BRINSKILL BOMB-BEAT

.. Formed in : Wicklow town (a small seaside town 30 miles south of Dublin, Ireland) in the early 1990’s. Playing their first gig in Arklow in the back bar hall of a pub called Dinny Nolans, which was really an old barn!!. Line-up: Constantly changing throughout the years. But here goes from the start: Plop-Vocals, Sean-Keyboards (later to play guitar), Dan-Bass, George-Guitar, Noni-Vocals (female), Terry-Guitar, Cos-Drums. That line-up didn’t last long (as was then to be the usual for the band, with constant changing of members!!)… Deef-Drums, Donnchadh-Gtr, Derek ‘Dietrich’ Price-Drums, Julie-Drums, Claire-Bass, Mac-Gtr. Through to probably the best (and most stable?!?!) line-up they had.. Plop-vocals, Chamblz-Keyboards, vocals & programming, Redders-guitars, Colly-bass, Beano-drums. They started off as pretty much a metally punk band (A punk band with heavy-metallers that could play their instruments well). The band went through a few natural progression/evolving stages (much to the confusion of everybody & anybody that tried to pigeon-hole their sound and image, namely Irelands music scene and it’s gig organisers/promoters!!). But the main ‘sound styles’ that were recorded were.. -V.1.0: (‘Armageddon Airwaves’ 1992 first professional studio recordings). Basic punk/metal with male & female vocals, two guitars, bass, keyboards and drums.line-up: plop-vox, Noni-Vox, Sean-Keyboards, Dan-Bass, George-gtr, Terry-Gtr, Cos-Drums. -V.1.2 : (‘Iconoclasm’ 1993) recordings were similar in musical style but just without the female vocals and second guitarist . line-up: plop-vox, Sean-Keyboards, Dan-Bass, George-gtr, Deef-Drums. -V.2.0: (the Drum-machine years!). line-up: plop-vox, Sean-gtr, Dan-Bass, George-gtr, Drum-machine-Drums. Horror time for most involved… the band decided on using drum machines to get a more ‘industrial’ sound, which was fine… but… stupidly(?!?!?!) lost the keyboards!!! Sean, founding member ‘decided’ that playing keyboards at gigs ‘looked’ like he was just standing there doing the ironing on stage! So to the horror of the rest of the band… he started playing guitar!! Why ‘to the horror of..’? because, before this point, he had never played guitar in a band. He just announced one day at a rehearsal… “That’s it I’m not playing keyboards anymore”!!... It was also around this time (late 1993) that ‘the rest of the band’ ALL LEFT…!!! except for Plop, they had started this band together and were the main ‘visionaries’ (!?!?) behind everything that they did. Also because plop always knew that no matter how the band was to be presented (present time excused!!)… that they would always be ‘different’ to any of the other bands around the Irish scene at the time, because of the ideas that both Sean and Plop had. They spent 1994 writing a whole new ‘drum-machine’ setlist, and sorting out the bands line-up. The ‘drum-machine’ line-up did work for a while… (..also with Beano briefly playing bass at the start of this period). Then permanently to be taken over by Colly who was an ex-member of ‘SplatterPillar’ (Bray Co.Wicklow, based band).But, as was the bands way… they always wanted more, wanted something else, and needed another person to ‘press the buttons/keyboards/samples/or machines’ aswell.. as they used to always say. -V.2.1: 1995:(Drum machine line-up that played gigs)line-up: plop-vox, Sean-gtr, Colly-Bass, Redders-gtr, Drum machine-Drums. The band recorded a TV appearance with a new lead guitarist Redders (Redmond O’Toole ex-SplatterPillar aswell) and two female dancers, Niamh & Emma who would from then on perform live with the band wherever and whenever the venues had enough room on stage for them to ‘safely’ dance… without ending up kicking or crashing into the rest of the band!! -V.2.2:(‘The Brinskskill Bomb-Beat Corp’ 1996) line-up: plop-vox, Sean-gtr, Colly-Bass, Drum machine-Drums. This was when the band was a three piece using the drum-machine and playing punk… shock horror!! They recorded 15 songs, only sold at gigs in Ireland & the UK. -V.2.3:(‘Escape from O.B.City’ 1996) line-up: plop-vox, Sean-gtr, Colly-Bass, Redders-gtr, Drum machine-Drums, Derek Price-Drums with extra percussion from Beano & Robbie, Chamblz- Keyboards. After