Uncle John & Whitelock
Encyclopedia
Uncle John & Whitelock were a 'horror blues' band from Glasgow. They were active from 2001 to 2006 and were noted for their live shows which incorporated elements of performance art.
The band was expanded to a five-piece lineup in 2002 with the addition of drummer Matthew Black and keyboard player Nic Denholm, Hobson moving to guitar.
Denholm and Hobson left in early 2005, Denholm later moving to London to form psychedelic/powerpop four-piece The Snap Elect. They were replaced by Jamie Bolland on keyboards and David Philp, formerly of Cannon
, on guitar.
The band were supporters of the charity the Scottish Association for Mental Health, appearing on their One In Four
CD. In October 2005, they appeared at an awareness-raising music festival in Ljubljana
, Slovenia
for World Mental Health Day
.
The band maintained a heavy gigging and touring schedule from 2004 to 2006, playing with bands as diverse as Franz Ferdinand
,
Babyshambles
and The Fall. Their final show was played on December 23, 2006 at King Tut's in Glasgow.
Lovatt now fronts Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers; Dower, Black and Bolland play in Musique concrète
ensemble Tut Vu Vu; and Philp in Gypsy folk combo Adopted as Holograph.
The band quickly built a reputation for the originality of their live performances which incorporated elements of theatricality and performance art
. These performances might see the band playing on stage inside a specially constructed wooden shack, unseen by the audience, or with scratchy black-and-white
, 16 mm film
projected over the band as they played, giving the impression of an old silent movie
.
Live reviews often focused on Lovatt's stage presence, describing him for example as a 'demented frontman', or a 'crazed urban preacher', while the band as a whole were described as 'the best live band in Glasgow' and 'perhaps the best undiscovered band in Scotland'.
The music was described as 'steel-toed subterranean rock' and 'frighteningly visceral blues', and this blues sensibility, coupled with Lovatt's distinctive vocals, led to the band being compared with Dr John, Captain Beefheart
, Tom Waits
and Nick Cave
, while their songs were noted for their disturbing and anarchistic content.
Their recorded output was well-received by critics, with their album, There Is Nothing Else
given a five star review by The Sunday Herald
and placed at number 18 in The Skinny's Scottish Albums of the Decade, described as a 'strange and singular work in the canon of Scottish rock'. The band were championed by DJ Vic Galloway
and their records were played regularly on BBC Radio Scotland
and BBC Radio 1
.
History
Uncle John & Whitelock was formed in 2001 by singer and guitarist, Jacob Lovatt, and bass player, Raydale Dower. The three-piece lineup was completed with the addition of Andrew Hobson on drums.The band was expanded to a five-piece lineup in 2002 with the addition of drummer Matthew Black and keyboard player Nic Denholm, Hobson moving to guitar.
Denholm and Hobson left in early 2005, Denholm later moving to London to form psychedelic/powerpop four-piece The Snap Elect. They were replaced by Jamie Bolland on keyboards and David Philp, formerly of Cannon
Cannon (band)
Cannon were a five-piece, instrumental post-rock band, based in Glasgow, Scotland.-History:Cannon was formed in early 1999 by guitarists David Philp, Stuart Henderson, and Jonny Williamson...
, on guitar.
The band were supporters of the charity the Scottish Association for Mental Health, appearing on their One In Four
One in Four (CD)
-External links:**...
CD. In October 2005, they appeared at an awareness-raising music festival in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
for World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day , is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.This day, each October...
.
The band maintained a heavy gigging and touring schedule from 2004 to 2006, playing with bands as diverse as Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
,
Babyshambles
Babyshambles
Babyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
and The Fall. Their final show was played on December 23, 2006 at King Tut's in Glasgow.
Lovatt now fronts Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers; Dower, Black and Bolland play in Musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
ensemble Tut Vu Vu; and Philp in Gypsy folk combo Adopted as Holograph.
Music and critical reception
| "THERE'S a storm gathering, an apocalyptic thing raging on the horizon. Black clouds, wind that will be rattling your bones, rain that will sting your eyes, a storm that will engulf you. That's what Uncle John And Whitelock are like: the sound of the end times, the last howls of those who refuse to succumb." |
| — Review of There is Nothing Else, Sunday Herald. |
The band quickly built a reputation for the originality of their live performances which incorporated elements of theatricality and performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
. These performances might see the band playing on stage inside a specially constructed wooden shack, unseen by the audience, or with scratchy black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, 16 mm film
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
projected over the band as they played, giving the impression of an old silent movie
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
.
Live reviews often focused on Lovatt's stage presence, describing him for example as a 'demented frontman', or a 'crazed urban preacher', while the band as a whole were described as 'the best live band in Glasgow' and 'perhaps the best undiscovered band in Scotland'.
The music was described as 'steel-toed subterranean rock' and 'frighteningly visceral blues', and this blues sensibility, coupled with Lovatt's distinctive vocals, led to the band being compared with Dr John, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, while their songs were noted for their disturbing and anarchistic content.
Their recorded output was well-received by critics, with their album, There Is Nothing Else
There Is Nothing Else
-Personnel:*Jacob Lovatt – guitar, vocals*Raydale Dower – bass*Matthew Black – drums*David Philp - guitar on all tracks except Black Hat, 2-Fiddy, Whalin' and The Train*Jamie Bolland - Keyboards on all tracks except 2-Fiddy and The Train...
given a five star review by The Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
and placed at number 18 in The Skinny's Scottish Albums of the Decade, described as a 'strange and singular work in the canon of Scottish rock'. The band were championed by DJ Vic Galloway
Vic Galloway
Michael "Vic" Galloway is a DJ on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 1, Vic presents a self-titled show on Radio Scotland every Monday from 8:05pm-10pm and does the BBC Introducing Scotland Radio 1 programme Wednesday evenings/Thursday mornings from 12:00-2:00am...
and their records were played regularly on BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
and BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
Discography
EPs and singles
- Of dis dem a know nuttin - 10" vinyl (2003) screen-printed, stitched sleeve
- The Train - 7" vinyl (2004)
- 2 Fiddy - 7" vinyl (2005)
- Riverside/1879 (2006) 7" clear yellow vinyl
Compilations
- One In FourOne in Four (CD)-External links:**...
- Uncle John & Whitelock contributed the song The Train for charity release in aid of the Scottish Association of Mental Health.
DVDs
- The Absurd Uncle John & Whitelock in Black and White (2006) Filmed at Embassy gallery, Edinburgh, August 2005