Favorite band that never caught on in your home country?

[Marky Dread]

I'm a fan and so is Laxman.


A young Marky Dread can be seen at 2 mins 16 secs. The camera zooms in on my face very briefly as James sings "Don't wanna see your face".

Coincidentally I received an email today about their new album, so I now have it pre-ordered. Can share the email with the two of you, if you wish?

Wasn't that a bit harsh of James?

Yes please. As for James nah he is a sweeetheart they all were. When they very first played here in Reading (After Dark club) the audience was hostile (very hostile) Richey just blew kisses back at the crowd. After the show I spoke with all the band and said what a shame about the hostillity aimed at them I thought they were the best band I'd had seen since Birdland and James agreed put me on the guest list for the London gig. Then when Radiohead played The After Dark club (pre-Pablo Honey) James and Sean were in the audience and I chatted again to them and they were just really great guys.

[laxman]

I'm a fan and so is Laxman.


A young Marky Dread can be seen at 2 mins 16 secs. The camera zooms in on my face very briefly as James sings "Don't wanna see your face".

Coincidentally I received an email today about their new album, so I now have it pre-ordered. Can share the email with the two of you, if you wish?

Wasn't that a bit harsh of James?

Yes please. As for James nah he is a sweeetheart they all were. When they very first played here in Reading (After Dark club) the audience was hostile (very hostile) Richey just blew kisses back at the crowd. After the show I spoke with all the band and said what a shame about the hostillity aimed at them I thought they were the best band I'd had seen since Birdland and James agreed put me on the guest list for the London gig. Then when Radiohead played The After Dark club (pre-Pablo Honey) James and Sean were in the audience and I chatted again to them and they were just really great guys.

Great stuff. I'll PM the email to you.

[Marky Dread]

I'm a fan and so is Laxman.


A young Marky Dread can be seen at 2 mins 16 secs. The camera zooms in on my face very briefly as James sings "Don't wanna see your face".

Coincidentally I received an email today about their new album, so I now have it pre-ordered. Can share the email with the two of you, if you wish?

Wasn't that a bit harsh of James?

Yes please. As for James nah he is a sweeetheart they all were. When they very first played here in Reading (After Dark club) the audience was hostile (very hostile) Richey just blew kisses back at the crowd. After the show I spoke with all the band and said what a shame about the hostillity aimed at them I thought they were the best band I'd had seen since Birdland and James agreed put me on the guest list for the London gig. Then when Radiohead played The After Dark club (pre-Pablo Honey) James and Sean were in the audience and I chatted again to them and they were just really great guys.

Great stuff. I'll PM the email to you.

Thanks mate that's great.

[WestwayKid]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

[Marky Dread]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

You best get busy making another son so you can call him Dean.

[laxman]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

[WestwayKid]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

What about Michael Joseph Terence Paul?

Joseph Paul Peter Nick Gregory?

[Marky Dread]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

Still better than Bernie Kosmo Vince Dread.

[Wolter]

Interesting question. Bands that are big in their home country, but not big at all in your own country. I have it fairly easy as an American...but still interesting. I'm a huge Manic Street Preachers fan, for instance. Hard to find a fellow fanatic. There was a spell before the internet made it easier where I had to buy their albums as imports. Last time I saw them live was on one of their rare US tours. They played a small club in Minneapolis (I had to make the 6 hour drive from Milwaukee). This had to be about 2010 - they were playing in support of Plague Lovers...but what was really cool is that they really seemed to love playing in a small venue - kind of a back to their roots kind of deal. The people who were there were true fans...and after the gig I got to hang out by the bar and shake hands with James, Nicky, and Sean. Super friendly bunch of guys...but in the UK they are playing much larger venues.

It was 2009. eumaas and I saw them in Chicago. We had a similar experience. Amazing show. Tiny fanatical audience.

It was a powerful show - lots of energy. It really did feel like they enjoyed playing a small venue for a bunch of rabid fans. Loved James' solo acoustic version of That Was Yesterday and the set closing Motown Junk was insane. I had tickets to see them in Chicago in 2015 when they were do their Holy Bible shows - but stupid real life intruded on that summer and I never made it to the show...

2015 flew under my radar, and I kick myself.

[laxman]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

What about Michael Joseph Terence Paul?

Joseph Paul Peter Nick Gregory?

Ha ha, no chance, I reckon she prefers London Calling to s/t and even I would have objected to the second one!

[laxman]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

Still better than Bernie Kosmo Vince Dread.

Vince Dread sounds pretty cool.

[Marky Dread]

April 6th is a long time to wait!

I also got the email this morning and put in my pre-order. Can't wait.

No tour dates in the US, but then I wasn't expecting any. Oh well.

My opinion is biased because I'm a longtime fan, but they really are one of the best bands ever. I kind of indirectly named my son after James. We wanted a "classic" name that had not been used on either side of the family. We had bought a new house and I spent most of the summer of 2009 fixing it up and I played the heck out of Journal for Plague Lovers. If it would have been a LP or a cassette I would have worn it out and one afternoon I was painting a bedroom closet and the name James just jumped out at me - probably because I had the name question at the back of my mind and because that album was playing on my iPod - so while I didn't directly decide that we would name our son after Mr. Bradfield - he did serve as a direct inspiration for the name choice!

Maybe one day my son will think that is cool! Ha!

I managed to sneak in Joe as my son's middle name. Michael Joseph Nicholas Paul got rejected by Mrs Laxman for some reason!

Still better than Bernie Kosmo Vince Dread.

Vince Dread sounds pretty cool.

He ain't heavy. He's my brother.

[Wolter]

Interesting question. Bands that are big in their home country, but not big at all in your own country. I have it fairly easy as an American...but still interesting. I'm a huge Manic Street Preachers fan, for instance. Hard to find a fellow fanatic. There was a spell before the internet made it easier where I had to buy their albums as imports. Last time I saw them live was on one of their rare US tours. They played a small club in Minneapolis (I had to make the 6 hour drive from Milwaukee). This had to be about 2010 - they were playing in support of Plague Lovers...but what was really cool is that they really seemed to love playing in a small venue - kind of a back to their roots kind of deal. The people who were there were true fans...and after the gig I got to hang out by the bar and shake hands with James, Nicky, and Sean. Super friendly bunch of guys...but in the UK they are playing much larger venues.

I'm a fan and so is Laxman. I saw them loads early on befrore they had released Generation Terrorists. My fave gig was the band explosion gig at the Marquee club 1991.



A young Marky Dread can be seen at 2 mins 16 secs. The camera zooms in on my face very briefly as James sings "Don't wanna see your face".

My other memory of that night was as me and a few of us were walking back through the streets of Soho we bumped into Mick Jones.

That was a fun clip.

[tepista]

Edit* I misunderstood the question. Status Quo? Small Faces? Slade? Yeah, of those 3, Slade.

[WestwayKid]

There are so many great bands that never caught on in America. I can think of so many. Crowded House is a great example. An institution in those countries located at the bottom of the world...but just 1 or 2 hit wonders in the US. People might recognize Don't Dream It's Over and maybe Something So Strong...but most couldn't tell you who the artist was.

The benefit is that when these artists do play in the US - you can usually see them in more intimate settings. The last time I saw Crowded House they played in a relatively small theater in Milwaukee. Awesome show. It was when they were touring behind Intriguer. The audience were all hardcore fans. We could sing along to even the most obscure tracks and that created a really great atmosphere.