endless searching for a keyboard player into what they were doing.. they eventually stumbled upon an add in a local Dublin bar from a like minded keyboard player… Chamblz, female keyboard player joins the band… from Belfast but living in Dublin at the time. She was previously the keyboard player in Dublin Metal band ‘Shot At Birth’. It was on this recording, the band now started mixing ‘human’ drums with drum-machines. -V.3.0:(‘Fighting to Die’ 1999) line-up: plop-vox, Colly-Bass, Redders-gtr, Chamblz-Keyboards, Derek Price-Drums. Back to only human drums with Derek Price and now, thankfully still with a ‘proper’ keyboard player Chamblz. Musically, more of the same punk/metal. But starting to really use the keyboards and later Chamblz’ vocals giving things an almost ‘Gothic’ feel. -V.4.0: (‘Product of Disillusion’phase…1998/99) line-up: plop-vox, Chamblz-Keyboards & vox, Colly-Bass, Donnchadha-Gtr, Julie-Drums, w’ Robbie-Percussion, Derek Price-Percussion. This was the title of one of the bands songs written during this period. Such an ironic title now looking back!! (a brilliant song but sadly never ‘properly’ recorded or released)… and oddly enough one of the very few positive/noteworthy moments throughout this entire phase of the bands line-up… although having said that,.. this line-up did record a live studio appearance for BBC TV in January 1999. (if ever there was a BBB line-up that didn’t work… it definitely was this one!!) Shortly after the BBC recording, Colly decided to call it a day, hang up his Rock'n'Roll lifestyle... and get back to being a fulltime chef. Thankfully for the band fate was shining down on them.. and Claire (Clarabelli) entered their world from a parallel universe!! She fitted in straight away and it was as if they had all been friends for years. Things weren't working out with Donnachadha unfortunately.. and the search was on again for another guitarist!!! Through friends of friends etc etc the band met Mac, he then joined and can be seen in the 'Catastraphobia' RTE TV appearance, Claire also recorded TV/live shows and studio material which was to be released as... -V.4.1:(‘Catastraphobia’ 2002) line-up: plop-vox, Chamblz-Keyboards & Vox, Beano-Drums, Claire-Bass, Mac-Gtr. Soon after these recordings Mac was to be replaced by Redders!! back in the band again!!... continuing his in/out-on/off relationship with Rock'n'Roll lifestyles and his Solo classical guitar work. Using the power of technology!! Always wanting more… the band started using more triggered ‘electronic/drum’ beats along with human drums. But still keeping the ‘gothic/metal/punk’ undertones (typical example being the unreleased (..so far) ‘Right through you’ which was recorded live for an RTE TV show). -V.5.0:(Further (away)/Chew until U bleed 2003) line-up: plop-vox, Chamblz-Keyboards & Vox, Beano-Drums, Redders-Gtr, Tony O’Sullivan-Keyboards/samples. Where things were going so 'right' and then went soooo wrong!! (for a change haha!). The band signed a recording & management deal, moved to London, Met someone that told them that ‘everything’ they wanted to do on a technological/programming/sample front was ‘simple’ and that he could do it ‘no problem’!! He joined the band and… Oh how He ‘misled’ them!!!(that’s putting it very politely!!). Another case of getting involved with ‘someone’ that couldn’t follow through on their original promises!. -V.5.1:(London) line-up: plop-vox, Chamblz-Keyboards/programming & Vox, JJ Kaos-Bass, Various-Drums, Tony (crumbles)-Gtr… Tony O’Sullivan-Keyboards/samples. It was around this time (2004/5) that Plop & Chamblz decided to ‘dissolve’ the current line-up and allow things to calm down/quieten on the band front because of how ‘wrong’ things were going!!! Thankfully there were a few positive things that did happen during this period. They met Antoni ‘Tony/Crumbles’ Ruschil (guitarist) and also JJ Kaos (Bass, The Last Resort & ex-Anti-Nowhere League) and are still working on projects with both of them. But, Plop & Chamblz were both bound to time restrictions and various 'other things’ involving their previously signed contract………………
...To be continued………????? RELEASES: the band have put out numerous releases over the years..
