Little Angels’ beginings were hatched at Filey School, North Yorkshire in 1984, when Toby Jepson (Vocals) and Mark Plunkett (Bass) formed their first band, Zeus. A year later at Scarborough Sixth Form College they teamed up with Dave Hopper (Drums) and the brothers Bruce and Jimmy Dickinson (Guitar and Keyboards respectively) to form Mr Thrud.
The band name is changed to Little Angels as they record their 1987 EP at Blue Strike Recorders in Harrogate. That same year the band team up with their manager, Kevin Nixon, and release their debut mini album, Too Posh To Mosh, on Powerstation Records. Through the summer they support Guns N Roses, Faith No More and Tesla at the Marquee Club in London.
The following year Dave Hopper is replaced on drums by Michael Lee, formely of thrash metal band Holocade. The band record their first single, 90 In The Shade and set out on their breakthrough Rock N Roll Education tour, playing in schools and clubs across the UK.
In 1989 the band sign to Polydor Records and release the Big Bad EP and their first album, Don’t Prey For Me. At this time they are joined in the studio and on stage by the Big Bad Horns. The horn section of Dave Kemp, Grant Kirkhope and Frank Mizen would remain with band for the following five years.
August 1990 sees the band make their debut performance on Top Of The Pops as the single She’s A Little Angel reaches number 21 in the UK singles chart. The band enter the studio to record their second album at Great Linford in Milton Keynes. The planned album title of Spitfire is changed to Young Gods as the Gulf War breaks out. The first single, Boneyard, is banned by Radio 1 in January of 1991. The band take off around Europe supporting ZZ Top on their stadium tour.
Later that year, Lee is sacked during the Young Gods tour after it was discovered he had auditioned for The Cult. He was replaced by Mark Richardson, who filled in for him on several tour dates before taking his place officially during the recording of the band's third record, Jam. Rich’s first appearance with the band was on the TV show Jim’ll Fix It in December of ‘91.
In the Summer of 1992 the band play Wembley Stadium as they tour with Bryan Adams. Adams joins them later that year to record backing vocals on Too Much Too Young. The single is the first track from the Jam album which goes to number 1 in the UK album chart in January ’93. The secong single, Womankind, gives the band their biggest hit reaching number12 in the UK singles chart. The band tour Europe with Van Halen and Bon Jovi as they establish themselves as a major force across the UK and Europe. The bands live following grows as they headline their own Jammed Live tour and release their Jam On Film live video.
In 1994 the band release Little Of the Past as their relationship with Polydor comes to an end. As the band decide to call it a day they release Too Posh To Mosh Too Good To Last through Castle Communications and set our on a farewell tour of the UK.
The bands farewell gig is on July 2nd 1994 at a sold out Royal Albert Hall, London. They end the show with the live favourite Don’t Prey For Me and take a bow for the final time.
The Dickinson brothers went on to form b.l.o.w. with Mark Richardson & former No Sweat vocalist Dave Gooding. Toby recorded and toured his solo album Ignorance Is Bliss under the moniker Toby and the Whole Truth. Mark Plunkett moved into management and worked with Boyzone before becoming the manager for Irish solo artiste Ronan Keating. When b.l.o.w. folded, Jimmy Dickinson formed Younger Younger 28's and briefly singed to V2 Records. He now teaches music in his home town of Scarborough. Mark Richardson joined Skunk Anansie and when they folded he moved on to join Feeder. Bruce Dickinson went on to teach at, and manage, The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey. He is now the Managing Director of the prestigious Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM) along with Little Angels fromer manager, Kevin Nixon.. After a long while away from the spotlight, Toby Jepson recently made a return as a solo artist, supporting Thunder on their 2006 UK tour and fronting Fastway in 2007.
