Famous London Bands

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Famous London Bands

Famous London Bands-London Guitar Academy's's list of  some of the greatest London bands and musicians. Famous London Bands include The Faces, Fleetwood Mac , Babyshambles, David Bowie, Bush, Deep Purple, Motörhead & Rod Stewart. Lets take a good look at some of our Famous London Musicians!

London Bands Musical groups from London-Influential London bands in 60s and 70s:

The Rolling Stones

  Guitar Lessons London have always loved the Stones! we actually love teaching a lot of there material from Sticky Fingers era Dead Flowers through to the hedonistic Jumping Jack Flash and the rock raunch of Brown Sugar. Led by co-founders and songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones continues to thunder like a dinosaur releasing albums and performing on tours. The band celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, with a greatest hits album and two new tracks. Incredibly well received, The Rolling Stones is one of those bands that still fascinates, thanks in part to the mythos and wild tales that have grown around the band over the years, but also some amazing music. Mick Taylor the stone guitarist in the wary 70's has to be one of the most soulful guitarists of all time.

The Who

  The ultimate big  festival band, The Who rose to prominence in the mid 1960s are a great example of a melodic power rock band. It was the band’s experimental forays that would gain them notoriety, however, with such projects as their rock opera, Tommy. The Who were probably the band that has the most influence on other rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, from Led Zeppelin to The Clash, as well as later bands of the Brit pop wave in the 90s, such as Blur.

Led Zeppelin

Very few bands can claim to have the reach of influence of Led Zeppelin, as nearly every London guitar shop plays host to someone test driving a new instrument to Stairway To Heaven. The hard, blues rock riffs were unlike anything else in the early-70s, making them one of the most enduring British bands for popularity ever.  The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page who we see regularly on Lonsdale Road the home of London Guitar Academy, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia.

Queen

Pompous, pretentious, silly and wonderful, it’s hard not to have real fondness for the overblown antics of Queen. It was perhaps the sad loss of Freddie Mercury in 1991 that reminded people just how many songs had become part of the soundtrack of their lives. Although I had got to the stage where if I heard Bohemian Rhapsody one more time I would have gone postal. Deep Purple Ritchie Blackmore Deep Purple with Legendary guitar great Ritchie Blackmore know for his virtuoso prowess, earth shattering guitar riffs and flamboyant stage persona. Blackmore led the Purple from the front providing us with rock bangers like Smoke on the Water, Black Night, Highway Star & Hush. Later incarnations of Deep Purple featured guitar maestro Tommy Bolin a rock heavyweight in his own right. Check out the rock classic  Deep Purple Live in Tokyo to kick start your listening. Ritchie Blackmore was famous for his use of s scalloped neck white Fender Stratocaster powered by an impressive bank of Marshall Amplifiers.  

The Kinks

The quintessential English band, that’s what everyone says about The Kinks. They’d sing about things like sipping a cup of tea and bonking the vicar’s wife, or about a buxom man-women they met in a seedy Soho coffee shop. All with a wry smile, a cheeky wink, and a fist punched into the crease in their forearm accompanied by a big chorus.

DAVID BOWIE

David Bowie (born David Robert Jones, 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, and actor. He is also a painter and collector of fine art.Bowie  has been a major figure in the world of popular music for over four decades, and is renowned as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He is known for his distinctive voice as well as the intellectual depth and eclecticism of his work. Aside from his musical abilities, he is recognised for his androgynous beauty, which was an iconic element to his image, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s
Famous London Bands

Famous London Bands

The Sex Pistols

The ultimate British punk band, The Sex Pistols epitomised the angst and frustrations of the UK’s disenfranchised youth. The effect the band had on the musical landscape of Britain in the late 70s, particularly in the summer of 1977, was like a force of nature. The successes centred around the release of ‘God Save The Queen’ at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee. The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, dub, funk, and rockabilly. For most of their recording career the Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass guitar, vocals) and Nicky “Topper” Headon (drums, percussion). Headon left the group in 1982, and internal friction led to Jones’ departure the following year. The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986.

