, this is for charity after all.

[Deb]

those in the northwest should try and catch this. I'm very jealous. One of the best British hard rock bands out there, one insanely tight live band, and one of the best singers period in Danny Bowes playing live in the USA (and British Columbia) for the first time in almost 20 years. For those unaware, sound is similar to Bad Company--basically bluesy hard rock.

www.thunderonline.com

Ok now I'm intrigued, I looooove bluesy hard rock! Thanks Kev, for the most part I trust your judgement when it comes to vocals, I'll check them out.

[Triple S]

I like! - might have to get one or two of those albums. Which would you recommend?

Too bad they can't start the ride a little further to the north-west - join all the other motorcycles and entertainment that'll be here in my town for Sturgis North at right around that time.

[kgdjpubs]

I like! - might have to get one or two of those albums. Which would you recommend?

Too bad they can't start the ride a little further to the north-west - join all the other motorcycles and entertainment that'll be here in my town for Sturgis North at right around that time.

the debut, Backstreet Symphony, is a classic. Laughing on Judgment Day and Behind Closed Doors are not too far behind, and I'm particularly fond of the latter. The double Thunder Live cd is wonderful also, and really one of the best live albums out there.

Of the post-reformation (2001) material, The Magnificent Seventh is probably the best, but you really can't go wrong with any album.

You should be able to find a bunch by searching for specific songs on youtube for the older stuff, and the soundbytes on the website for the later albums.

[Triple S]

I like! - might have to get one or two of those albums. Which would you recommend?

Too bad they can't start the ride a little further to the north-west - join all the other motorcycles and entertainment that'll be here in my town for Sturgis North at right around that time.

the debut, Backstreet Symphony, is a classic. Laughing on Judgment Day and Behind Closed Doors are not too far behind, and I'm particularly fond of the latter. The double Thunder Live cd is wonderful also, and really one of the best live albums out there.

Of the post-reformation (2001) material, The Magnificent Seventh is probably the best, but you really can't go wrong with any album.

You should be able to find a bunch by searching for specific songs on youtube for the older stuff, and the soundbytes on the website for the later albums.

Thanks - I'll check those out.

[kgdjpubs]

those in the northwest should try and catch this. I'm very jealous. One of the best British hard rock bands out there, one insanely tight live band, and one of the best singers period in Danny Bowes playing live in the USA (and British Columbia) for the first time in almost 20 years. For those unaware, sound is similar to Bad Company--basically bluesy hard rock.

www.thunderonline.com

Ok now I'm intrigued, I looooove bluesy hard rock! Thanks Kev, for the most part I trust your judgement when it comes to vocals, I'll check them out.

then you'll LOVE Thunder. With the possible exception of Bad Co, nobody does blues hard rock better than Thunder.

She's So Fine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RprKusE4DF8
River of Pain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LE5ZvoB3SI
Gimme Some Lovin' (from the Thunder Live dvd) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU2AzdaqQ1Y
Loser (Live from the Farewell show in 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YOhXUCCP8M


vocals test especially for you with not so subtle Sam Cooke tribute to start the song....
I'll Be Waiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYaH0urKsqw
Danny Bowes kinda reminds me of a slightly higher pitched, clearer-voiced Eric Martin. The vocal tone is very similar, especially on the older material before Danny's voice thinned out a bit in the later years.

[RocknRoll]

I saw Thunder live at Monsters of Rock in about 2006, have loved their music since. I'd love to catch their show in Sun Valley, I just hope they end up somewhere closer on their trek across N America. Bit of trivia...someone who belongs to this forum designed the cover of their latest 4 disc package.

[kgdjpubs]

I saw Thunder live at Monsters of Rock in about 2006, have loved their music since. I'd love to catch their show in Sun Valley, I just hope they end up somewhere closer on their trek across N America. Bit of trivia...someone who belongs to this forum designed the cover of their latest 4 disc package.

let me guess Marty Moffatt? I just wish I wasn't a 30hr drive from Idaho or I would already have a ticket. I've wanted to see Thunder for years, and I don't think they have played in the US since the debut album was released.

[Deb]

then you'll LOVE Thunder. With the possible exception of Bad Co, nobody does blues hard rock better than Thunder.

She's So Fine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RprKusE4DF8
River of Pain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LE5ZvoB3SI
Gimme Some Lovin' (from the Thunder Live dvd) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU2AzdaqQ1Y
Loser (Live from the Farewell show in 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YOhXUCCP8M


vocals test especially for you with not so subtle Sam Cooke tribute to start the song....
I'll Be Waiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYaH0urKsqw
Danny Bowes kinda reminds me of a slightly higher pitched, clearer-voiced Eric Martin. The vocal tone is very similar, especially on the older material before Danny's voice thinned out a bit in the later years.

Definitely. Pegged that one. Love the vocals on that She's So Fine clip. Hmmm, never even heard of these guys before. Especially that song is exactly the bluesy kind of rock I like. LOL, my first thought on that She's So Fine clip though, was.......damn, who knew that Australian dude from LOST was a singer????

