NEXT Watch this space for gig news.
Glampunk/Metal feel good band
who were the first ever UK Hair Metal band. Still bringing to life old and new Wrath n Roll !
WEAR THE BAND
OFFICIAL WRATHCHILD MERCH
LOOK COOL AS FUKK. but bring ya own iron
New 4 track EP STILL HERE IN THE FREAKSHOW out now on Bandcamp
'WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF...? IT'S ONLY ROCK N' ROLL!!'
WRATHCHILD U.K.
5 PIECE GLAM METAL BAND FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM......PUNKS IN GLITTER ROCK CLOTHING.... THE FIRST EVER HAIR METAL BAND IN THIS COUNTRY.
TODAY ITS STILL KICKIN' ASS WITH A BITCHIN' ATTITUDE THATS SECOND TO NONE. EACH MEMBER ADDING TO THE DNA OF A LEGACY THAT NOT ONLY REFUSES POINT BLANK TO DIE BUT SEEMS TO GROW UNDER GROUND ANY CHANCE IT CAN....NOT JUST MUSIC BUT A LIVING ENTITY.
ITS FOLLOWERS MAY LOSE THEIR ONCE ABUNDANT HAIR BUT INSIDE THEY WILL ALWAYS BE TOO GLAM TO GIVE A DAMN.
"THEY" THE MACHINE TRIED TO STOP IT BUT IT WAS TOO STRONG A FORCE OF NATURE....ITS STILL HERE
EMBRACE IT FRIENDS
ROCKY SHADES
Vox vandal space cowboy
GAZ WILDE -
Trash can skinslammer
JONNY SUICIDE -
Four String Shotgun
OZ PAUL -
Six string razor
GENTLEMAN JAY PEGG -
Sonic Chainsaw
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF ? ITS ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL
ORIGINALLY STRANDED IN 1980 THESE CRASH LANDED HEAVY ROCK SPACE WARRIORS
UNLEASHING THEIR OWN PERSONAL SONIC REVOLUTION CAUSED CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION WHEREVER THEY WENT, EMBARKING ON A MISSION TO SAVE ROCK 'N ROLL.
THEY WERE ALL ABOUT THE FUN, AND WILL ALWAYS BE ABOUT THE FUN, LOOKING LIKE THEY DO WHY SHOULD THEY TAKE THEMSELVES SERIOUSLY ANYWAY, NOBODY ELSE WILL.
LOOKING DAMN GOOD ON THE WAY, THEY WERE THE BAND THAT EVERYBODY LOVED TO HATE
PUNKS IN GLITTER ROCK CLOTHING.
"THEY JUST DONT GIVE A F##K ABOUT ANYTHING"
PROCLAIMS SHADES....EVEN IN THESE DARK TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN....
EVERYBODY LOVES TO PARTY RIGHT?.
STILL KRAZY AFTER 40 YRS
R O C K Y
S H A D E S
GODFATHER OF GLAM METAL
ALSO VOCALIST OF
THE HANDSOME BEASTS
FORMERLY IN
ROCKY SHADES WRATHCHILD
WILDSIDE RIOT
Briefly in DISCHARGE
DAVID LEE WRATH BAND
YANKEE ROSE
BIRMINGHAM BLUES BROTHERS
ONE TRACK 'N DIRTY
HOI POLLOI / TITAN
SWEET ACID.
AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER PROJECTS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION
(This bloke has been about for sure)
G A Z W I L D E
FORMERLY IN
ROCKY SHADES WRATHCHILD
WILDSIDE RIOT
NEW GENERATION SUPERSTARS
SINFUL KIXX
J O N N Y
S U I C I D E
ALSO THE DRIVING FORCE OF
NEW GENERATION SUPERSTARS
FORMERLY IN
ROCKY SHADES WRATHCHILD
WILDSIDE RIOT
SUICIDE TUESDAY
O Z P A U L
LEAD GUITARIST
WRAITH
FORMERLY IN
ROCKY SHADES WRATHCHILD
WILDSIDE RIOT
SUICIDE TUESDAY
JAY PEGG
(a real gif from the gods)
Rythym guitar
and Lead guitar and Vox
THE SCHEMERS UK
DEAD MARSHES
formerly in
CALAMITY JANE
LICQUID
briefly in
THE GODFATHERS
demo engineer
WOLFSBANE
roadie
WALTER LURE
(Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers)
Past Members
Lance Rokkit
Eddie Starr
Marc Angel
Phil Vokins
Brian Parry
Gaz Harris
Kevin Hunt
"BEING SHADES" (Everything you wanted to know but couldnt be bothered to ask). Teasers of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Rocky Shades
INTRODUCTION
Being Shades conjures up so many disturbing images to so many different people, some of which are most disturbing themselves.
