Catherine Wheel
| Catherine Wheel | |
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L-R: Dave Hawes, Brian Futter, Neil Sims, and Rob Dickinson, 1993.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Great Yarmouth, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, shoegazing |
| Years active | 1990–2000 |
| Labels | Wilde Club, Fontana, Mercury, Columbia, Chrysalis |
| Website | facebook |
| Past members | Rob Dickinson, Brian Futter, Dave Hawes, Neil Sims, Ben Ellis |
Catherine Wheel were an English alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.
Catherine Wheel formed in 1990, comprising singer/guitarist Rob Dickinson (cousin of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson), guitarist Brian Futter, bassist Dave Hawes, and drummer Neil Sims. Hawes had previously played in a Joy Division-influenced band called Eternal. They took their moniker from the firework known as the Catherine wheel, which in turn had taken its name from the medieval torture device of the same name. The band was sometimes included in the shoegazing scene, characterized by bands that made extensive use of guitar feedback and droning washes of noise, as well as their continuous interaction with extensive amounts of effects pedals on the stage floor. However, Catherine Wheel had a more song-oriented style than their peers.
The band performed a Peel session in early 1991 while still unsigned; two 12" vinyl EPs were released on the Norwich-based Wilde Club Records, named after the regular weekly Wilde Club gigs run by Barry Newman at Norwich Arts Centre. They signed to major-label Fontana Records after being courted by both Creation Records and the Brian Eno-run label Opal Records. The band's debut album, 1991/92's Ferment, made an immediate impression on the music press and introduced Catherine Wheel's second-biggest U.S. hit, "Black Metallic," as well as moderate hit "I Want to Touch You". The album features re-recorded versions of some of the Wilde Club-issued EPs. "Black Metallic" was later featured in the film S. Darko.
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