Chris Watson - guitars, vocals, keys, synths, programming, everything
Influences
Blues, Gary Moore, Kiss, Aerosmith, Stone Temple Pilots, A7X, AIC, Audioslave, BB King, The Butterfly Effect,Crosby Stills Nash &; Young, The Cult, The Darkness, Dave Navarro, Depeche Mode, Dishwalla, Digital Underground, DramaGods, Elliot Smith, Extreme, Faith No More, Foo Fighters, Finger Eleven, GnR, HIM, Horsehead, Jeff Buckley, John5, Johnny Cash, Johnny Winter, Keb Mo, Led Zep, Muse, Neil Young, Nick Cave, NIN, The Panic Channel, Phish, Poison, Prince, Radiohead, Ratt, Rory Gallagher, Scissor Sisters, Stone Sour, T Rex, Tool, Tom Waits, The Who, Army of Anyone, The Silos, Hinder, Snow Patroland soooo many more
That's how long it has taken Chris Watson to finally be willing to stand on his own. No band, no one else's songs, no bending to what other people may want him to sound like.
Fifteen years ago (that makes it 1992) Chris gave his first performance in high school as a singer. He'd only been playing the guitar a few short months after evolving from initial desires to be a drummer. The first song was simple; Runaway Train by Soul Asylum, but the second was quite a bit more difficult. That song was I Saw Red by Warrant (hey it was the early 90's) and was a tough choice for an inexperienced singer to attempt. But it gave Chris the confidence to continue down the path of singing and soon to begin writing his on material.
Two musical events happened that changed Chris forever. In 1993 Pearl Jam had just released Vs. and performed on stage at the MTV awards with a wild and crazy Neil Young. The image stuck in Chris's mind. This crazy old man was up there, just being himself, playing simple music with powerful lyrics and possessing an electrifying presence that energised the members of Pearl Jam. Immediately Chris knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be that crazy man onstage. This was followed in 1994 by the relapse of Stone Temple Pilot's Purple. An album whose mark Chris still carries on his arm today in the form of a tattoo of the album's logo. This album opened up his mind the possibilities available to a songwriter. Chris knew what he wanted to do, and know new how much he could do within the construct of a "song".
These events coincided with the first real dark shadow on his life. This was a period of time in which his mother was first stuck down by cancer (and eventually succumbed some 10 years later), and the new found love of music was the only thing that help Chris attain any type of peace.
A few bands by this time had come and gone (Neuralgia, Seduction) and Chris was happy making his own music for some time, with small amounts of success. He received some critical acclaim from Mp3.com.au in 2003, snagging an award for best Adult Alternative Song, and some minor airplay in the USA College radio market. But that doesn't pay the bills. Working full time made it hard to find the energy to work on new music, and then things ended up a lot more hectic when asked to fill in the vacant guitar slot for Newcastle based cover band Sledge (a position he "filled in" for three years, a couple of hundred gigs and thousands of kilometers).
In the few years since he left Sledge a lot of things have happened, some good, most bad. And it is now that Chris Watson finds himself determined to do the things he loves the most.
Writing. Performing. Recording. With more reason now than ever before.
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hey there chris“) just letting you know that I’m playing in sydney this sunday the 23rd nov factory’ 105 victoria road, enmore, for the ‘article 39’ showcase concert, which is raising money for child soldiers who have been taken from their family’s and forced to fight at war. It’s starts at 4pm and costs $20, there also heaps of other great up and coming Sydney bands and artists playing. I’ll also be selling my new ep ‘running over rooftops’. , it’ll be a great day for a great cause, be awesome to see your smiling face there “)
hey Chris! Yeah hopefully by then we'll have it sorted, but i've said this a few times now! I'll keep in touch for sure. Where do you live? Should drop in on a gig some time.
Botanics new single "People of the Dust" has just been released and we will be hitting stages performing it live in Bryon, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney!!! Hope to see you at a show...
Please help us by hitting up the J's to play the new single and feel free to come and say hi here on myspace.
Hi fellow muso, how are you? Just wanted to take the time to invite you to my exciting show this Sat night, also playing is the gorgeous & talented Deni Hines. Hope to see you there, don't forget to come and say hi!
Much Love
Amanda
Hey Chris Watson THIS SATURDAY AT BOOTY BAR. ITS THE END OF EXAMS PARTY WITH SYDNEY'S HOTTEST DJ'S. STUDENTS PRESENT YOUR ID CARD FOR FREE ENTRY BEFORE 10:30!!!!
CALL 0404422577 FOR PARTY PACKAGES OR EMAIL carey@fuelent.com.au