[kgdjpubs]

then you'll LOVE Thunder. With the possible exception of Bad Co, nobody does blues hard rock better than Thunder.

She's So Fine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RprKusE4DF8
River of Pain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LE5ZvoB3SI
Gimme Some Lovin' (from the Thunder Live dvd) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU2AzdaqQ1Y
Loser (Live from the Farewell show in 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YOhXUCCP8M


vocals test especially for you with not so subtle Sam Cooke tribute to start the song....
I'll Be Waiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYaH0urKsqw
Danny Bowes kinda reminds me of a slightly higher pitched, clearer-voiced Eric Martin. The vocal tone is very similar, especially on the older material before Danny's voice thinned out a bit in the later years.

Definitely. Pegged that one. Love the vocals on that She's So Fine clip. Hmmm, never even heard of these guys before. Especially that song is exactly the bluesy kind of rock I like. LOL, my first thought on that She's So Fine clip though, was.......damn, who knew that Australian dude from LOST was a singer????

Never really broke out of the UK for whatever reason. Diehard fanbase, but they only seemed to ever tour the UK and Japan.

[S2M]

I saw Thunder live at Monsters of Rock in about 2006, have loved their music since. I'd love to catch their show in Sun Valley, I just hope they end up somewhere closer on their trek across N America. Bit of trivia...someone who belongs to this forum designed the cover of their latest 4 disc package.

let me guess Marty Moffatt? I just wish I wasn't a 30hr drive from Idaho or I would already have a ticket. I've wanted to see Thunder for years, and I don't think they have played in the US since the debut album was released.

If you are talking about Live at the BBC, I count 6 CDs....

[MartyMoffatt]

I saw Thunder live at Monsters of Rock in about 2006, have loved their music since. I'd love to catch their show in Sun Valley, I just hope they end up somewhere closer on their trek across N America. Bit of trivia...someone who belongs to this forum designed the cover of their latest 4 disc package.

let me guess Marty Moffatt? I just wish I wasn't a 30hr drive from Idaho or I would already have a ticket. I've wanted to see Thunder for years, and I don't think they have played in the US since the debut album was released.

If you are talking about Live at the BBC, I count 6 CDs....

No, not that one. It’s a brand new package, called ‘Rough & Ready’. Basically it’s two live recordings from a tour some years ago. The first two CDs are unmixed – basically a recording of a single concert straight off the soundboard (‘Rough’) and the other two CDs are a fully mixed concert (a different one from the same tour) (‘Ready’).

The artwork concept was actually designed by Chris Childs, the bass player in Thunder, but I provided all the pics on the cover – over 60 of ‘em – and laid them out so that if you open up the entire 4-cd casing into one long strip and squint at it you can just see THUNDER spelled out within the images.

A very fine CD it is too.

Marty

[MartyMoffatt]

then you'll LOVE Thunder. With the possible exception of Bad Co, nobody does blues hard rock better than Thunder.

She's So Fine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RprKusE4DF8
River of Pain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LE5ZvoB3SI
Gimme Some Lovin' (from the Thunder Live dvd) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU2AzdaqQ1Y
Loser (Live from the Farewell show in 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YOhXUCCP8M


vocals test especially for you with not so subtle Sam Cooke tribute to start the song....
I'll Be Waiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYaH0urKsqw
Danny Bowes kinda reminds me of a slightly higher pitched, clearer-voiced Eric Martin. The vocal tone is very similar, especially on the older material before Danny's voice thinned out a bit in the later years.

Definitely. Pegged that one. Love the vocals on that She's So Fine clip. Hmmm, never even heard of these guys before. Especially that song is exactly the bluesy kind of rock I like. LOL, my first thought on that She's So Fine clip though, was.......damn, who knew that Australian dude from LOST was a singer????

Never really broke out of the UK for whatever reason. Diehard fanbase, but they only seemed to ever tour the UK and Japan.

As I understand it, Thunder were booked on a fairly high profile tour of the US with some other bands, but just two days before they were due to leave the UK the tour was cancelled. Apparently some album by new band Nirvana had just gone stratospheric and the promoter decided that classic blues rock was a thing of the past.

As a result, they stayed in the UK, where they built up a very healthy following, and for some reason in Japan where they are still hugely popular.

As to their musical style, I’d place it somewhere between Bad Co and AC/DC, with a little of Status Quo’s humour thrown in. Luke Morley is a great lyricist (just listen to any of their ballads) and Danny Bowes is one of those front men who not only has a spectacular voice but can work an audience and have them eating out of his hand. You can’t help but sing along at a Thunder concert.

On top of that, the guys are all very affable characters. They would spend hours at the aftershow meet and greets, to make sure that everybody got a chance to chat with them and they all have a great sense of humour. Ben Matthews (the second guitarist) in particular, could easily have made a living as a stand-up comedian.