> Band
members
-------------------------------------
John
O'Malley: vocals, guitar
Mark Swain: bass
Jon Attril: drumsSecond
line-up (pictured)
John
O'Malley: vocals, guitar
Gary Day: bass
Rich Taylor: drums
>
Discography
-------------------------------------
Albums
Nightshades
- Link MLP 062
Stompin' Beat - Nervous
Nerd049
Something's Gotta Give -
Rockout Nit001
with
Colbert Hamilton
Cadillac
Baby- Vinyl Japan JRT02
Still Taggin' Along -
Vinyl Japan JRCD05
Wild At Heart- Nervous
Nerd076
Compilation
albums
One track
(Destruction Road) on I
Love My Car - Fury
Records
One track (Echoes Of Love)
on Katz Keep Rocking Vol.1-
Link
One track (Taxi Cab) on
Katz Keep Rocking Vol.1-
Link
One track (Big Sandy) on
Twenty Blasters From
Blighty- NV Comp1
One track (Running Out Of
Time) on Outrage Vol.1-
Rage 104
Two tracks (Midnight
Special, All I Can Do Is
Cry) on Outrage Vol.2-
Rage 105
Three tracks (I'll Get
Mine, Teenager's Mother,
SOmething's Gotta Give)
on Five Inches Of
Pleasure-
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This
neo-rockabilly band
started in Tottenham
sometime around 1984 with
Mark Swain on double
bass, his cousin Jon
Attril on drums, John
O'Malley on guitar and
Gary Pudney on vox who
then left the band and
went on to form the
Griswalds.
The remaining trio, with
O'Malley taking over
vocals duties, recorded
"Destruction Road"
for Fury Records and
"Taxi Cab" and
"Echoes Of Love"
for Katz Keep Rocking. In
1988 the band released
their debut mini-lp on
Link. Mixing fast
rockabilly tunes with
O'Malley's inventive and
jazzy riffs and a bit of
blues, this album is a
true masterpiece. Each of
them being able to
compose gives this 8
songs enough diversity to
please the listener.
Musicianship made the
rest.
This first incarnation of
The Nitros parted ways in
the late 80's. O'Malley
then reformed the band
with Gary Day on bass,
who previously played
with The Franctic
Flintstones, and Rich
Taylor. They recorded one
album in 1990 for Nervous
Records "Stompin'
Beat" which is great
but with 12 songs and
only O'Malley as main
composer it's a bit
monotonous. It would have
been reduced to 8 songs
it could have been a
killer mini LP. But once
again O'Malley's skill on
the guitar is amazing (just
listen to the
instrumental "Swinsgville",
or the fantastic "Devil's
Ship")and the choice
of the covers is also
clever as this is not 50's
songs but they come from
the catalog of The
Polecats, The Beatles and
Queen.
The follow-up, "Something's
gotta give" on
Gary's label Rockout in
1993, is better : a fine
production (Boz Boorer),
more diversity in the
songs (the wild "Big
Sandy" to the mellow
"Midnight Special")
and a guest singer, Chris
Harvey, on four songs.
At the same period The
Nitros also played as
backing band for the
black Elvis himself :
Colbert Hamilton.
Together they released
two albums mostly written
by O'Malley and toured
Japan.
The band finally came to
an end with O'Malley
joining Good Rocking
Tonight, Day joined
popstar Morissey, was
fired then re-hired and
Rich Taylor played with
The Caravans and The
Frantic Flintstones.
First bassist, Mark, now
plays in the pornabilly (sic)
band "The Shocking
Truth.Their
albums are no longer
available but Nigthshades
and the songs from Katz
Keep Rocking are
available to download at www.cherryred.co.uk
and Stompin' Beat, Wild
At Heart (with Colbert
Halmiton) and the songs
from Outrage vol 1 and 2
are available at Nervous
Records.
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