Discography:
ALBUMS & EP'S
1987 EP (1987) ,
Too Posh To Mosh EP - Powerstation (1988) ,
Big Bad EP - Polydor (charted no.74 in Mar 1989)
Don't Prey for Me - Polydor (1989) ,
Young Gods - Polydor (no.17 in Mar 1991) ,
Jam - Polydor (no.1 in Feb 1993) ,
A Little of the Past - Polydor (no.20 in Apr 1994) ,
Too Posh to Mosh, Too Good to Last - Castle Communications (1995)
SINGLES
Do You Wanna Riot
Kickin' Up Dust (no.46 in Feb 90)
Radical Your Lover (no.34 in May 90)
She's A Little Angel (no.21 in Aug 90)
Boneyard (no.33 in Feb 91)
Product Of The Working Class (no.40 in Mar 91)
Young Gods (no.34 in Jun 91)
I Ain't Gonna Cry (no.26 in Jul 91)
Too Much Too Young (no.22 in Nov 92)
Womankind (no.12 in Jan 93)
Soapbox (no.33 in Apr 93)
Sail Away (no.45 in Sep 93)
Ten Miles High (no.18 in Apr 94)
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Gig list... (many thanks to Craig Chenery for starting this - please feel free to fill in any gaps if you know of other past dates)
MR THRUD
FEBRUARY 1985
25th Scarborough 6th Form College
MARCH 1985
7th Wakefiled - TSB ROCK SCHOOL Regional Finals (finished 2nd)!
15th Corner Cafe, Scarborough
MAY 1985
20th Victoria's, Scarborough
JUNE 1985
30th Theatre In The Round, Scarborough (supporting Brendan Croker & the Five O'clock Shadows)
AUGUST 1985
4th Theatre In The Round, Scarborough (supporting Gary Boyle)
7th Lemon Tree, Scarborough
OCTOBER 1985
25th Kiss, Bridlington
27th Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
NOVEMBER 1985
7th Scarborough 6th Form College
DECEMBER 1985
1st Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
LITTLE ANGELS
MAY 1987
12th Scarborough Opera House
18th London Marquee Club (with Tesla)
JUNE 1987
19th London Marquee Club (supporting Guns 'N' Roses)
28th London Marquee Club (supporting Faith No More)
NOVEMBER 1987
6th London Marquee Club
26th London Astotia
DECEMBER 1987
11th Bradford Queens Hall
FEBRUARY 1988
5th London Marquee Club
MARCH 1988
3rd London Marquee Club
12th Birkenhead Stairways
APRIL 1988
1st Redcar Bowl (supporting Magnum)
29th Walthamstow Royal Standard
MAY 1988
10th Fulham Greyhound
JULY 1988
13th London Marquee Club
20th Boston MA
21st Newhaven, Toad's Place
24th St. Dennis, Montreal Canada
SEPTEMBER 1988 'Rock n Roll Education' Tour
8th Aberdeen Dyce Academy
20th York Arts Centre
22nd Ipswich ICC
23rd London Marquee Club
24th Birkenhead Stairways
Other dates still to be remembered!
OCTOBER 1988
1st Tonypandy Naval Club
NOVEMBER 1988
10th Edinburgh Venue, Scotland
17th Leicester De Montfort Hall
18th Newcastle Mayfair
24th Manchester Apollo
JANUARY 1989
9th London Marquee Club
FEBRUARY 1989
17th Reading After Dark Club
18th Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
APRIL 1989
26th Leicester Sector 5 - Mark P's 21st birthday!
