Grant Nicholas
Encyclopedia
Grant Nicholas is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock
band Feeder
, along with bassist
Taka Hirose
and drummer
Karl Brazil.
, South Wales
but grew up in Pwllmeyric
, near Chepstow
. He was educated at Monmouth School
. He performed in public for the first time at the age of 11 at school, and gained four O-levels (now referred to as GCSEs), including an A grade in Art.
In school, Nicholas played the trumpet
, and was in his first band, Sweet Leaf (named after a song
by Black Sabbath
, who were Grant's favourite band in his school years, and the first he saw play live, at the Colston Hall
in Bristol
). He was promised his first guitar
by his parents, as an incentive to pass his exams. He received the guitar, an Aron Les Paul
copy after passing them.
. In addition to this, he also owns a 1964 Silver Jazzmaster (often tuned differently when used live) and another Sunburst 59 Jazzmaster. He is using Fender Telecaster
s more and more and has a 73 Sunburst Fender Telecaster a 63 Black Telecaster and a Blue Standard Telecaster. His other guitars include a Cherry Red Gibson SG, a Green Custom Jazzbird, a Green Jazzmaster (which he destroyed at Feeder's headline set at Download 2005
and later said he regretted it, but still has the neck to make a new guitar with), a Gibson Firebird,a custom ESP
"Gibstang" , a Sunburst Gibson J-200 Acoustic and a natural finish Yamaha acoustic (for recording). He uses a variety of different pedals and effects to produce the distinctive Feeder sound. His main amplifier
s are: Vox AC30's, Fender Twins, Boogie and Marshall + Marshall and Orange Speaker Cabinets.
), and Welsh
nine-piece Temper Temper, where he met future Feeder drummer, Jon Lee. Lee joined Nicholas when he moved to London
to work as a sound engineer.
and formed Hum (soon to be renamed Real, Reel, then Feeder) with Lee, and Hirose, who was working in London as a graphic designer
. A series of Reel recordings surfaced on ebay
in early 2006.
In 2001 Nicholas also had success with the re-recording
of "You Don't See The Signs", a collaboration with producer
/rapper duo
Mark B and Blade
, who had released the original version as their first single
. The new version, subtitled the "Grant Nicholas Remix", reached #23 in the United Kingdom
.
, London. He is also follower of football and supports Arsenal F.C.
although he also once admitted he does not follow the sport as much as his bandmates, but once gave praise for the United States national team
.
Saturday Morning show, Soccer AM
. Nicholas spent the last few weeks of 2006 co-producing rock band
EnjoyDestroy's debut album with Brian Sperber. Grant Nicholas was featured on an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
in 2008, his second appearance on the show after making his debut in 1999.
in Brighton
was forced to be halted after only six songs when Grant suddenly lost his voice
. He was later diagnosed with a severe throat infection with bleeds on his vocal cords. The tour was recheduled and completed the following year in late March.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
, along with bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Taka Hirose
Taka Hirose
Takashi "Taka" Hirose is a Japanese musician who is the current bass guitarist for the rock band, Feeder.-Biography:...
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Karl Brazil.
Early years
Nicholas was born in NewportNewport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
but grew up in Pwllmeyric
Pwllmeyric
Pwllmeyric is a small village in Monmouthshire, Wales, located 1 mile south west of Chepstow, on the A48 road within the parish of Mathern.The name Pwllmeyric means, in Welsh, "Meurig's pool", and refers to the pwll or creek of the Severn estuary which, before it silted up, linked the village to...
, near Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
. He was educated at Monmouth School
Monmouth School
Monmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
. He performed in public for the first time at the age of 11 at school, and gained four O-levels (now referred to as GCSEs), including an A grade in Art.
In school, Nicholas played the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, and was in his first band, Sweet Leaf (named after a song
Sweet Leaf
"Sweet Leaf" is a song by Black Sabbath from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song, a hymn to recreational cannabis use, got its title from a packet of cigarettes bassist Geezer Butler bought in Dublin that claimed the tobacco was "the sweet leaf." The song begins with a tape loop of...
by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, who were Grant's favourite band in his school years, and the first he saw play live, at the Colston Hall
Colston Hall
The Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building situated on Colston Street, Bristol, England. A popular venue catering for a variety of different entertainers, it seats approximately 2,075 and provides licensed bars, a café and restaurant....
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
). He was promised his first guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
by his parents, as an incentive to pass his exams. He received the guitar, an Aron Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
copy after passing them.
Guitars
Nicholas' "signature guitar" is a 1967 Sunburst Fender JazzmasterFender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
. In addition to this, he also owns a 1964 Silver Jazzmaster (often tuned differently when used live) and another Sunburst 59 Jazzmaster. He is using Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
s more and more and has a 73 Sunburst Fender Telecaster a 63 Black Telecaster and a Blue Standard Telecaster. His other guitars include a Cherry Red Gibson SG, a Green Custom Jazzbird, a Green Jazzmaster (which he destroyed at Feeder's headline set at Download 2005
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and later said he regretted it, but still has the neck to make a new guitar with), a Gibson Firebird,a custom ESP
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
"Gibstang" , a Sunburst Gibson J-200 Acoustic and a natural finish Yamaha acoustic (for recording). He uses a variety of different pedals and effects to produce the distinctive Feeder sound. His main amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
s are: Vox AC30's, Fender Twins, Boogie and Marshall + Marshall and Orange Speaker Cabinets.
Formative years
After leaving school Nicholas worked as a bike courier in London, and also played in several bands, including Rain Dancer (whose sound resembled The WaterboysThe Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
), and Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
nine-piece Temper Temper, where he met future Feeder drummer, Jon Lee. Lee joined Nicholas when he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to work as a sound engineer.
Songwriting
It was while in London that Nicholas learnt how to be a songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and formed Hum (soon to be renamed Real, Reel, then Feeder) with Lee, and Hirose, who was working in London as a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
. A series of Reel recordings surfaced on ebay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
in early 2006.
In 2001 Nicholas also had success with the re-recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of "You Don't See The Signs", a collaboration with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
/rapper duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
Mark B and Blade
Blade (rapper)
Blade is a British rapper, born in the Armenian quarter of Iran and came to London when he was 7. His first single, Lyrical Maniac recorded in 1989, soon brought Blade to prominence in the fledgling British hip hop scene....
, who had released the original version as their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. The new version, subtitled the "Grant Nicholas Remix", reached #23 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Personal life
Nicholas has a wife Kana. They had their first child, Hanna-Sky, in 2005 and their second child in 2007. They live together in Crouch EndCrouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, London. He is also follower of football and supports Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
although he also once admitted he does not follow the sport as much as his bandmates, but once gave praise for the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
Other work
Nicholas remixed the track "Ya don't see the signs" by the now defunct rap group Mark B and Blade, giving the rap a rock guitar background different from the original's hip hop sound. This was added as an extra track to their 2000 album, The Unknown. This version came to the fore when used for the opening credits of Sky SportsSky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
Saturday Morning show, Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
. Nicholas spent the last few weeks of 2006 co-producing rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
EnjoyDestroy's debut album with Brian Sperber. Grant Nicholas was featured on an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
in 2008, his second appearance on the show after making his debut in 1999.
Setback
During Feeder's winter tour of 2005, a gigConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
was forced to be halted after only six songs when Grant suddenly lost his voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
. He was later diagnosed with a severe throat infection with bleeds on his vocal cords. The tour was recheduled and completed the following year in late March.