Dead Days Beyond Help

Dead Days Beyond Help is Alex Ward (guitar, vocals) and Jem Doulton (drums). They formed in 2006 and played their first gig on February 1st, 2007. The core of their repertoire is a set of mostly instrumental compositions written by Ward specifically for this band. Having strenuously avoided anything with a prog or math taint since the demise in 2001 of his previous band Camp Blackfoot, with this material he once again allowed himself to explore (though not fixate upon) overt structural complexity. In live performances, Dead Days Beyond Help also play material drawn from his previous albums of songs “HAPLESS DAYS” (Copepod, 2005) and “SNARES AND DELUSIONS” (by Alex Ward & The Dead Ends, release pending), as well as a wide range of covers and increasingly generous helpings of improvisation. All these elements are balanced and combined according to spur-of-the-moment decisions by the 2 musicians, as they always perform without a set list. With the only acknowledged constraints being the limits of what can be achieved with one guitar and a drum kit, the results can range from country-tinged simplicity through the aforementioned composed material to flat-out noise. As one might deduce from the name, for Ward Dead Days Beyond Help initially represented the next step following on from the studio-based songs album “Hapless Days”, the loose approach to song material of his band "The Dead Ends", and his improvising quartet "Help Point" – but the collaboration between him and Doulton has now gone far beyond any of his original conceptions, and promises to go much further yet. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ Dead Days Beyond Help have completed two studio albums. The first, “ACCESS DENIED!”, consists of the material written specifically for DDBH between 2006 and 2007. The second, as yet untitled, contains entirely improvised material and was recorded in 2008. Every effort is being made to ensure that both of these albums are released before the end of 2009. A compilation of improvisations and cover versions drawn from live recordings entitled "UNWRITTEN RULES" became available for purchase direct from the band in April 2009. The music on this MySpace page is also mainly taken from live shows, and consists of recordings that are unlikely to be released in any other format but have nonetheless been deemed representative and worth hearing. ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------- Dead Days Beyond Help do not like the social aspects of MySpace very much, and they endeavour to maintain this page in a manner which makes it clear that it is only intended as a promotional tool and material resource. In practice, this means that they will not post comments on other people's pages; they use the “top friends” section solely for linking to other bands that have members in common with DDBH; they do not issue friend requests, but will accept any and all they are sent; and they will delete other people’s comments or let them stand purely according to whim, without explanation or justification. None of this should be taken personally. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- Dead Days Beyond Help STRONGLY urge anyone with any interest in them at all to visit http://www.youtube.com/deaddaysbeyondhelp where one can view a wealth of live footage of DDBH and related projects. Thank you.