Who the hell are the Honeymans?
This B.C. band’s shared love of music fuels a common attitude and spirit. Their songs have emerged from the diverse musical backgrounds of each individual member providing a unique sound that is difficult to classify. This diversity has allowed them to play with punk bands (NOMEANSNO, D.O.A), top 40 bands (54-40, the Philosopher Kings, Spirit of the West) and country acts including Rick Tippe and Patricia Conroy.Their eponymous (self-titled) debut album screamed through the Canadian charts and produced two singles: Stoplight and Drink Up Rude Boy. As their dreads grew, so did their desire to record again. The highly anticipated follow-up was called STOMPIN’ GROUNDS and features the title track as a single and Johnny, which the Honeymans still can’t believe hasn’t been the subject of a massive lawsuit due to the alleged similarity to the Star Wars theme. In 2000, the Honeymans signed to SUDDEN DEATH RECORDS and toured Canada with the legendary punk band, D.O.A.THE STAGES1999 - North Country Fair: Joussard, Alberta1999 - Y2K Party: Mexico (New Years Eve)2000 - Edge Of The World Music Festival: Queen Charlotte B.C1999/2000/2003 - Kokanne Summit Festival: Creston BC2000 - BC Cup Mountain Bike Championships2000-Rock’N’Twang Festival2000 - Nanaimo Marine Festival1999/2000/2005 - Julyfest: Kimberley BC2006 - St. Patty’s Festival: Calgary2006 - Rossland Mountain Film FestivalJust to Name a FewTHE HONEYMANS have a peculiar blend of many styles that keeps their fans dancing all night long. Often melding ska, funk, and rock inflected with humour that has generated a huge audience across the west coast and beyond. They are an ambitious, hardworking band whose eclectic, manic mix of Celtic rock and Chili Pepper funk defies description…THE MUSIC
The lyrics project wry, colorful images that are good natured and sincere; the golden poetic scope of Gordon Lightfoot filtered through the streetwise tongue-in-cheek viewpoint of Tom Waits. Rhythmically, at one moment projecting the joyous Hibernian traditions of good-time jigs, at other moments coloring the backbeat and rhythms with the proud, mournful Eastern European minor-scale melodies of the Gypsies. All founded upon the concussive whack of John Bonham one minute and the tasty flash of Buddy Rich the next.THE HISTORY
Originally (1996) it was Mike and Kevin playing local coffee houses and smaller shows in Kimberley. Ben Dunn saw them at a show in 1997 and knew instantly that he was going to play with them even though he hadn’t even met them yet. They then started playing smaller bars. The first one was a place called "The Hosmer Inn" in Hosmer, BC, producing Hosmer’s first traffic jam (population 42). Neil played a set with them at this show, as well as recorded two songs on the first CD in the summer of 1998, then joined the band full time in November 1998. Since then, the band has been a full time touring act and has performed over 300 shows in 7 countries.THE BOYS
Mike Honeyman picked up the electric bass during junior high. Inspiration from such diverse groups as Nomeansno and Metallica moved him into serious musical exploration from the age of 18. As one-half of the Honeymans’ rhythm section, Mike’s rolling bass lines switch moods - from following Kevin’s bright guitar rhythms to looping, individual melodic counter lines.Kevin Honeyman, draws as much influence from the emotional post-hardcore frenzy of Fugazi, as from the up tempo skanking groove of the Specials. Armed with his homemade half-brown, half-orange amplifier, Kevin is as at home with choppy ska rhythms as he is with crushing power chords.Ben Dunn Parted Ways with the Band in 2003Neil MacDonald is the last pillar of support underneath the Honeymans’ sonic platform. He began playing violin at age twelve, influenced by a cousin of his father’s who was a fiddler and a luthier. The self taught fiddler brought a new dimension to the band with his folk and Celtic influences.Aaaannddd Dennnnnn.......Keon Chung (Link) replaced Ben Dunn in the winter of 2004 and has been an impeccable asset to the band. With his first show playing to an audience of over 2000 people. His passion for a great show has become the benchmark for the band.
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