If you know or have known Shades whether you view him as the over loud one man party animal, good for a laugh or a story or two, outrageously dressed for his age, charismatic frontman lead vocalist who never fails to ruin a rock disco night by insisting on singing along to alll the songs he knows, or whether you consider him an over opinionated pretentious twat who seems never happy on social media unless hes arguing the toss with someone and always has to have the last word in a magazine or interview debate, or you are one of the friends he is loyal to who know that he would dive into the path of a bullet to save even at the expense of that kind of look from his wife and at the disgust from his children who would berate him as a lost cause will always be food for thought and a major bone of contention.
SO WHY THE BOOK NOW
It has been brought to my attention that even after all of these years there is still an interest in the U.K. band that helped define the musical genre Glam Metal i.e WRATHCHILD. There are people out there who would like to hear the classic songs that were recorded on the early Wrathchild albums and the debut iconic most well known album "Stakk Attakk", and as none nof the other original band members have shown any recent interest in bringing any form of live Wrathchild back to life I felt it was up to me an original co-founder of the band and main front focal piece of the band for the most years to bring what the fans crave for back to life. Because the original members have either retired or turned their backs on the genre or are so unpopular that their version of the band should anyone be potential doormat and slave enough to want to be in it would be a complete waste of time, it has been left to me to give it the kiss of life it needs. FACT.
When you retire from work the daily drudge of everyday job life and you have played your video game console until your fingers have either bled or the arthritis kicked in and flared up, after you have tired of watching your six quiz shows in a row with just an hour respite for a piss break, a person finds themselves with a lot of time on their hands to reflect and reminisce on your life that was which is a perfect time to think if it was worthy of documentation and confession, or interesting or fun enough to tell other people and complete strangers in either a Vlog, podcast or book. You dont find many rivetting autobiographies from bank clerks or librarians, no offence meant.
Most autobiographies or biographies selfishly put the author or subject in the "cool I wish I had been them, or wish I had gone to the same pub or school as them role without a single thought or care about the wives, children, grandchildren ,ex wives, partners, siblings and family and pets. So my book will hopefully tell a full enough story without insulting or overly embarassing such people while showing them the respect their position in my life deserved.
I have read lots of autobiographies and biographies in my time being a regular library attendee in my younger years and most books in my opinion to keep the reader and the publisher interested leans far too much towards the sexual relationship and mass drug abuse content so mif you disclose that you have slept with one of your band members giirlfriends or worse than that their mom while snorting a huge line of cocaine while filming your pet doing something cool and unnatural for social media you are guaranteed to sell at least 100 more copies of your book, "Whoopee fu**ing do" and hey lo and behold your family never talks to you again or mentions you in polite society.
Dont get me wrong I am no saint but sex is sex the world over, great to do but boring as f**k to talk about. I mean how many permutations of the sexual act are there really? Man or men with women, man or men with men, woman or women with women, man or woman with animals and man or woman with strange object. If you use your dirtiest imagination of where these acts of debauchery took place believe me when I say if you can think it its already happened.
So friends here is the bottom line I'm not going to bore you to death with tales of loose ladies on the road because you know they are there, I know they are there, you would not believe how many do it and tick bands off a list they have previously penned and I say "no more now I am a very happily married man"
If you do hunger for the seedier side of rock n roll there are so many autobiographies out there (some actually totally true) that have nothing else to say so go on tickle ya fancy and fill ya boots.
As for drugs I am going to destroy an image and character traits many have conjured up in their heads over the years by telling you that not only do I not do drugs but I have never done drugs, I am high on life it is far too precious to waste and I have seen many friends destroy themselves by addiction or suicide which is enough to turn a person off even the so called coolest shit.
I have survived too many near death experiences to want to throw my life away for a cheap thrill, I've had a major stoke, been held up at gunpoint, survived the most brutal of motorbike accidents escaped some very serious potential kickings so mim not going to chunder away any remaining years I have left.
