Andy Selway
Encyclopedia
KMFDM
drummer Andy Selway spent his early years in Luton
, England
, but moved to Kirton near Felixstowe
in Suffolk
where he remained until his early 20s. From a musical family, he is the eldest of three brothers, the other two being proficient bass players (Danny) and brass players (Ricky) respectively.
He started playing in bands at school, the first being a covers band called 'Visions of '85', consisting of Andy on Drums, Steven "Barney" Barningham on vocals, Danny Selway on Bass, Richard "Boff" Smith (later Loveridge) on Keyboards and Andy Melton on Rhythm Guitar. They survived for one performance at a school disco, doing a cover of 'New Years Day' by U2. Uniquely, the vocalist had quit the band 10 minutes before the performance, and so the singer with another band stood in at the last minute. At 17 joined the Suffolk band 'Earl' and recorded a few demos with them before they split.
He was soon off to the lights of London, where he drummed for Man-Ix-Ex, who later changed their name to All Loved Up. They were a heavy metal / hair metal combo who had more enthusiasm than success. A couple of demos seems to have been the total output.
When this band split, he went on to join 'Big Boy Tomato'. Big Boy Tomato enjoyed a fair amount of success in North and West London, and their 'New Wave of New Wave' sound saw them supporting bands like UK Subs
and Stiff Little Fingers
.
The Tomatoes managed a couple of e.ps, including 'Acton Baby' and the four track CD 'Hormones and Hangovers.'
The Tomatoes split in the early 90s, and a splinter group emerged. Sugar Snatch (as they came to be known - there were disputes over their original name, Candy Snatch) took inspiration for their songs from cartoons, namely Asterix
and Animaniacs
. One album, "Mad Cows and Englishmen" was released amidst much touring of the UK and Europe, often playing the supporting slot to Toy Dolls
.
Seeming going nowhere, the band split, though two of the 'Snatches went on to form 'The Yo-Yos
', a punkabilly band formed by Danny McCormack
after the 1997 split of The Wildhearts
. Although signed and promoted heavily, the band never really took off, and they too split after recording a debut album.
Bladz later drummed on the Silver Ginger 5
album 'Black Leather Mojo' -
which gained a 5K review in Kerrang!
magazine at the time.
All this while, Andy had been working with Raymond Watts (also known as PIG) and toured Japan with the band. Realizing that he wasn't going to get the gigs he needed if he stayed in London, he moved out to America where his working partnership with Watts led to his inclusion in the lineup of KMFDM. He occasionally performs with punk band The Dwarves under the alias Dutch Ovens.
In late 2007, Selway played the drums for the Seattle rock band, DragStrip Riot and Japanese Pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki
in her songs Talkin' 2 Myself and Decision
.
Andy currently resides in West Palm beach, Florida with his wife Christee Carter. In 2008, he went on tour with Genitorturers
. In 2009 he toured with his (and KMFDM bandmate Jules Hodgson
's) new band, The Spittin' Cobras.
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
drummer Andy Selway spent his early years in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but moved to Kirton near Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
where he remained until his early 20s. From a musical family, he is the eldest of three brothers, the other two being proficient bass players (Danny) and brass players (Ricky) respectively.
He started playing in bands at school, the first being a covers band called 'Visions of '85', consisting of Andy on Drums, Steven "Barney" Barningham on vocals, Danny Selway on Bass, Richard "Boff" Smith (later Loveridge) on Keyboards and Andy Melton on Rhythm Guitar. They survived for one performance at a school disco, doing a cover of 'New Years Day' by U2. Uniquely, the vocalist had quit the band 10 minutes before the performance, and so the singer with another band stood in at the last minute. At 17 joined the Suffolk band 'Earl' and recorded a few demos with them before they split.
He was soon off to the lights of London, where he drummed for Man-Ix-Ex, who later changed their name to All Loved Up. They were a heavy metal / hair metal combo who had more enthusiasm than success. A couple of demos seems to have been the total output.
When this band split, he went on to join 'Big Boy Tomato'. Big Boy Tomato enjoyed a fair amount of success in North and West London, and their 'New Wave of New Wave' sound saw them supporting bands like UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
and Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
.
The Tomatoes managed a couple of e.ps, including 'Acton Baby' and the four track CD 'Hormones and Hangovers.'
The Tomatoes split in the early 90s, and a splinter group emerged. Sugar Snatch (as they came to be known - there were disputes over their original name, Candy Snatch) took inspiration for their songs from cartoons, namely Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
and Animaniacs
Animaniacs
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
. One album, "Mad Cows and Englishmen" was released amidst much touring of the UK and Europe, often playing the supporting slot to Toy Dolls
Toy Dolls
The Toy Dolls are an English punk rock band formed in 1979. Departing from the angry lyrics and music often associated with punk rock, The Toy Dolls worked within the aesthetics of punk to express a sense of fun, with songs such as "Yul Brynner Was a Skinhead", "My Girlfriend's Dad's a Vicar" and...
.
Seeming going nowhere, the band split, though two of the 'Snatches went on to form 'The Yo-Yos
The Yo-Yos
The Yo-Yos were a rock n'roll band, formed in 1998 by ex- The Wildhearts bassist, Danny McCormack and singer / guitarist Tom Spencer after the two met at a Toy Dolls recording session...
', a punkabilly band formed by Danny McCormack
Danny McCormack
Danny McCormack is a British singer and bassist.-Biography:He became the bass player in The Wildhearts in 1991 and soon relocated to London with the band, enjoying success during their commercial peak, before splitting up in 1998...
after the 1997 split of The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...
. Although signed and promoted heavily, the band never really took off, and they too split after recording a debut album.
Bladz later drummed on the Silver Ginger 5
Silver Ginger 5
Silver Ginger 5 was originally formed in 1999 as a solo project for Ginger, lead singer/songwriter of The Wildhearts.The band was not formed until after the recording of the album Black Leather Mojo, and despite the name only ever had 4 members...
album 'Black Leather Mojo' -
which gained a 5K review in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine at the time.
All this while, Andy had been working with Raymond Watts (also known as PIG) and toured Japan with the band. Realizing that he wasn't going to get the gigs he needed if he stayed in London, he moved out to America where his working partnership with Watts led to his inclusion in the lineup of KMFDM. He occasionally performs with punk band The Dwarves under the alias Dutch Ovens.
In late 2007, Selway played the drums for the Seattle rock band, DragStrip Riot and Japanese Pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
in her songs Talkin' 2 Myself and Decision
Talkin' 2 Myself
"Talkin' 2 Myself" is J-Pop singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki's 42nd single, which was released on September 19, 2007. The single contains two rock tracks, one acoustic orchestra remix of her previously released "Fated," and the instrumentals of the main tracks. It is her 29th #1 single, breaking...
.
Andy currently resides in West Palm beach, Florida with his wife Christee Carter. In 2008, he went on tour with Genitorturers
Genitorturers
The Genitorturers are an industrial metal/industrial rock band from the United States, with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band".-History:...
. In 2009 he toured with his (and KMFDM bandmate Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson, also credited as Joolz or J. Hogstorm, is the guitarist for KMFDM, an industrial band, and The Spittin' Cobras . He is a former member of PIG and Lodestar. In 2006, Hodgson married pin-up model Go-go Amy and divorced in 2008. Jules now resides in Seattle, Washington...
's) new band, The Spittin' Cobras.