27th Hammersmith Odeon (supporting Queensryche)
OCTOBER 1989
26th Manchester, International
27th Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
NOVEMBER 1989
2nd Aberdeen Ritzy
3rd Edinburgh Venue
4th Glasgow Saints and Sinners
7th Newcastle Mayfair
8th Leicester University
10th London Astoria
11th Dudley J.B's
12th Sheffield University
13th Loughborough Students Union
15th Carlisle The Pagoda
16th Liverpool Poly
17th Coventry Poly
18th Bradford Queens Hall
20th York GG Barnums
21st Newcastle City Hall (supporting Aerosmith)
22nd Livingstone Forum (supporting Aerosmith)
25th Keele University
27th Southend Cliffs Pavilion
28th Newport Lazers
29th Reading Majestic
30th Warrington Parr Hall
DECEMBER 1989
3rd Newcastle City Hall (supporting Marillion)
4th Glasgow Barrowlands (supporting Marillion)
6th Bristol Colston Hall (supporting Marillion)
7th Newport Centre (supporting Marillion)
9th Hanley Victoria Hall (supporting Marillion)
10th Bradford St. Georges Hall (supporting Marillion)
11th Sheffield City Hall (supporting Marillion)
13th Liverpool Royal Court (supporting Marillion)
14th Manchester Apollo (supporting Marillion)
15th Wolverhampton Civic Hall (supporting Marillion)
17th Aston Villa Leisure Centre (supporting Marillion)
18th Hammersmith Odeon (supporting Marillion)
20th London Marquee Club
FEBRUARY 1990
4th Newcastle, Mayfair
MAY 1990
14th Ayr Pavillion
15th Aberdeen Ritzy
16th Edinburgh Network
18th Belfast University Mandela Hall
22nd Nottingham, Rock City
23rd Sheffield Polytechnic
24th Scarborough, Futurist Theater
26th University of East Anglia
27th Peterborough, The Cresset
28th Warrington, Parr Hall
29th Birmingham Irish Centre
31st Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
JUNE 1990
1st Poole Towngate Theatre
3rd Bristol Bierkeller
4th London Town and Country Club
5th Keele University
6th Newcastle Mayfair
7th Bradford Queens Hall
JULY 1990
9th Hull City Hall
AUGUST 1990
2nd "Top of the Pops" - BBC1
JANUARY 1991
19th Nottingham, Rock City
20th London, Wembley Arena
MARCH 1991
13th London Town and Country Club
APRIL 1991
2nd Bonn
3rd Osnabruck
4th Berlin
5th Hamburg
7th Bremen
8th Hannover
9th Bochum
11th Munchen
12th Karlsruhe-Ettlingen
13th Vienna
15th Frankfurt
16th Nurnberg
17th Stuttgart
18th Milan
20th Groningen
21st Ghent
22nd Amsterdam
23rd Paris
25th London, Marquee
MAY 1991
18th Bristol, Colston Hall
25th London, Hammersmith Odeon
JULY 1991
6th Milton Keynes Bowl (supporting ZZ Top)
17th Scarborough Roadshow
18th "Top of the Pops" - BBC1
AUGUST 1991
10th Tokyo, Kan-I Hoken Hall, Japan
13th Osaka, Koseinenkin Hall, Japan
22nd Club Lengerie, Los Angeles
24th Stone, San Francisco (supporting Dan Reed Network)
26th Steeltown, Baltimore
27th 23 East, Philadelphia
28th Derringers, Boston
29th The Ritz Ballroom, New York (supporting White Lion)
JULY 1992
5th Wokingham, Phoenix Plaza
6th Sheffield Roxy
7th Manchester, Maine Road (supporting Bryan Adams)
11th Glasgow, Parkhead (supporting Bryan Adams)
12 Gateshead Stadium (supporting Bryan Adams)
14th Ipswich, Portman Road (supporting Bryan Adams)
18th London, Wembley Stadium (supporting Bryan Adams)
19th Cardiff Arms Park (supporting Bryan Adams)
NOVEMBER 1992
5th "Top of the Pops" - BBC1
