Goldblade Bio

1994, Manchester, England: Since the demise of his seminal alt-rock outfit Membranes after ten years and four albums, John Robb had continued his music journalism and moved into TV presenting. Nothing, though, could replace the primal adrenaline rush of rock and roll, and so when he met up with percussionist Wayne Simmonds at a local gym, the pair realised they shared a mutual passion for martial arts and punk rock, and knew that they had to form the definitive rock and roll outfit.
A scrupulous recruitment process gradually assembled like-minded musicians - bass player Keith Curtis from the Membranes, drummer Rob Haynes from industrial rockers Houndgod and guitarist Nick Hewitt.
Together, they rehearsed intensely for months, forging a molten mix of The Clash's punk rock rush, Fugazi's straight-edged intensity and The MC5's righteous evangelism. A low-key tour of Europe forged the live unit away from the unsuspecting eyes of Britain, and when Hewitt departed to be replaced by Jay Taylor from local indie heroes Dumb, finally they were ready to enter the studio. A limited edition EP, Soul Power, was released in 1996, which attracted widespread critical acclaim and drew attention to the band's scorching live act. A year later the album Home Turf was a brash, bull-necked call to arms and the single Strictly Hardcore was a chart bound three-minute manifesto.