'The best support band we have had, great band, great songs.'
(Bruce Foxton: The Jam)‘Let Love Rain On You is an anthem, great debut album from a fantastic new band.'
(Steve White: Style Council, Paul Weller)
SETTING THE SCENE
(Ian Barnes: The Longsands)
On the 11th April 1994 music was to change my life forever when I bought the CD single of Supersonic.
I was an 11 year old kid from Cramlington, an ex-mining village just north of Newcastle, and until then I thought Rock n Roll
stopped at Chuck Berry and that scene from Back to the Future.
I remember putting on the tape and thinking ‘this sounds quite old fashioned’, comparing it to the last record forced upon me
by some school yard circle (2 Unlimited, Get Ready For This). Then vocal kicked in and I was hooked. From that moment on I
knew I wanted to be in a Rock n Roll band. Of course, through Oasis I quickly discovered The Stone Roses, The Jam,
The Pistols and The Beatles, who I still believe are the most important British band of all time.
Today I am in a band: The Longsands. We were born out of a shared passion for music. I live for that feeling you get when
you walk on stage to a capacity crowd and they just love every minute. Don’t get me wrong, we write for ourselves, about
ourselves and the world around us, but it is truly amazing when thousands of people tune in and sing along.
BIOGRAPHY
2009 has been a whirlwind for The Longsands: The Newcastle based 5 piece spent the year touring and recording their debut
album ‘Meet Me In Spanish City’ which producer Fred Purser has described as
‘one of the great debut albums of it's kind.'
(Fred Purser: Producer)
December 2009 witnessed The Longsands performing nationwide after being invited by Bruce Foxton to be main support for From
the Jam’s winter tour. Touring brought with it a whole host of press, media and radio coverage all of which pointed towards
The Longsands having the potential to be one of the most important bands of the coming decade.
In just twelve dates, performing to over ten thousand new fans, The Longsands sold out of their merchandise and were inundated
with messages of support from the on looking Jam faithful……
‘Saw you this evening for the first time at the Glasgow Barrowlands, fuck me are you
good… this is Glasgow and hairs stood on the back of my neck. The next 12 months
will be massive and I truly believe that I have been lucky to have heard you for the
first time tonight.'
(Colin Feildman: Glasgow, Fan Message Sent To The Longsands)
2010 is undoubtedly a huge year for the band. The Longsands deliver time and time again live and are quickly becoming a
talking point among promoters, agents, and fans alike. They are here and now, writing about life in Britain today, shared
feelings you and I experience, on the street, in the news, in our personal lives, things that matter to us all.
‘The Longsands impressed from the start, and with a debut album on its way next year,
they are clearly a band to watch out for. There are shades of The Jam in there, shades of
The Who, but the end result is distinctively their own'
(Phil Hewitt: The Portsmouth Observer)
The last few years have been a journey for The Longsands: Two self-penned singles, battling Take That for HMV’s best-seller
shelf-space; two UK tours, culminating in a glorious sold-out Sage Gateshead homecoming; commissioned to record the Newcastle
United walk-on tune (guests of honour at St James’ Park on its debut).
Never far from a football link, asked by the BBC to write a football song for West Jesmond FC: Fields of Green was born and
made onto BBC radio one’s website for downloads. No surprise then that amongst all this the band were invited to perform a
headline slot at the opening party for Northumbria University’s stunning new campus.
Performed at Radio One, meeting Chris Moyles and Jo Whiley after winning the national unsigned competition Band Republic.
Outstanding reviews in The People, The Sun and Music Week Magazine were to follow.
Invited to record and work with producer Andy Macpherson (The Who, Doves, Eric Clapton).
Ever sort after by promoters for supports, The Longsands have played a string of sell out shows supporting: The Hoosiers,
Bonehead from Oasis, From the Jam and a glorious performance with The Complete Stone Roses on Newcastle Academy’s main
stage to over 1000 fans.
Further a field, triumphant European tours and hot ‘n’ sticky summer festivals allowed the band to grab the continent by the
balls playing to thousands of new fans and attracting licensing interest from European territories for future releases.
‘If The Longsands aren't a band currently on your radar, they need to be.'
(Rachael Clegg: Sheffield Telegraph)
Perhaps you’d like to get to know lads themselves?
There’s accident-prone Gary Ormston, rarely far from disaster of some kind, but loveable and charming and the finest damn
bass guitarist this side of that Level 42 geezer.
There’s Paul Stephenson, meticulous and relaxed, loose-limbed and laid back but tight as a coiled spring, solid as a
battering-ram behind the drum kit.
David Stanyer, - ‘Stan’ to his friends – whose biting shards of glorious lead guitar pour aural gold-dust over the anthemic
melodies: the band’s art director and one of its many vocal talents, his forthright, laddish opinions hide a touching sensitivity.
Stan has also begun to make his mark as an accomplished songwriter within the band.
Then there’s Ian Barnes, rhythm guitarist, writer, manager and the band’s arterial heartbeat, who has more ideas before breakfast
than you’ve had all year, and a dogged but passionate determination to see them all through. Dark, broody and rarely given to self-doubt,
Trevor Cox, The Longsands’ splendid figure-head, mighty of voice, charisma and heart, the conscience and the energy of the band, commanding
stage and studio alike with extraordinary presence and just a smattering of little-boy-lost vulnerability.
‘Newcastle band set to be huge’
(The People)
