Oysterband

Hola buenos días y feliz semana. He encontrado unos textos de Oysterband, pero están en inglés. De todas maneras os los paso, porque es un gran grupo.

También comentaros que les he enviado a los organizadores de Ortigueira un email, proponiendoles que si se puede, Oysterband esté en el festival este año.

Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.

Early history

The band grew out of the earlier Fiddler's Dram and their side project Oyster Ceilidh Band. The name Oyster comes from the group's early association with the coastal town of Whitstable in East Kent, known for the quality of its oysters. Their first album, released under the Oyster Ceilidh Band name, was Jack's Alive (1978) on the Dingles record label.

Subsequent albums, as Oyster Band (sometimes The Oyster Band) were released on the band's own Pukka Music label: English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800-1850 and Lie Back and Think of England, followed by 20 Golden Tie-Slackeners and Liberty Hall.

The lineup of the band changed over these albums. The first recorded line-up was:

Cathy Lesurf - vocals;

John Jones - melodeon, vocals;

Alan Prosser - guitars, viola;

Chris Taylor - guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, one-row melodeon, mandola;

Ian Telfer - violin, English concertina;

Chopper - bass guitar;

Will Ward - bassoon, recorders, crumhorn, keyboards

By the time they recorded the album Step Outside in 1986 the personnel had settled down to John Jones, Ian Kearey (a founder member, returning to play bass guitar), Alan Prosser, Russell Lax (drums) and Ian Telfer. Step Outside mixed self-penned songs, often with a political theme, with reworkings of traditional standards such as Hal-an-Tow.

Recent history

After the 1987 release Wide Blue Yonder Kearey left the band to be replaced by Chopper (real name Ray Cooper). Subsequent albums included Ride, Little Rock to Leipzig and the June Tabor collaboration Freedom and Rain. Following this the band name changed to Oysterband. Drummer Lee Partis (who for several years was billed only by his forename) replaced Russell Lax for 1992's Deserters before Holy Bandits in 1993 propelled the band to the forefront of a booming folk rock scene alongside bands such as The Levellers.

In the nineties the band adopted a more overtly political stance, recording the harder The Shouting End of Life and collaborating with Chumbawamba to record Farewell to the Crown, released as the B-Side of the Tubthumping single. But recent releases Deep Dark Ocean, Here I Stand, Rise Above and Meet You There have seen the band return to a softer, more melodic sound while recent tours under the banner The Big Session have seen the band offer exposure to several young, emerging folk musicians like the Handsome Family and veteran musicians such as June Tabor. James O'Grady (Uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, vocals) regularly appeared on the Oysters' albums and tours in the last few years.

In 2007, long standing drummer Lee Partis decided to take a sabbatical break to be able to concentrate on his work as a psychotherapist counselling in prisons. Lee is being deputised by Dil Davies.
Oysterband will be celebrating their 30th anniversay in 2008.

Current lineup

Chopper - bass guitar, cello, vocals;
John Jones - melodeon, lead vocals;
Alan Prosser - guitars, viola, vocals;
Ian Telfer - fiddle, English concertina, vocals;
Dil Davies - drums;

Studio Albums

As Fiddler's Dram
To See the Play - 1978
Fiddler's Dram (album) - 1980

As Oyster Ceilidh Band
Jack's Alive - 1980

As Oyster Band
English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800-1850 - 1982
Lie Back and Think of England - 1983
20 Golden Tie-Slackeners- 1984
Liberty Hall - 1985
Step Outside - 1986
Wide Blue Yonder - 1987
Ride - 1989
Freedom and Rain - 1990 (Collaboration with June Tabor.)

As Oysterband
Deserters - 1992
Holy Bandits - 1993
Trawler - 1994
The Shouting End of Life- 1995
Deep Dark Ocean - 1997
Here I Stand - 1999
Rise Above- 2002
25 - 2003
Meet You There - 2007

Live albums
Little Rock to Leipzig - 1990 (partially live)
Alive and Shouting - 1996
Alive and Acoustic - 1998
25th Anniversary Concert - DVD - 2004