The Rebel Waltz - ProfilesArchive

About Me

We met at big school in the heady days of 2002. Dec and Rory groomed each other online like musical nonces, culminating in a rabble rousing rendition of Dreaming of You, Use Me and other pop hits in Rory's Bloomsbury bedroom. Phil Hills was introduced into the mix in the nick of time to play a blinding show at Filthy McNasty's in the shadow of a picture of Pete 'n' Carl, a few short nights after they'd played on that very stage. We broke each others hearts with unanchored melodies and fell over in the snow quite a lot. Arianna was created in New Jersey and bequeathed to us recently, fully formed by the estate of Alfred Hitchcock.

Magic had happened at Filthy's, the Watershed Bar on the Camden Road and around the Bloomsbury vicinity, including in a basement full of Russians. Magic then stopped for a while, but has now resumed apace. So far on the comeback trail we've played at The Cedar Room, Leonard's, The White Hart, The Dry Bar and Under the Westway. Our biggest show to date was on the 2nd of Feb headlining at the Bull and Gate in Kentish Town. Pictures and videos from the show to follow when we have them

Timeless Love live at The Bull & Gate

Phil playing Anita live at The Bull and Gate 2/2/08

Cellar Doors live at the Bull & Gate

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/30/2007
Band Members:

Declan Ryan - Gordon Comstock for the earsod generation. Writes words and then sings them, usually in a different way to the previous time, to the consternation of all involved. Stubbornly living inside a Patrick Hamilton novel despite the author's death in 1962.

Phillip Hills - grandson of Lomax, daughter of Beyonce, plays the guitar, squeezebox, accorgion, small keyboard that you blow into that looks like a toy but sounds quite good, ukulele, all kinds of shit. (Edit: turns out the blow-into-piano's called a melodion). Decidedly not a coward.

Rory Donaldson - the 3rd Beatle and the 8th Stone. Both Proclaimers. The voice of reason in a world without it. Pil's answer to whatever you might care to ask. Safe as milk. Plays guitar, slide guitar, accorgion and now dances like an '80s teen idol.

Arianna Power - Sings like a blonde panther; the Nancy to our Mark, Jez and Super Hans. Part Marilyn Monroe, part Debbie Harry, tiny bit buffalina. Provides a welcome threat to Phil's previously unassailable tea knowledge and precarious masculinity. See our top friends for some of her songs.

Influences: Music: The Pogues, The Clash, The Smiths, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Nick Drake, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Jeff Buckley, The Magnetic Fields, The Libertines, Ewan Maccoll, The Ramones, The Strokes, The Shirelles, James Carr, Tom Waits, Mr. Wright, Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett.

Other: Patrick Hamilton, Chris Morris, Pete and Dud, Bill Hicks, Peep Show, George Orwell, Graham Greene, Charlie Brooker, Dylan Moran

Sounds Like: Jesus smiling
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None