Based in North Carolina, ex-Antiseen roadie Gideon Smith started the group in 1997 with former Animal Bag members. Soon there was released a self titled ep on Colorado based Doom giants Game Two Records, which quickly sold out of it's initial pressing. Gid and his band were quickly labeled 'the real thing' and gathered high praise in the written press and internet music world. To get the ball rolling and work up some rock and roll spirit mojo, Smith then went alone to the legendary Sun Studio, the birthplace of rock and roll (Elvis, Jerry Lee, Cash, Perkins) and recorded a session of live acoustic demos with engineer James Lott, using 50 yr old microphones and a chip on his shoulder.
Mighty bad ass kings of 70's rock Smallstone Records signed Gid in 1999, and the debut full length "Southern Gentlemen" was released to excellent reviews and much success. The album was mixed by Al Sutton (Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, others). In reviews the debut cd was called 'an insight of what it would sound like if Elvis sang in a stoner rock band' (AOL,All Music Guide) and "Gideon sings like a southern, rawer Jim Morrison, singing of ghost riders, voodoo rites and mysticism" (L.Gaglio). In the last few years, the band has appeared on six tribute albums, several television programs (including 'The Sopranos', Fox Sports, Fusion TV and others) and two indie horror movie soundtracks as well as winning awards in underground press for 'best hard rock band'. Among these was critic's choice for 'Best Hard Rock Band 2003" by Creative Loafing, and featured hard rock artist in 2004.
Italian monster rock daddies Scarey Records released a six song EP for GS&TDD this year called 'Dealin' Decks', which has also has had rave reviews (recently recieving an eight out of ten star review in UK's Classic Rock Magazine..which called the music 'the REAL amercian gothic rock") and quickly sold out on major websites (this one being compared to bands like Pentagram and 'cowboy doom', also being called 'fantastic..the Black Sabbath of the grasslands"..and calling Gid 'the Johnny Cash of the desert"). Gid and co also recorded a session on the original Muscle Shoals Mixing Board (Skynyrd, Stones, Allmans, Wilson Pickett,etc.) at legendary studio Burns Station Sound in Nashville TN (Cash,Nelson,Monroe,others), sitting in was Jerry Lee Lewis and Lonestar pedal steel member Glen Childress. Blending a life long love of old school rock music, spacey 60's psychedelic biker blues, traditional outlaw country and swampy bayou jams, Gideon and company have carved a name for themselves in the modern music world by appealing to fans of classic rock, delta blues, hippie psychedelia, and creepy doom alike.
Often having been compared to ealy "Love" era Cult, Allman Bros, Doors, Skynyrd, Sabbath, Roky Erickson, Danzig, AC/DC, Circus Of Power, Zodiac Mindwarp, Raging Slab and Elvis Presley, Gideon and the Damned embody the peyote space cowboy/lost soul bluesman/bayou bred image with the proof being.. simply in the music. Cosmic Lava webzine called Mr.Smith 'one of the last musical desperados', saying 'hardly another musician embodies the rock n roll outlaw' and called him 'an outstanding, authentic vocalist who doesnt give a f*ck about any trends." The new full length album, entitled "South Side Of The Moon", will be out on Smallstone Records in 2008.
Gideon wrote a book, "Way of the Outlaw Spirit", click the cover to check it out on Amazon.com
Check out Gideon on Pagan Soul Promotions.
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