I'm not trying to turn into your dad or local priest by telling you how to live your life but friends it is not as cool as it looks will cost you everything you either own or have stolen, cost you family and friends and all for the tiniest buzz i've observed it produce. Is it really worth it?
I was lucky in my teens to try my first bout of magic mushrooms and discover my imagination was far too scary for comfort and after watching my friend Jez's chinese historical scene wallpaper come to life and almost having my head bitten off by his dragon lampshade, and waking up in the most unnatural position wedged between his book case and the tv I made the concious decision that perhaps there was no chance of me being the new Peter Fonda or Dennis Hopper as a drugged up Easy rider so I gave it up as a bad joke.
This revelation was further slammed home when I tried my first few joints and came to the realisation that every joint I smoked cost me a portion of my vocal range which is not a good idea if you happen to be on a tour at the time.
My years on the road has put me in some very tempting positions on the drug front, at rock star parties and in the biker clubhouses when I was offered the "cool serious shit" I turned it down even at the risk of these people saying that I wasnt rock n roll enough, well if not being able to stand or make one iota of an intelligible conversation is considered rock n roll then "Yee Hah ! " I'll be a country and western singer. Ironically Southern Rock is my guilty pleasure). Just saying.
FROM THE HEART STUFF....HONEST
I have seen many celebrities and people in the entertainment world meet fans and such and then instantly forget them, this is an occupational hazzard we know but when someone approaches them later in life and the celebrity cant recall who they are they are either gutted or like me quiz them until they give me a clue. If you think about it logically it is nigh on impossible to remember everyone you meet but I personally try to commit to memory at least the people who I meet who either mentally,spiritually or in some cases physically touch me in some way and I want you to know that there is a place inside of my head and heart reserved just for you "Come on in the waters lovely" I honestly believe that its the people you meet in life that "move" you that helps spawn, build and nuture the character you become later in life...If you are around violent people there is a good chance you become violent, if you are around musical people you may become musical, if you are around artistic people you may become artistic, if you hang around with piss heads you may become a piss head and if you hang around with libraians or bank clerks you may become one of those and there is no shame in this is we all need you.
I want you people who have met and befriended me to know how special you are and all of the people i have yet to meet how special you will be.
Now reach for the sick bucket.
Many many people no really many people not just you and your mate have asked me to write my book, they are always asking about...they want to know...ok i'm always telling them my stories about life on the road and I thought now is the time to document once and for all before I either die or completely lose the plot said stories for all to read in a myriad of languages may your god help you.
"what do ya know? ya holding the damn thing"
I have based this book on my band diaries kept regularly at the time and by interviewing people who were actually there so I am trusting that I was sober enough to be honest and the testimonies of the individuals interviewed are true or at least as true as they can recollect. There will be discrepencies but this is only expected when you are dealing with a lot of people, everybody views the same thing from the same angle differently, so misinterpretation of some facts is most likely and may upset some people but it is what it is so deal with it ya big girls blouse.
Some people may be accidently omitted to which I will apologise to right here right now but I played a little part in the early years of Lemmy and Bruce Dickinson and was left out of their books, from the moment I met Lemmy on the first Motorhead tour in birmingham circa 1976/7 he hung out with Wrathchild when we came to London (which was most unusual as he made it no secret that he hated the Glam Metal genre and its bands for being too self indulgent and image driven) and was personally responsible for getting me my gold V.I.P. card for the London Hippodrome for getting 1800 people in to the venue on a tube strike day., which was a major feat back then.
As for Bruce i gave him the tarot card reading that predicted his career move from Samson to Iron Maiden having known him since attending regular Wrathchild rehearsals and hanging out with their friends in Evesham where Bruce was living at the time, he also guested on stage at a Wrathchild gig at The Worcester Waterside Club on his birthday in 1983, we made up some blues shit on the spot.
I wont lie I was disappointed when I didn't get as much as a name check in their respective books but was not wholly surprised and had to just take it on the chin with a stiff upper lip like us Englishmen do.
Despite what I said earlier there will be some tales involving sex, drugs and rock n roll but I wont be the one doing them so if you are waiting for my juicy bits of gossip "see ya and close the door on the way out"
For those who stayed "Put the safety belts on the children coz its going to be a bumpy ride" (a phrase I borrowed from Eddie Starr)
NOW READ ON !!!
MUTHAFU**ERS
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