*Chris James - Voice, Guitar.
*Ian Naylor - Lead and Rhythm Guitar.
*John Powney - Drums and Percussion.
*Steve Martin - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocal.
*Chris Edgar - Sound Engineering.
Influences
Alice Cooper, Ac/Dc, Rainbow, Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Stereophonics, Toto,..... to name but a few!
You Have To Start Somewhere !
Recognised as one of the areas foremost vocalists, Chris has been singing his heart out in bands for 25 years, but where did it all begin?
Chris first caught the bug back in 1982 at the tender age of 14, after being raised to a soundtrack of Alice Cooper, Van Halen, AC/DC, Rainbow etc. Chris formed his first band with a group of schoolmates.
They called themselves “Cadaver Eyes” from a line in an Alice Cooper track, and after six months of guitar lessons, hit the pubs and clubs.
Still way under the legal age limit to purchase alcohol, the early gigs were limited to amateur nights at the local R.A.O.B. club in Kendal (long since burned to the ground).
A frustrated guitarist, Chris soon found his talents lay as a vocalist, so at the age of 16 he auditioned to front local rock outfit “ Mirage”, widely recognised as one of the up and coming bands of the time.
2 years on came a change of direction, mainly due to the change in musical trends of the late 80..s. After dabbling in funk with an outfit called “ Impulse” and Simple Minds-esque pop with “Mr Jinx”, Chris joined another big local name “ The Presence”.
Far more keyboard led than ever before, the lads approached the 90..s with a much more commercial and up to date sound. The song writing talents of Chris and keyboard man Andy Whittle, mixed with Chris’s powerful rock vocal was thought to be the key to the big time.
Sadly as the story usually goes, 2 more years of broken promises from A+R men and record companies took its toll. Tired of endless demo recordings to pay for, and gigs for original material being thin on the ground, “The Presence” decided to quit. The bulk of the band just wanted to play live, other bands were getting plenty of work playing cover versions, and so the guys followed the same road.
“Undercover” was born with Gavin Bull replacing Andy Whittle ..s, a new set of rock and pop covers, and off they went.
Undercover lasted 14 years, which was unheard of for a local band. With a few line-up changes along the way, the basis of the band remained the same. Chris James on vocals, Paul Thornber on bass, Gavin Bull ..boards. They played from the darkest dungeons of the North to Oxford Stadium and quickly became one of the most respected bands in the North West.
Chris in the meantime still took time to write his own songs, and as a sideline formed a band called “The Hunger” with Steve Bull and Steve Lamb – fresh from touring with David Bowie in a band called “The Name”.
The two Steve’s had just completed a 2-album deal so knew the shortcuts to securing a new record contract.
Chris moved south, cut an album and toured Europe with “The Hunger” playing to bigger crowds than before.
Sadly it was not to last.
The record company USG went bust in Germany, where the band had just signed a 2-album deal. Pressings of the debut album lay in a warehouse waiting to be shipped to the record shops; they are probably still there…
Chris was quietly devastated, it left a sour taste in his mouth for the business, and after a year of playing the South Coast circuit with Steve Bull as “Strong Swimmers”, he decided to return to Kendal and his first love – “Undercover”.
In it’s latter days “Undercover” had probably its strongest line up ever- Chris, Paul, Gavin and two fresh faces in the form of Ian Naylor, lead guitarist with the huge rock outfit “Jagged Edge”, and Barrow drummer Simon Kidson.
14 years though is a long time, and not everyone retained the same enthusiasm for playing.
The last “Undercover” gig on Hargreaves forecourt, August bank holiday 2002, will go down as one of Chris’s all time highlights- 90.. heat, 500 screaming fans and a bar, it was a great way to bow out.
Chris, Ian and Simon weren’t quite ready to lie down just yet, and the idea for Catdog came about. Seeking a more up to date direction, Chris approached Bassist Steve Harris with whom he had worked on the Barrow proms and “Show must go on “ productions.
Also the band had the benefit of the newly recruited sound impresario Chris Edgar, giving the live sound an edge and quality better than ever before.
Catdog hit the scene in October 2002, and have gradually cemented their stance as the prime force in Hard Rock in the North West. Packing houses at every gig, thanks to a great balance of showmanship, virtuosity, humour, and blistering Rock music both old and new.
Simon Kidson and Steve Harris sadly hung up their Catdog hats at the end of 2006 to persue other interests, and after a long and arduous audition process, the guys welcomed new Bass guitarist Steve Martin to the fold. Known locally from rock group “Hush”, he has added a fresh enthusiasm to the band.
The band had a brief stint with young god, Tobias Humble, playing drums (now attending Drumtech in London), but eventually became complete with the incomparable John Powney agreeing to join, complimenting his already busy schedule with the band “Seven Seals”.
On a personal note, Chris has found a security and happiness in his off stage life. He married Liz in 2002, a friend since they were teenagers, and share a Barn conversion close to the Yorkshire Dales with their sons Elijah, Solomon and Tyler, 4 dogs, 2 cats, 1 horse and a whole bunch of chickens.
“The bad news is we have lost our way…the good news is we are WAY ahead of schedule!”
(David Lee Roth 1986)
Great to hear from you!!! I'm stuck for monday, but I'll keep an eye on the gig situation and get to what I can, looking forward to it. Much respect and goood wishes Daddy Catdog!
