Chris McMahon - 12 string guitar, bouzouki, vocals, Roland MC-505
with (on the track "4 Real")
Ceri Ashton - flute
Catrin Ashton - fiddle
Influences
Van Der Graaf Generator, Mike Scott & The Waterboys, Pink Floyd, The Levellers, Gustav Holst, Led Zeppelin, bizzare Russian instruments. 60s psychedelic, 70s progressive & 80s goth. 90s? What 90s?
And of course "Celtic Symphony" from Alan Stivell, surely the best album ever made!
Sounds Like
Heck, I haven't got a clue? I'd like to sing like Roger Daltry & write songs like Bob Dylan, but I suspect the opposite is closer to the truth;-)
Actually I'd settle for being Peter Hammill, yeah, Peter Hammill will do...
Progessive rock, Folk rock, New age, Classical, Heavy rock, Grungy metal & Trancy-dance
Blimey, where to start? OK, the begining. I formed Haze with little brother Paul in (ahem) 1978 while still at school, we got through a number of members, Michael Powell (keyboards), Andy McNaughten, Dave Kirkham & Arthur Deas (drums), before settling on the "classic" line-up of Paul Chisnell - percussion, vocals, Paul McMahon - vocals, guitar & Me, bass, keyboards, vocals. Have a look at the website, or myspace for info on the stuff we did before breaking up in 1988. We then got through a string of names - The Alen Shaw Quartet, Rodents of Unusual Size, Alien Shore & Groove Taboo, and a number of musicians - Alen Shaw, Andy Feeney, "Fudge" Smith & Sam Carr, before ending up as a duo of Paul & myself - World Turtle. I was also playing in Von Daniken a "New Agey" kind of affair with sound engineer/guitarist Warren Jacques. Oh, and I forgot about Alan Charnley. And the Bass Ass Mothers, cornball rock trio with Nick Robinson & a drummer who's name escapes me.
In 1991 Kinesis Records released a "best of" Haze compilation CD "In The End".
Cyclops Records released the Haze back catalogue LPs "Ce'st La Vie" and "Cellar Replay" on CD, as well as the two World Turtle CDs "Haze" and "Wilderness of Eden" and Von Daniken's "New Worlds", during the 90s.
World Turtle slowed down when Paul, or should I say his wife Lisa, had baby Danny in 1998, we also reformed Haze for a 20th anniversary show & double live CD on Cyclops Records. We've kept playing together intermittently since.
Acoustic Haze stated out in '98 as a low budget acoustic version of Haze, but somehow metamophasised into folk rock band Treebeard. I also joined awesome heavy rockers Strongheart and formed Satsuma, a rock/pop covers band with Nick and singer Freddie Satsuma.
Satsuma lasted a couple of years, Wilbur followed Strongheart original bass player back to the States, so the band folded, apart from occasional short notice reunions, when he turns up unnanounced! I then joined Strongheart roadies French Freddie and Rick in CRF, a Strongheart wannabe power trio. Rick kept toing and froing to the States (what is it with me and guitarists?) which lead to several variations on CRF, with Toastplant & Paul standing in on guitar, Rob (Motorheadache) on vocals, ands even once Bobby from Strongheart on drums. Rick's now gone for good, Paul's on guitar, & we've changed our name to World Turtle, moving away from the cheesy metal of CRF towards more original songs and classier Zep & Floyd material.
Meanwhile, I'd been getting deeper into the folk world, learing tunes at the Ceilidhsoc music sessions at the Red House. I was a member of ceilidh band Blackmail Pete, and over the summer of 2004 formed the Chris Treebeard Band. Initially comprising me, Paul, Fred with Charley & Ian from ceilidh band Derwenna, it became Silverwheel over the next few months, with the present lineup of me, Fred, Anna, Sue & Peter.
I did my first solo gig in 1997, when I played at the Whitchurch Festival, I did a two year residency at the Frog & Parrot, every Tuesday with the duo Chris & Sue, but I don't do many solo gigs, due to how busy my current bands World Turtle, Haze, Treebeard and Silverwheel are.
I did however play at the Rare and Racy benefit concert with Cat (fiddle, vocals) and Ceri (fiddle, flute, clarinet & vocals) Ashton from Derwenna, they are also featured on the recording of "4 Real", which we put together for the Rare & Racy compilation CD. Unfortunately an email hiccup meant we never made it onto the CD, so I've put the track up here.
I've a number of original songs which don't get played in any of my bands, so these tend to make up the backbone of my live sets. I play 12 string acoustic guitar & bouzouki & often use a Roland MC-505 for accompaniment.
As soon as I get any of them recorded, they'll be up here!
I'm also playing a lot of shows with Paul Pearson at the moment, a great singer guitarist, playing songs from the likes of Ron Trueman Border & Tom Pachico. I accompany on bouzouki, with the occasional harmonies.
I've just added another track "Chris's Raving Mad House" to the profile. This was recorded in 1998, but I never did much with it, as this was about the time I metamorphosised from an electric/electronic rock musician to the old folkie you see today! Full details are in the "lyrics" section.
I'm also playing with The Outlandish Knights, a ceilidh band with Cat & Ceri Ashton (Derwenna, Hiraeth) and Paul's McMahon & Chisnell (Haze & Treebeard). The tunes are mainly Ceri originals, with a few from Paul, Cat & myself, and the arrangements are young folk musicians backed by old rockers!
Strongheart are back! Yes, Wilbur's turned up unannounced again, so the mightly juggernaut rumbles deafeningly back into life. We've actually had a rehearsal this time (I only rehearsed once before with Strongheart, about a year after I joined the band!) and made a storming racket at the Boardwalk, so are looking forward to more.
That should now read Strongheart were back! Par for the course, Wilbur wizzed back to the States, just as we were hitting our stride, with vague promises to reappear sometime this year, or next...
I'll keep you posted.
But now Haze are back, we've just played two 30th anniversary shows, at the Peel in Kingston & the Boardwalk, Sheffield, Cyclops Records have just reissued our last 80s LP "Stoat & Bottle" on CD, and will be releasing a double live CD of the recent shows in September. We're also planning some dates in Switzerland & Italy in October!
Thanks for friendship! Don't forget that you can get my music for free and I still will get paid! How can it be? With gimmesound.com it's possible. They pay artists for every download out of their ad revenue. Now you can have your favorite music for free and the same time support the artist! We both gain!
Hi everybody, just here to say our new RORY GALLAGHER HAWK BOOSTER is ready for shipping. Have a listen if you get a chance, All the best, Stevie Flynn.
Thankyou for adding Sonic World Festival, 4/5th September 2009. Tickets are available from www.sonicworldfestival.co.uk and www.myspace.com/harveybainbridgemusic as well as our own myspace site. £30 for the whole weekend, indoor toilets, free showers, free camping, bars, bar meals and restaurant, indoor venue.
Thanks Chris for your participation at Acoustic Rotherham 2 - brilliant stuff - and I think you've given Myke some ideas for The Mashers with the pedals...........
Progbob and Morag (Mrs Progbob). Will be seeing you yet again on Friday at the Tamworth Beer Festival. The Wilderness Of Eden, For Whom or Fallen Leaves would be great. Not sure i'm ever going to hear any of the House songs from The World Turtle Era but I live in hope.