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THE HEXMEN

About Me

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Blues band the Hexmen were a product of the post-punk creative maelstrom of Liverpool in the early 1980s. George Hexman: singer, session blues-harp player and frontman, founded the band, joining forces with major movers and shakers of the scouse music scene. The Hexmen line-up was a shifting collaboration of local luminaries including members of Afraid of Mice, Psychedelic Furs The Las, Edgar Jones, the Boo Radleys, Elvis Costello,The Stairs, Cast,Dr Phibes amongst others –even guitarist Charlie Whitney from supergroup Family was a sometime Hexman. Many of which are listed as friends here on this myspace site.The musical side-project can often be the more creative – as demonstrated by contemporary artists the Last Shadow Puppets. But high profile players have commitments and George eventually concentrated on solo session work.In the early summer of 2008 at a Merseyside jam night, several ex-Hexman met up with George and once again shared the stage. The magic and menace were still there! The momentum of the band’s return has been remarkable. The jam night generated immediate offers of work and Hexman, realising that the band’s mojo was alive and kicking, decided on making an album. Never one to bow to others’ expectations, Hexman ignored the mutterings of those who said it couldn’t be done, and recorded a full album’s worth of material in only four days at Liverpool’s Motor Museum Studios.Although always known as a blues band, the Hexmen’s material is not that easy to categorise. The band’s backbone is blues based certainly, but one of the defining qualities of the Hexmen has alway been energy. The quality of blues played tends to have an agressive edge which owes a lot to punk – not surprisingly as many of the players involved in the band cut their teeth on punk in the late seventies and early eighties.However, the genre of the music is in many ways a reprise of the amphetamine-fuelled rhythm and blues that came out of London’s pub circuit in the seventies. That music, borrowing from Chicago Blues and British Beat was also heavily influenced by the London Mod scene.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 19/04/2008
Band Website: www.thehexmen.co.uk
Band Members: Guitars and backing vocals: DAVID WOODS Bass guitar and backing vocals: JOAN BIMSON Main vocals and harmonica: GEORGE HEXMAN Drums: WAYNE DANGEROUS
Influences: What Blues in Britain Magazine, March Edition 2009 says about The Hexmen....“I liked this album. It is short, sharp and to the point. The band members started out in the punk era and this shows in the growled out vocals and the execution of some of the songs but this is no bad thing giving an edge to the music. The band displays loads of energy but are disciplined enough that there are some good tight finishes to some of the numbers. This is r & b with attitude and it gets my approval. This is a band to look out for and a CD worth investigating. Rating 8/10 “ ( Editorial - R. J. Greaves)Available from all good music stores: hmv.com, iTunes, Napster, Oxfam music, tunetribe, MSN, E music, 3 musicstore, musicunlimited..... Blues in the northwest says.....“THE HEXMEN” (self-titled, self release) Now here’s a treat for anyone who enjoyed those glorious post-punk days of the very late 70s’ and early 80s’, when the likes of Nine Below Zero, Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Lew Lewis,....&.WHAT ROOTSVILLE RADIO & MAGAZINE BELGIUM SAY ABOUT THE HEXMEN.......Het werd een samenwerking van groepsleden die alsmaar van bezetting wisselden en daardoor alleen al kunnen ze aardig wat namen van groepen opsommen van bandleden die ooit deel uit maakten van deze band. Afraid Of Mice, Psychedelic Furs, The Las, The Boo Radleys, Elvis Costello en zelfs gitarist Charlie Whitney van supergroep ‘Family’ was eens een lid van deze gang. George Hexman verleende aan verschillende neven projecten zijn medewerking en dook zelf op bij de Last Shadow Puppets maar concentreerde zich voornamelijk op solo werk in de studio. In de zomer van 2008 tijdens een Merseyside-jam night werd het een reunie van verschillende ‘Hexmen’ en stelde men vast dat er van diezelfde magie als tijdens de ’80-tiger jaren niets verloren was gegaan. De voorstellen om ‘The Hexmen’ terug nieuw leven in te blazen werden door sommigen als waanzinnig bestempeld maar George trok er zich niets van aan en bewees dat het onmogelijke ook gedaan kon worden. Im amper vier dagen nam hij een volwaardig album op in de Liverpoolse Motor Museum Studio’s en The Hexmen waren terug een feit. De ruggegraat voor de Hexmen muziek is typische 'British Blues', daarbij voorzien van zulk een portie punk-energie waardoor je je onmiddellijk terug waant in het Londense club circuit toen er niets anders dan Rhythm & Blues uit de versterkers te horen was en deze muziek bleef nagalmen in