DECEMBER 1992
2nd Wokingham Phoenix Plaza
3rd Buckley Tivoli
4th Liverpool Krazy House
6th Belfast Limelight
7th Dublin Rockgarden
9th Newport Centre
10th Cambridge Corn Exchange
11th Nottingham Rock City
12th York Barbican
13th Glasgow Barrowlands
15th Tonbridge Angel Center
16th Poole Arts Centre<BR
JANUARY 1993
8th "Top of the Pops" - BBC1
14th London Limelight - 'Jam' album launch
31st London Oxford St HMV
MARCH 1993
20th Reading Central Club (Warm Up Show)
21st Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
22nd Southend Esplanade
30th Munich Olympiahalle
APRIL 1993 (Supporting VAN HALEN)
1st Rome, Italy Palagaccio
2nd Milan, Italy Palatrussardi
4th Frankfurt, GE Festhalle
5th Nurnburg, GE Frankenhalle
7th Hamburg, GE Alsterdorfer Sporthalle
9th Stockholm, Sweden Globe Arena
10th Oslo, Norway Spektrum
11th Copenhagen, DE The Forum
13th Rotterdam, Netherlands S.P. Ahoy
14th Ghent, Belgium Flanders Expo
16th Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
17th Stuttgart, GE Hans-Martin-Schleyerhalle
19th Essen, GE Grugahalle
21st Paris, FR Le Zenith
25th Birmingham, UK Birmingham N.E.C. Arena
27th Sheffield, UK Sheffield Arena
29th London, UK Wembley Arena
MAY 1993
3rd Coventry Roadshow
29th Wokingham Phoenix PLaza
30th Norwich Oval
JUNE 1993 Little Angels "Jammed Every Night" Tour
1st Bochum Zeche
2nd Frankfurt Music Hall
3rd Hannover Capitol
5th Munich Charterhalle
6th Ludwigsburg Rockfabrik
7th Tuttlingen Akzente
9th Hamburg Fabrik
15th Barcelona K.G.B
16th Madrid Revolver
18th Lisbon Gartego
19th Lisbon Gartego
21st Hull City Hall
22nd Manchester Apollo
23rd Leeds Town and Country CLub
25th Wolverhampton Civic Hall
26th Newport Centre
27th Plymouth Pavillion
28th Portsmouth Guildhall
30th Ipswich Regent
JULY 1993
1st London Hammersmith Apollo
4th Derby Assembly Rooms
5th Newcastle City Hall
6th Edinburgh Usher Hall
8th Belfast Ulster Hall
9th Dublin Tivoli
AUGUST 1993 (Supporting Bon Jovi)
20th Germany, Leipzig, Festwiese
21st Germany, Maimarktgelande, Mannheim
22nd Germany, Weserufer, Minden
24th Germany, Ostseehalle, Kiel
25th Germany, Staedtishes Stadium, Bayreuth
27th Switzerland, Hardturm Stadium, Zurich,
28th Switzerland, Hardturm Stadium, Zurich
29th Germany, Freilichtbuehne, Koblenz
31st Poland, Warsaw
SEPTEMBER 1993 (Supporting Bon Jovi)
1st Hungary, Budapest
3rd Austria, Vienna
4th Czechoslovakia, Prague
5th Austria, Wels
7th Italy, Forum Assago, Milan
9th Greece, Athens
11th Portugal, Alvalade
13th Turkey, Istanbul
15th France, Le Berry, Paris
16th Belgium, Flanders Expo, Gent
18th Milton Keynes Bowl
19th Milton Keynes Bowl
NOVEMBER 1993 "Jammed On Demmand" Tour
25th Buckley Tivoli
26th Cardiff St David's Hall
27th Aston Villa Leisure Centre
28th Bristol Coleston Hall
30th Sheffield City Hall
DECEMBER 1993
1st Preston Guild Hall
2nd Bradford St George's Hall
3rd Cambridge Corn Exchange
5th London Forum
6th Redcar Bowl
7th Aberdeen Capitol
8th Glasgow Barrowlands
10th Norwich University of East Anglia
11th Southampton Guild Hall
12th London Astoria
APRIL 1994
7th "Top of the Pops" - BBC1
JUNE 1994
10th Leeds Town & Country Club
27th Bristol
28th Portsmouth
JULY 1994
1st Nottingham Rock City
2nd Royal Albert Hall (FINAL SHOW)
