Big John Bates

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Big John Bates
Bigjohnbates frankwesp.jpg
Background information
Also known asJohn Bates
OriginVancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
Genresamericana noir, psychobilly, garage rock, thrash metal
LabelsAlternative Tentacles, Glitterhouse, Roadrunner, Disk Union, Rookie Records, Frontman Records
Associated actsBig John Bates: Noirchestra, Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz, Bates Motel, Annihilator, Sloan, The Real McKenzies, Bif Naked
Websitebigjohnbates.com
MembersBig John Bates
Brandy Bones
Ty-Ty
RequiEmily
Past membersJT Brander
Leanne Chapman
Kris Miehm
Timothy Hagberg

Big John Bates is a Canadian americana noir, cowpunk, metal artist.

Early life[]

John D Bates was born in Toronto and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. His adopted father Bill wanted to be a pro athlete and was drafted by the New York Rangers as a goalie. Before he learned of their interest Bill registered with the RAF and went to London UK as a mechanic and pilot in WW2. John's birth father was a self-taught musician in the style of Buddy Holly who wrote songs with the Beau-Marks from Montreal. John initially wanted to be a professional ice hockey goalie, practicing with the Nepean Raiders until his attention turned to guitar at age 15. Bates' early guitar bodies were made by his brother in high-school shop with electric parts and necks scavenged from old Silvertone guitars. He states his nickname, Big John Bates, was given to him in his early 20's by close friends.

John grew up listening to his parent's swing albums and Bill Haley until he eventually discovered hard rock through a guitarist friend from Syracuse, NY. John then took a few lessons at a local music shop in order to meet Exciter guitarist John Ricci. Bates' first real guitar was a Gibson Marauder that was stolen when his parent's house was burgled during a party. While saving for a replacement he focused on lyrics and vocals which led to the formation of his first band Annihilator in 1984 with Jeff Waters.

Musical career[]

Big John Bates: Noirchestra[]

Big John Bates: Noirchestra officially launched in Vancouver, BC in 2012. However [1] their initial recording for the song "Scarecrow Close" was done in 2010. The single was featured in Hot Topic stores across the USA and was released as a seven-inch by Rookie Records. Brandy Bones also received a Hofner Strings endorsement for upright bass. During the 2011 US tour the band completed demo recordings at Mark Robertson's studio (Legendary Shack Shakers) in Nashville, TN from which a cover version of the TV theme song Rawhide (song) was released. The LP/EP pair Battered Bones / Headless Fowl was recorded in early 2012 at Todd Simko's New Westminster studio. The tracks were mixed and mastered in Denver by Robert Ferbrache (Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Tarantella and 16 Horsepower), creator of the "Denver Sound".[2]

These sessions were split with six songs, released in North America as Headless Fowl in April 2012 by Frontman Records and the remainder released in Europe as "Battered Bones" on Rookie Records (Germany) in Sept 2012. Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra claimed that "Headless Fowl was extremely cool"[3] and included the release in the Alternative Tentacles catalogue. The EP was accompanied by a March/April 2012 co-headlining tour of the US and Canada with Murder By Death (band).[4] Videos for the post-rock instrumental "Amerkin" and "Taste the Barrel" were produced by Chris Ray and Hora Morrior and released on YouTube to support the tour. "Taste the Barrel" was also featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's TV show Arctic Air.

"Battered Bones" was supported by a Fall 2012 headlining tour through Europe and North America. These dates included Canadian Music Week and the Halifax Pop Explosion where their dramatic performance earned the festival's highest rating among bands such as Black Lips, Elliott Brood and Wintersleep.[5] The band began this tour as four-piece, but the fourth member subsequently disappeared without a trace during the tour. Following the tour Frontman Records compiled 13 tracks from the sessions and released them digitally as The Headless Fowl LP.[6]

2014 saw the dark rock band release the 7" single "Black Timber, Bitter Root" mixed by The Smugglers guitarist David Carswell and released on Rookie Records and completed a 22-date headlining tour of Europe in May 2014. The band again became a four-piece, adding cello to their live sound and completed a Canadian and American tour with White Cowbell Oklahoma (CA) and The Paceshifters (NL) in winter of 2014. On their time off, the band wrote and recorded their sophomore LP From the Bestiary to the Leathering Room in their studio aboard the Caleuche, Bates' boat moored in Vancouver's False Creek. The LP saw its Canadian release in Spring 2016 and the group was joined by drummer Ty-Ty. They performed dates in the U.S. and on their second 2016 European tour they were completed by chamber-punk violinist RequiEmily. In March 2017 the Noirchestra completed their first tour of Japan; playing nine shows in six cities and recording two songs in Kyoto with Alternative Tentacles artist Ultra Bide.[7] In early summer 2017 a third round of European touring that completed the promotion for "Bestiary" [8] with both club and festival shows.

In summer 2018 the band performed festivals and shows while in Germany to record the drums and bass for their release "Skinners Cage" in Wilhelmshaven, DE. Additional recording for the LP was once again aboard the Caleuche in Vancouver and was mixed by Felix Fung at Little Red Sounds.[9] The LP was released by Rookie Records April 12, 2019 and garnered exceptional acclaim by press in Europe and Canada.[10] In 2020 the Noirchestra appeared on the Netflix series Snowpiercer (TV series) (Season 2, Episode 4) as the band in the Night Lounge. The group intends to resume tour in teh post_Covid world beginning with a Vancouver show supporting Helmet (band) November 2021.

Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz[]

The group was formed in 2000 and peers considered the group's style garage/rock'n'roll music that was part of the neo-psychobilly scene. The band cited influences such as Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, the Cramps, Reverend Horton Heat, early Alice Cooper, the pioneers of swing music and the new burlesque revolution. They were the first touring band to incorporate burlesque performers including Little Miss Risk and performed over 1000 shows and festivals throughout Europe and North America. The group received one of Canada's first Jagermeister music sponsorships as the group used Jager onstage with shots, syringes and flaming pasties. A Gretsch guitar sponsorship also followed with John featured in the 2006 Gretsch catalog with his Black Falcon. Bates supported notable artists such as the Fuzztones, the Blasters, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Solomon Burke, Koko Taylor, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Boss Hoss and Andre Williams.[11] Bates brought the group to an end in December 2010 though a version continued touring as the Big John Bates Grindshow until John and Brandy had new music ready for the launch of the Big John Bates: Noirchestra in 2012.

Annihilator[]

John Bates first band was as a founding member of Annihilator, the "highest-selling thrash metal band from Canada". His meeting Jeff Waters was through mutual neighborhood friends with the intention to cover AC/DC songs. After meeting they decided to instead write original songs together and the two of them formed Annihilator.[12] Bates recruited bassist Dave Scott while Jeff brought in drummer Paul Malek. The band rehearsed daily in the basement of a women's fashion shop under Bank Street in Ottawa.[13] for a two-year period before settling in Val-d'Or after a residency there. During this time, Waters and Bates co-wrote most of the tracks from the albums Alison Hell and Never, Neverland before the first incarnation of the band dissolved.

John and Dave quit the group to form Ligeia, notably recording a version of Alison Hell in 1987 that was pre-dated the Annihilator release (on cassette only).

Following that John went to business school in Nepean while he started Bates Motel. After graduation he moved to Vancouver, where Bates Motel recorded a FACTOR-funded LP produced by Jeff Waters in 1996. The CD was released by Tomcat Records, owned by Doug Bennett (musician) from Doug and the Slugs and sold out all four pressings. During the recording of the follow-up John's songwriting had developed into more of a rockabilly style and the record was scrapped with four songs surviving as the first "Big John Bates" seven inch which was released on red vinyl in 1999.

John later co-wrote songs on King of the Kill, engineered the demos for the record deal, and subsequently wrote songs included on the three following albums. Bates also contributed a guitar track to "Remains".[14]

John also performed as guitarist for Bif Naked for a brief period during her Plum Records period.

Discography[]

Big John Bates: Noirchestra

  • 2010: Scarecrow Close 7" - Rookie Records (EU)
  • 2012: Headless Fowl 12" EP - Frontman Records (CAN) [15]
  • 2012: Battered Bones LP+CD - Frontman Records (CAN) / Rookie Records (EU) [16]
  • 2014: Black Timber, Bitter Root 7" - Rookie Records (EU)
  • 2015: From the Bestiary to the Leathering Room LP+CD - Frontman Records (CAN) / Rookie Records (EU) [17]
  • 2019: Skinners Cage LP+CD - Frontman Records (CAN) / Rookie Records (EU) [18]

Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz

  • 1999: Vibro-Psychotic 7" - Nearly Nude Music (CAN)
  • 2001: Flamethrower / Voodoo BBQ CD - Devil Sauce Recordings (CAN) / El Toro Records (SPAIN) - [19]
  • 2003: Mystiki CD - Devil Sauce Recordings (CAN) [20]
  • 2006: Take Your Medicine CD - Devil Sauce Recordings (CAN) / Wolverine Records (DE) [21]
  • 2007: Live at the Voodoo Ball DVD - Devil Sauce Recordings (CAN)
  • 2009: Bangtown LP+CD - Frontman Records (CAN) / Rookie Records (DE) / Stag-o-Lee Records (EU) / Devil's Ruin Records (USA) [22]
  • 2010: Clockwork Blues DVD - Frontman Records (CAN)

Bates Motel

  • 1988-1992: Various Cassettes (self-released)
  • 1996: Tales of Ordinary Madness CD - Tomcat Records (CAN) / Nearly Nude Records (CAN)

Ligeia

  • 1986-1987: Various cassettes (self-released)

Annihilator

References[]

  1. ^ "Big John Bates Performs 'Taste the Barrel'". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
  2. ^ "Day Two: Big John Bates and Brandy Bones Bates Interview". Wild4washingtonwine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  3. ^ "Big John Bates". Bigjohnbates.com. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  4. ^ "Big John Bates". Rookierecords.de. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
  5. ^ "Halifax Pop review Big John Bates". Thescenemagazine.ca. 2012-10-21. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  6. ^ "Announcing: The Headless Fowl LP – Big John Bates". Bigjohnbates.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  7. ^ "BIG JOHN BATES / ビッグジョンベイツ | diskunion.net JAZZ ONLINE SHOP". Diskunion.net (in Japanese).
  8. ^ "Review".
  9. ^ "Big John Bates Skinners Cage". Relaunch.ox-fanzine.com. 2019-04-12.
  10. ^ "Five Things To Know About Skinners Cage by Big John Bates". The Province. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  11. ^ "Truemmer Booking Homepage". Truemmerpromotion.de. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  12. ^ "What's In Your Fridge: Big John Bates". Georgia Straight. 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  13. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Report: Former ANNIHILATOR Frontman BIG JOHN BATES Touring Europe - "Imagine A Rockabilly Version Of The MISFITS Featuring BIF NAKED On Upright Bass"". Bravewords.com. May 23, 2015. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  15. ^ "Big John Bates - The Headless Fowl".
  16. ^ "CD Reviews".
  17. ^ "Big John Bates". 29 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Big John Bates delivers Germanic-tinged album". 22 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Big John Bates Voodoo BBQ".
  20. ^ "Big John Bates -Mystiki".
  21. ^ "Big John Bates - Take Your Medicine".
  22. ^ "Big John Bates - Bangtown".

External links[]

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