dawn of the replicants biography
DAWN OF THE REPLICANTS 1996 to 2006.
A brief year-by-year bio by Paul Vickers.
1996:
A kitchen table in Galashiels, Scotland is struck by inspiration, for many the Kirkbrae kitchen table rivalled King Arthur's round table. It had seen the birth of cult music magazine "sun zoom spark" and now its wonky young hacks were to have a 2nd child "Dawn of the Replicants". The records were pressed; the radio stations informed and respond they did. John Peel spun their ditty "Lisa box". Radcliff and Lard flogged the airwaves to death with "Cocaine on the Catwalk". The NME did like! And the phone did ring! White hot with action.
1997:
A man did come, much like the man from Delmonte. He said, “Yes”. He was tall and told us to record an album and release singles. He was from East/West records home to the Corrs and Mick Hucknall. Based on our hat trick of wonk rock Eps, the “Times” voted us best new band in Britain and NME made sure we got single of the week honours twice.
1998:
Our maiden voyage LP "One Head, Two Arms, Two Legs" hit the shops in earnest. Then a spicy dish called "Candlefire" found its way onto daytime Radio One. We toured with Ultrasound and did our own headlining trip around the kingdom, as well as rocking the summer crowds at Glastonbury and Reading. We did Brian Molko’s head in. David Holmes remixed our "Skullcrusher" track and Pete Tong did play it.
1999:
Work hard we did on our next LP that we hoped would bring us immortality. Abbey Road flung open its doors and backwards strings we did record. It was the fattest sound in all the land. The press loved it. We loved it. But "Wrong Town, Wrong Planet, Three Hours Late" lived up to its name when east/west wanted no more of the same. "Science Fiction Freak" made John Peels festive 50 ...........if I don’t stop rhyming could someone please hit me.
2000:
Then a busman’s holiday began and the Replicants for a while parted. Founder members Rodger and Paul became the electro duo Pluto Monkey. This involved frequent trips to Oxfordshire as this is where their new label Shifty Disco had their seat of power. John Peel dished the Monkey a session and their nutty debut LP "Little Brenda Bluegrass Mission" hit the kingdom’s Indie shops. Melody maker christened them the "Vic and Bob of Indie" but this was to be a brief incarnation and after a drunken gig in their homely shire of Galashiels the Monkey did come to a stop as the Replicants phoenix rose again.
2001:
Inspired by a successful recording session with London based Chanteuse Hypotique. it was decided a new Replicants album needed to be recorded. The hunt for a new label, a new sound and a new future began.
2002:
Was Dawn of the Replicants comeback year. Armed with a new album "Touching the Propeller" released through Flying Sparks imprint Hungry Dog, we set to work. A 5th John Peel session was recorded. Our “Rockefeller Center,1932” single was a-listed on 6 Music and the press loved the album saying it was up there with the best of our late 90ties work and that it was great to have us back. We played gigs and people came and clapped.
2003:
Then that tricky fourth album beckoned and into the studio once more we were banished. Forced to dream it all up again, like a mad crazy Borders’ Mr. Ben.
2004:
At last our fourth album "The Extra Room" was released from the traps. The album’s cover jumped from the record racks portraying us all as country gents in a reading room dressed up in junk box finds. Even fashion bible “the face” printed the image in there ‘desirable vinyl’ selection. Bizarrely the beta band seemed to have the same idea getting a family portrait done in the very same room with the very same photographer. "Oi! Get your own naff cover" screamed the headline in the Scottish Sun. Apparently it was a case of great minds think alike. Soon after the beta band split, but as ever we soldiered on. Sadly outliving our most famous fan, the father of invention, John Ravencroft. To the funeral we did go and paid our respects to the great listening man.
2005:
This year started with pudding in the oven as “Bun Magic” was realised onto the plates of the media. This mini l.p included a barn yard tumbling cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy". “bun magic's" mission was to drum up as much hype as we could about our forthcoming trip to Austin, Texas. As we had been accepted to play at the world famous south by south west festival. Marc Riley had us in for a session to celebrate, as did radio Scotland’s Tom Morton. As for the NME they proclaimed that "the world would be a much better place if we all took time to remember how utterly fuckerly ace the d.o.t.r are". We went out to Texas with high spirits and played a great showcase and enjoyed some Texan hospitality from our hosts the bonnie house girls.
Which brings us to the here and now and the future. We have just signed a new record deal with SL records home to Ballboy and Misty’s Big Adventure. We have a new booking agent coda home to scissor sisters and Jeff beck. Also to add cherries to the cake a new double a sided single in the form of essence of Maureen/little driver. This brings us onto next year.
2006:
This will be the tenth anniversary year of “dawn of the Replicants”. The celebrations will begin with the release of our 5th studio album the mighty “FANGS...Arguably our best batch yet. May melodies and lunacies rain supreme.
this was last updated in february 2006.