-1992 – ‘Armageddon Airwaves’ (9 tracks)
-1993 – ‘Iconoclasm’ (10 tracks)
-1996 – ‘The Brinskskill Bomb-Beat Corp’ (15 tracks w’ drum-machine)
-1998 – ‘Escape from O.B.City’ (17 tracks w’ human drummer & drum-machine)
-1999 – ‘Fighting to Die’ – (3 tracks) Produced/engineered by Ivan O’Shea (Therapy? David Bowie,Metallica).
-2002 – ‘Catastraphobia’ – (5 tracks) engineered by idiots!! Production salvaged by the band.
-200? – ‘Further (away)/Chew Until U Bleed’ currently unreleased – Produced/engineered by Andy Reynolds.(N*Sync, Aqua, East 17, Sandie Shaw, Limahl !!! But you would never think it if you listen to the songs that BBB recorded with him).
TV APPEARANCES AND VIDEO:
-1995 – ‘Vicious Circle’, RTE TV – Live studio performance.
-1997 – ‘Stop’, promo video – recorded in the Fusion Bar, Dublin. Special thanks to Doug Scully @ the Fusion bar, Nuala & Conor O’Toole for video production.
-1998 – ‘One Man A God’, RTE TV & satellite TV – Live studio performance and full interview w’ plop ALSO after the band performed, Redders performs a solo classical guitar piece, a JS Bach cello piece that Redders re-worked and arranged to play on guitar!!
-1999 – ‘Right Through You’, RTE TV & satellite TV - Live studio performance and full interview w’ plop.
-1999 – ‘One Man A God’, BBC TV & satellite TV – Live studio performance.
-2000 – ‘Catastraphobia’, RTE TV & satellite TV – Live studio performance.
RADIO:
-1992 – 2003 - Various Radio interviews, on Pirate, National & satellite radio shows. Also, frequently played on Irelands national Rock & Metal radio shows. Special thanks go out to John Kenny presenter ‘2FM Metal show’. INTERESTING BUT USELESS FACTS:
- Louis Walsh (Boyzone/Westlife manager) said… ...‘They were amazing… and this is what Ireland needs instead of all those bloody boring guitar bands’
- Plop, was in many big budget movies shot in Ireland in the 90’s including ‘Reign of Fire’ with Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale...as well as many others too numerous to mention!!
- Chamblz is a piano teacher.
- Chamblz has also appeared in a few big movies too, She plays a 'Drunk Fairy' (typecasting we think!!?!?!?!..haha!!) in 'Elle Enchanted' with Anne Hathaway, Steve Coogan, Minnie Driver, Eric Idle, Joanna Lumley....AND... also is in one of a series of Guinness commercials.
- Colly is a chef.
- Robbie is also a chef and carpenter.
- There is a Bomb in the PlayStation Computer game 'Impact Racing' called a Brinskill bomb and you also drive by a 'Brinskill Bomb-Beat' Billboard on the games course!!. (original band member Sean O'Reilly was one of the computer animators in the company that created the game).
- The band used to 'perform' at Dublin Fetish events 'GaG' & 'PowderBubble' wearing full fetish rubber, whips & chains etc outfits. LINKS: SplatterPillar - Colly, Redders, Donnchadha - previous band.
Mo7's - Donnchadha - current band.
Striknien DC - Beano - previous band: drums & vox.
Blood or Whiskey - Beano - current ex-band: bass & vox.
Redders - Redders - Classical 8 String Brahms Guitar.
Spill and Ambience - Claire - Solo project.
Chemical Kaos - Chamblz, pop, JJ Kaos - current side project.
The Last Resort - JJ Kaos - current band.
Chantal Clifford - Chamblz – Piano tuition from the lady herself.