Dave Woodcock and The Dead Comedians

Sheffield singer-songwriter Dave Woodcock first came to prominence as the frontman of rough'n'ready punk band Taste of Shotgun, whose legendary alcohol-fuelled guitar trashing shows are still remembered with a mix of derision and awe. Following three albums, and their split in 2005, Woodcock recorded the acclaimed solo album 'Wednesday's Child'- an acoustic effort which dealt with loss and redemption and was compared in the press with the best of Richard Hawley and Leonard Cohen.
After the release of 'Wednesday's Child', Woodcock put together a backing band – The Dead Comedians- made up of his favourite musicians in Sheffield. Although the band has undergone some line-up changes, it still comprises the core group of Andrew Wood (Pisco Sour Hour), Chris Murphy (Boxer Genius) and Lee Bradley (Viva High Rollers). The latest addition to the band being Chris Saunders, the legendary Sheffield music photographer, recruited to the band after he joined them onstage for a Clash song at a charity show for St.Luke's Hospice.
Woodcock recorded two albums – one with the Dead Comedians ('In Defence of Penny Dreadfuls') and one a solo follow-up to 'Wednesday's Child' ('Born To Play This Role') but ultimately, on the eve of their release, he put both on the shelf to work with the new line-up on a new collection of songs.
Those songs became the album 'Omaha High Low' which has garnered critical acclaim both nationally and across the globe with critics claiming it to be
"ALBUM OF THE YEAR"- SMS Music Awards
"ALBUM OF THE MONTH (9/10)" - Exposed Magazine
"MAGNIFICENT" -SoundsXp
"QUITE SIMPLY STUNNING" - Sheffield Music Scene Magazine
"AN ALBUM OF VARIETY AND VERVE"-Counterfeit Magazine
and the band described as
"THE NEXT BIG THING FROM SHEFFIELD"-AmericanaUK.
"Dave Woodcock and the Dead Comedians attack songs of booze, regret and wanderlust with a freewheeling, growling cockiness …and spit out liberating, working class music that finds Woodcock's bruised and battered lyrics ably matched with a world weary delivery that alternately wallows and uplifts" - Teenage Kicks (USA)
Woodcock and the band have gained a reputation as providing one of the finest live shows around :
"To say Dave puts on a good show doesn't even come close to the truth – it was immense. Woodcock is a masterful showman. Several times he jumped into the startled audience to grab someone or sing to the unsuspecting crowd …a cracking performance…He is baring his soul for all to see. …a live experience not to be missed" - SMS Magazine
"Dave Woodcock and the Dead Comedians shows off Dave Woodcock's songs in a band context, and very fine they are too. The ghosts of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Jeffrey Lee Pearce too gather as these lost cowboys play their darkly spiritual southern-style rock'n'roll. Woodcock's part-Waits, part-Cash, all-growly vocals are supported by the intelligent, assured playing of his Dead Comedians. It's stirring stuff that ends at least three songs too soon and I'm only left wondering, why he's not as well-known as Sheffield's other singer-songwriter, Hawley, because he's got a similar taste and a similar gift. – SoundsXP
Dave Woodcock and The Dead Comedians are currently recording their follow-up to 'Omaha High Low'.