Paul Weller  & The Jam

The Jam appeared like a thunderbolt from the British new wave scene. Sharp suits tales of everyday life powered by Rickenbackers and British Vox amplifiers. A powerhouse of three, their raw energy coupled with angst ridden, sometimes politically fuelled lyrics, cut through and rise above other bands of their generation. Heavily influenced by the Kinks and the Who the Jam led s generation through there teenage years. Suggested listing includes Eaton rifles Going Underground ,  Beat Surrender & English Rose. Weller went on to have a hugely successful solo career personal favourites are Wild Wood, Sunflower & Stanley road. Paul Weller is often seen in his sort top Mini Cooper in Queens Park the home of Guitar Lessons london. Abbey Road studio's where Weller has recorded is in St Johns Wood close to London Guitar Academy.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, east London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band’s discography has grown to thirty-seven albums, including fifteen studio albums, eleven live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations. Pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s. After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of US and UK platinum albums

Influential London bands in 80s:

Madness

The giants of Two-Tone Ska, Madness were one of the biggest British bands in the early 1980s. It was their fun loving, lively stage personas, solid production and, above all, catchy hits that ensured their success. Madness name checked north London's Muswell Hill in their 1982 hit Driving in my Car. Tracks like ‘Our House’ and ‘House of Fun’ are forever ingrained onto the nation’s collective memories thanks to rotational airplay and adverts. IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS"Ian Dury was a Londoner through and through. Under the management of Andrew King and Peter Jenner (the original managers of Pink Floyd) Ian Dury and the Blockheads quickly gained a reputation as one of the top live new wave music acts. Their first single "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" marked Dury's Stiff debut and although it was banned by the BBC it was named Single of the Week by NME on its release. The band are best known for their hit singles, recorded with Dury, "What a Waste", "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" and "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll".   Influential London bands in 90s:

Blur

As one of the key Britpop bands of the 90s, Blur attracted worldwide attention with their thoughtful lyrics and apathetic delivery. The band formed when Alex James met longtime friends guitarist Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn at Goldsmith’s College, London. It was the single Parklife that gave the band its first big smash, followed by Girls & Boys, reflecting the very Britishness of the group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDswiT87oo8

Coldplay

Coldplay is perhaps one of the most successful British bands in recent years. Coldplay  formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed under the name Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a drummer, backing vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, completing the line-up. Manager Phil Harvey is often considered an unofficial fifth member.

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons are an English folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwane. Mumford & Sons were formed in December 2007, emerging from West London with such artists as Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and Noah and the Whale. Mumford & Sons recorded an EP, “Love Your Ground”, and performed in small to medium-sized venues in the UK and the United States playing to new audiences and raising interest.

James Bay

James Bay is now officially the next big thing. He has recently been named “Critics choice 2015” by the Brit awards panel, an award won in the past by the Adele, Jessie J and Sam Smith. (So a sure sign for success then!)  He was alos second on BBC’s “One to watch” and The new York Times named his song “Let it go” as the best song of the year. But it’s not just the critics taking a liking to James Bay.  He’s headlining venues like the Hammersmith Apollo for two nights this April which many bands going a lot longer still dream of doing. Lets start by listening to a song from his first EP “The dark of the morning” Move together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhWTREgDAxc&list=PLfEz3oSx46TwtAy-BY4GbQqB-lc8Abm3D Bay is originally from Hertfordshire but is now based in London.  One of his earliest inspirations was Eric Clapton’s “layla” which inspired him to get out the classical guitar lurking under his stairs.  He spent hours learning by watching YouTube videos.  When he was old enough he moved to Brighton where he worked on his craft by playing at open mic nights. Bay is signed to Republic records and he got noticed after a fan uploaded a video to you tube of him performing. He was flown to Republic records in In New York and got signed on the spot!!!! Let it go http://www.vevo.com/watch/james-bay/Let-It-Go-(Live)-Stripped-(Vevo-LIFT-UK)/USUV71500056 James Bay brings a fresh approach to the current music scene.  A lone songwriter, he writes from the heart with honest lyrics that people can relate to.  As a musician he blends beautiful riffs and melodies with powerful chords and everything blends together for a great listening experience.  Listen to the above example “Let it go” to hear some of his great playing. Bay is also humble and mannered and comes across a true gentleman in his interviews unlike many of his contemporaries. Debut album – “Chaos and the calm” Bays debut album is scheduled to be released on march 25th. It will include many of his past singles like “hold back the river” and “let it go” as well as new songs. Listen to Hold back the river below which has already gained over 7 million viewers on Vevo. http://www.vevo.com/watch/james-bay/hold-back-the-river/USUV71402502 Gear 1963 Gibson ES330 – & Gibson acoustics London Music Venues