Blyth Power
OriginSomerset, England
GenresFolk punk[1]
Years active1983present
LabelsAll the Madmen
Midnight Music
Downwarde Spiral
Anagram Records
MembersJoseph Porter
Annie Hatcher
Jack Ellis
Ben Bailey
Hugo Hatcher

Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer and drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of anarcho-punk bands Zounds and The Mob.[2] The band's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music and Porter's lyrics often centre on themes from mythology and history.

The band have released more than a dozen studio albums, since 1993 on their own label Downwarde Spiral Records.

Career

Established in 1983 and named after a railway locomotive,[3] the one constant in an ever-shifting lineup has been drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Joseph Porter (real name Gary Hatcher, born 21 February 1962 in Templecombe, Somerset, England), who formed the band with Curtis Youé, another former member of anarcho-punk band The Mob.[4] The band have subsequently been through many line-up changes; their 1990 album Alnwick and Tyne featured Jamie Hince, later of The Kills, on lead guitar.

The band's first release was a cassette, A Little Touch of Harry in the Night, in 1984.[4]

Since 1993, Blyth Power recordings have been released on their own label, Downwarde Spiral. Since 2000 they have cut back on their touring schedule due to various personal commitments, but they have organised an annual mini-festival, the Blyth Power Ashes. The festival takes place in August of each year, and combines live music with a cricket match featuring band members and their associates. From 2011 the event moved to The Plough, in Farcet Fen near Peterborough due to its ever-increasing popularity. From 2015 to 2019, The Ashes took place at The Hunters Inn in Longdon, near Tewkesbury.[5]

Joseph Porter has also been involved with various side-projects, such as doing solo guitarist/vocalist performances and collaborating in two other bands, Red Wedding and Mad Dogs & Englishmen.

Musical style

The band's lyrics often deal with episodes from history, ranging from the Trojan War to the Cod Wars, as well as aspects of English culture such as cricket, village life and trains, as well as a lot of politics.[2] Porter is an avowed trainspotter, and in August 1998 the band appeared on the LWT religious affairs television programme Holy Smoke! in a slot in which musicians discussed their individual religions — with trainspotting cited as his religion.[6]

Members

Current members

List of current band members
Title Details
Joseph Porter
  • Joined: 1983
  • Instrument: Drums, Lead Vocals (sometimes plays acoustic guitar)
Annie Hatcher
  • Joined: 1995
  • Instrument: Keyboards, Harmony Vocals
Jack Ellis
  • Joined: 2022
  • Instrument: Guitar
Hugo Hatcher
  • Joined: 2019
  • Instrument: Guitar
Ben Bailey
  • Joined: 2014
  • Instrument: Bass

Former members

List of former band members
Title Details
Neil Keenan
  • Joined: 1983
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Guitar
Curtis Youe
  • Joined: 1983
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Bass
Andy Morgan
  • Joined: 1985
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Sarah Lewington
  • Joined: 1985
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Martin "Protag" Neish
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1998
  • Instrument: Bass
Steve Ardcorr
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1988
  • Instrument: Guitar
Jamie Hince
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Guitar
Sian Jeffreys
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1988
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Julie Dalkin
  • Joined: 1988
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Helen Rush
  • Joined: 1988
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Wob Williams
  • Joined: 1990
  • Left: 1994
  • Instrument: Guitar, Harmony Vocals
Darren Tansley
  • Joined: 1990
  • Left: 1995
  • Instrument: Keyboards, Harmony Vocals
John Rutherford
  • Joined: 1994
  • Left: 1997
  • Instrument: Guitar, Harmony Vocals
Chris Hopkins
  • Joined: 1997
  • Left: 1998
  • Instrument: Guitar
Andrew "Jessi" Adams
  • Joined: 1998
  • Left: 2001
  • Instrument: Guitar
Bambi
  • Joined: 1998
  • Left: 2003
  • Instrument: Bass
Gary Miller
  • Joined: 2001
  • Left: 2001
  • Instrument: Guitar
Steven Cooper
  • Joined: 2001
  • Left: 2014
  • Instrument: Guitar
Jerry Hellfire
  • Joined: 2002
  • Left: 2022
  • Instrument: Bass (2002-2014), Guitar (2014-2022)

Timeline

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK Indie
[7][8]
A Little Touch of Harry in the Night[4]
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: 96 Tapes
  • Formats:
Wicked Women, Wicked Men and Wicket Keepers[4] 6
The Barman and Other Stories[4]
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
Alnwick and Tyne[4]
  • Released: 1990
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
The Guns of Castle Cary[4]
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
Karpov Crosses the Border
  • Released: Recorded 1992, but unreleased until c.2000
  • Label:
  • Formats:
Pastor Skull[4]
  • Released: 1993
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Paradise Razed[9]
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Out from Under the King[9]
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
The Bricklayer's Arms[9]
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
On the Viking Station
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Fall of Iron
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Land Sea & Sky
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Women and Horses and Power and War
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
The Power Behind the Throne
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:

Live albums

List of live albums
Title Album details
A Rededication of Pastor Skull
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Gladly Give to Caesar
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums
Title Album details
Pont Au-Dessus de la Brue
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
Ten Years Inside the Horse
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Anagram Records
  • Formats:

Singles

List of singles
Title Album details
"Chevy Chase"
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: All The Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Junction Signal"
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: All The Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Ixion"
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: All The Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Up From the Country"
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"Goodbye To All That"
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"Better To Bat"
  • Released: 1990
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"A Wild Card To Play"
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:

Appearances

  • "Reality Asylum" - cover version of the song by Crass on the compilation album You've Heard It All Before (1993)
  • When Death Went to Bed With a Lady (1998, Joseph Porter solo album)
  • Going Down with Alice (2000, album by Mad Dogs and Englishmen, including Joseph Porter)
  • Red Wedding (2004, acoustic album by Steven Cooper and Joseph Porter)

Videos

  • Do the One About the Horse (1990)
  • Live in Harlow (1995)

References

  1. Hall, Duncan (18 December 2015). "Cult folk-punks Blyth Power play in support of rail renationalisation under Brighton Station". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 157–158. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  3. Harris, Craig. "Blyth Power Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Larkin, Colin (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 58. ISBN 0-85112-657-X.
  5. "Blyth Power : News Page". Blythpower.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  6. Holy Smoke!. Season 2. Episode 5. 17 August 1998. LWT.
  7. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
  8. "Blyth Power". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 "Blyth Power Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
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