Cry Before Dawn

Cry Before Dawn
(from left to right) Pat Hayes (drummer), Brendan Wade (guitarist/vocalist), Vinnie Doyle (bassist)
Background information
Origin	Wexford, Ireland
Genres	Celtic rock
Years active	1986–1992; 2010–present
Labels	Dawn Records, Epic Records, Solid
Website	http://www.crybeforedawn.co.uk/
Past members	Brendan Wade Tony Hall Vinne Doyle Pat Hayes Paul Spencer Steve Belton

Cry Before Dawn are a four-piece rock band originally hailing from Wexford in Ireland. They released several singles and two albums in the late 1980s and toured Ireland, UK and US.

They achieved attention in 1987 in the UK when they released their album Crimes of Conscience on the CBS label. The lead single from the album was "Gone Forever", which was released in Ireland in February 1987 and subsequently re-released there and in the UK in 1988. The follow-up singles were "The Seed That's Been Sown" and "Girl in the Ghetto". The album was a success in Ireland and was critically acclaimed in the UK. The band made an appearance on the UK's Wogan chat show performing "Witness for the World". Their popularity in Ireland was accounted by some to the fact that they came from Wexford, and lyrically their work connected more with the rural Ireland of the time than Dublin. This was reflected in the promotional video for "Gone Forever", which very successfully set itself in an Irish small town. Their success in Ireland did not transfer to the UK however, although they supported Big Country on their 1989 UK "Peace in Our Time" tour.

In 1988 Cry Before Dawn contributed a new track, "Silly Dreams" to the soundtrack of the Irish film, The Courier. Their second album Witness for the World was recorded in Wales and mixed in Los Angeles, California by Greg Ledanyi, and was released to luke-warm reception in 1989, again on Epic/CBS. The lead single, "Witness for the World", reached number 67 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1989, though the two follow-up singles: "Last of the Sun" and "No Living Without You" failed to chart. Around the time of their second album, the band appeared on the cover of the Irish music magazine Hot Press. In 1990, Cry Before Dawn were awarded best Irish group at the Irish National Music Awards. After parting with their record company, the band toured Ireland later the same year, after which they decided to split.