je oren. Diezelfde energieke blues kan je terug gaan beleven tijdens Hookrock 2009 op zaterdag 04 juli samen met nog enkele grote namen die we uit respect voor Yvan en zijn crew nog even niet kenbaar maken. Voor de comeback met veel verve luister bij te zetten hebben ‘The Hexmen’ in 2009 deze ‘The Great Nothern Seapower Gig (Live)’ uitgebracht waarmee ze hun naam en faam alle eer aan doen. Hoofzakelijk bevat dit album alleen maar covers die verder weinig uitleg behoeven maar waarvan de titels alleen al de nodige energie bij iedereen opwekken. Ridin On The L&N, Wooly Bully, Sugar Pie, Homework, Treat Her Right alleen al zijn nummers die iedereen zo meteen op de dansvloer krijgen en voeg daarbij wat punk-attitude en je weet dat de tent daar in Diepenbeek meteen op zijn kop zal komen te staan waarmee ze het zeer sterke 2008 moeten kunnen vergeten. Zeker zullen bij de bissertjes nummers zijn als ‘Gloria’ het Them nummer uit 1964 waarmee van Morrison zelfs nu nog succes oogst en wat tevens op dit album is terug te vinden. Ook terug heropgedoken is ‘Groovin’, een wereldhit uit 1970 van Zack Lawrence aka Mr. Blue dat in die periode alleen door Mungo Jerry met zijn ‘in The Summertime’ van de nummer 1 werd afgehouden. Als extra promotie kregen we van George bij Rootsville verschillende exemplaren in de bus van dit 'High Energy'album en dit willen we onze trouwe lezers natuurlijk niet onthouden. Wie een copytje wil moet gewoon mailen en misschien ben jij wel bij de gelukkigen. Voor een enkele onder u zit er zelfs een gratis duo ticket bij en kan je je gewonnen exemplaartje onmiddellijk laten signeren. Niet bij de gelukkigen? Niet getreurd want zoals vermeld kan je op 04 juli deze band ‘live’ gaan meemaken en daar moeten we Yvan en zijn goede neus dankbaar voor zijn.
Sounds Like: a reprise of the amphetamine-fuelled rhythm and blues that came out of London’s pub circuit in the seventies. That music, borrowing from Chicago Blues and British Beat was also heavily influenced by the London Mod scene .....Blues in the Northwest says....... Now here’s a treat for anyone who enjoyed those glorious post-punk days of the very late 70s’ and early 80s’, when the likes of Nine Below Zero, Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Lew Lewis, etc., delivered their energetic punk-tinged r&b – around this time The Hexmen were born in Liverpool – fronted by George Wickstead on harmonica and vocals – aka George Hexman – and they boasted a shifting line-up of members of such bands as Afraid Of Mice, Psychedelic Furs, The Boo Radleys and more – with even the great Charlie Whitney of Family being a sometime-Hexman!The current line-up, took shape after a Liverpool jam night in 2008 and are – George Hexman (harmonica and vocals), David Woods (guitar), Joan Bimson (bass) and Wayne Dangerous(drums) – and they have recorded a most enjoyable blast through some r&b/blues classics, with no less than the first four tracks ones that featured on the classic Nine Below Zero “Live At The Marquee” release.The opening blast through “Ridin’ On The L&N” shows what they are all about – George Hexman’s tough harp and vocals, the spunky guitar of David Woods and the driving rhythm section of Joan Bimson and Raymond Wong. They then, in order, hit us with “Woolly Bully”, “Sugar Pie” and the great Otis Rush tune, “Homework” – and you can’t argue with an opening salvo like that.Elsewhere highlights are the Peter Green song “Looking For Somebody”, Van Morrison’s “Gloria”, and a few liberties taken with Elmore James “The Sky Is Crying” – ‘borrowed’ for the tongue-in-cheek “Look At The Tears Roll Down Sefton Street”, with some biting guitar from David Woods and tough vocal. Roy Head’s oft-recorded “Treat Her Right” – another tune associated with Nine Below Zero – is given another high-energy performance.I would suggest this band make for a great live experience, with plenty of gigs on the books, check out their websites!GRAHAME RHODESwww.thehexmen.co.ukwww.myspace.com/thehexmen
Record Label: Emubands / Nanga Records
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

The Hexmen's New Drummer

From secret rehearsals with our new drummer (formerly of The Jam restart) and deep within an underground soundproof bunker (the only building we could find, the only structure suitable to hold the ear...
Posted by on Thu, 28 May 2009 22:11:00 GMT

New album cover, classic motorcycles required

 The Hexmen New Album Photoshoot 16th & 17th May 2009classic bike owners.. WE would be grateful for any help from classic bike owners eg Triumph, Vincent, BSA, norton, Harley etc.We are shooting a new...
Posted by on Thu, 14 May 2009 01:07:00 GMT

The Hexmen Album Release:out now worldwide on itunes :-)

The Hexmen new album release out today worldwide on itunes and all associated stores. Available to download or buy as an album  UK or as individual songs.    
Posted by on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:02:00 GMT