April 16th - Biography
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1985-1991
Biography
Hailing from London, Hard Rock outfit April 16th began their live careers in the summer of 1985. Initially gigging mainly in the South East they soon began to perform throughout the UK and later into France.
Musically April 16th always preferred a raw guitar base sound to that of the cleaner and “less real” sound afforded by keyboards. The bands rough edge was further enhanced by the use of a single vocalist instead of the more traditional backing vocals set up.
Philosophically the band truly believed in the power of rock music as a form of expression. Their stage presentation was a totally unpretentious and honest, yet powerful and exciting experience. April 16th despised the use of stage clothing and over-hyped theatrical performances with larger than life egos. At gigs you could find and could talk to the band at the bar or the pub next door, not locked away in the dressing room.
Early recordings of the band generated a lot of interest at many regional radio stations and helped to pave the way for April 16th to broaden their gigging horizons. Those same recordings also met with considerable interest from a number of record companies eventually leading to the release of a debut album entitled Sleepwalking in January 1989.
The old yet new, fast but slow feel of Sleepwalking soon caught the eye of national rock publications and full page features appeared in several leading magazines. Radio One invited April 16th to record a session for the Tommy Vance Rock Show and this, shortly followed by a feature on London Weekend Television, helped lay the foundations upon which the success of the band was built.
April 16th were formed in 1985 and ran until 1991 when bankruptcy forced their exit from the front line of the NWOBHM. Essentially this band were a (very loud) no frills rock quintet who were hell-bent on success. Sadly whilst coming close to achieving their ambitions – they eventually failed.
Musically April 16th always preferred a raw guitar base sound to that of the cleaner and “less real” sound afforded by keyboards. The bands rough edge was further enhanced by the use of a single vocalist instead of the more traditional backing vocals set up.
Philosophically the band truly believed in the power of rock music as a form of expression. Their stage presentation was a totally unpretentious and honest, yet powerful and exciting experience. April 16th despised the use of stage clothing and over-hyped theatrical performances with larger than life egos. At gigs you could find and could talk to the band at the bar or the pub next door, not locked away in the dressing room.
Early recordings of the band generated a lot of interest at many regional radio stations and helped to pave the way for April 16th to broaden their gigging horizons. Those same recordings also met with considerable interest from a number of record companies eventually leading to the release of a debut album entitled Sleepwalking in January 1989.
The old yet new, fast but slow feel of Sleepwalking soon caught the eye of national rock publications and full page features appeared in several leading magazines. Radio One invited April 16th to record a session for the Tommy Vance Rock Show and this, shortly followed by a feature on London Weekend Television, helped lay the foundations upon which the success of the band was built.
April 16th were formed in 1985 and ran until 1991 when bankruptcy forced their exit from the front line of the NWOBHM. Essentially this band were a (very loud) no frills rock quintet who were hell-bent on success. Sadly whilst coming close to achieving their ambitions – they eventually failed.