Dawson Smith - Acoustic / Electric Guitars - Lead Vocals.
Simon Faulks - Lead Guitar - Lead / backing Vocals.
Steve Cooke - Bass Guitar.
Simon Dennis - Drums
Influences
Mostly original songs.
We love - Los Lobos, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Joe Ely,
Dave Alvin, SRV, Creedence, Doors, Dead, John Lee Hooker
BB King, Buddy Guy - Stars in bars with Black Guitars!
The Dissenters Live at Summer Sundae Festival
DeMontfort Hall August 08
ON TOUR UK 2008 WITH TOMMY WOMACK (USA)
Originally from South Wales and now based in Leicester UK. Dawson Smith has been rippin’ up venues around the UK and beyond for the best part of 15 years, mainly as the frontman / songwriter of blues rockers The Healers (during the 90’s)
Following The Healers, Dawson recorded two successful solo albums. Valley Boy (2002)
and The River Road (2005). Loads of gigging followed these albums with a flexible band line up. In 2005 Dawson put together THE DISSENTERS with the intention of forming his dream ‘road band’ able to deliver the type of drivin’ roots rock that has always been the backdrop to Dawson’s distinctive songwriting.
The Dissenters have built an enviable reputation as a smokin’ live band and always a great night out. Joined by highly acclaimed guitar player and singer / songwriter Simon Faulks,
(voted best guitar player by East Midlands venue poll) Dawson has a true partner in crime (musically speaking) both contribute great songs and both are commanding front men with strong vocals and both have a love and understanding of bar room rock and roll and classic roots music. (their record collections are almost identical) the line up is completed by a red hot rhythm section of Steve Cooke on groove bass and Sly Dennis drums & vocals.
With loads of hard rocking gigs around the country and some profile festival appearances under their belts The Dissenters were honoured to be asked to back Nashville roots rocker Tommy Womack on a UK tour in 2008 (supporting and backing). The tour was such a success that they did it all again in 2009 taking in bigger venues and some summer festivals.
There is such depth to The Dissenters that it is not easy to describe how they sound.
Comparisons with Los Lobos, Creedence, John Hiatt, Sonny Landreth, Thunderbirds,
Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker (and more) are much welcomed but they usually stick to their vision of Steve Earle meets Stevie Ray Vaughan backed by ZZ Top.
‘The Dissenters take you on a whirlwind trip through the best in Blues and Americana
and bring you back Breathless!’ - Americana UK
THE DISSENTERS
Dawson Smith – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
Simon Faulks – Lead / Slide Guitars, Vocals
Sly Dennis – Drums
Steve Cooke - Bass
For band pics. and full biog. check out:
www.Dawsonsmith.com
www.myspace.com/dawsonsmithandthedissenters
Booking info. Dawson 07970526918
Dawson Smith & The Dissenters's Friend Space (Top 4)
Shake it down Fri Oct 30th in the Chickenhead Lounge with 'The Hi & Lo' and 'The 44's'.
Its downstairs at The Shed Leicester 8 ti late.. £3 Myspace buddies get in for one quid.
Next Chickenhead Lounge Friday 18th Sept with 'Raj & Adam' 2 piece
roots blues combo and those hill country Burnside sound-a-likes 'The
44's' ..MCL juke joint film show.. basement bar The Shed Leicester..Myspace buddies get in for just £1
Hi Dawson, hope everything's good with you. If you're free on Friday (4th) we're running the second of our charity acoustic nights downstairs at the Shed - 4 acts,£3, 1 great cause. Cheers - Ian & Pete
MCL Juke joint shake down this Friday 31st July with live sets from local bluesman ’Tony Alles’.
Lambert & Hooley ’murdering the blues’ and shake ass hill country
blues from ’The 44’s’.. juke joint sounds and film show.. pull on your
boots, park the pick up truck and get down to the Shed basement bar Leicester..
Myspace buddies get in for £1
Hi Dawson - thanks for the friend request, delighted to accept!! Hope everything's going well with you. Would be great to see you if you're able to make it along to one of our nights - the door take is all for charity, and hoping to have some good nights of music too. All starts August 7th
Hey come shake your ass down the Chickenhead Lounge @ the Shed Leicester.. Friday 26th June with the 44's and special guests.. www.myspace.com/thefortyfoursuk
Early reviews say: From the opening AC/DC inspired groove of “Cocaine” , a wickedly arranged cover of J.J. Cale’s narcotic classic, Black Robot serves instant notice with their self-titled debut that not only do they have it, they damn near destroyed the laboratory to get it. This mechanical/musical beast was conceived and constructed for the divine, ultimate destruction of brain cells, ear fibers and false perceptions about what it truly means to rock as if our very survival as a race depended on it. -Lonn Friend
Dates and booking info can be obtained by emailing a blank enquiry to:
redhouseenquiry@gmail.com
Since we're booking up now for the summer and September I wanted everyone whose taken the time to seek us out on Myspace to have a chance to get a gig booked.
Hello, it's that time of the month again when we add more lovely music to our site. This month's happy foursome are The Barker Band in wistful mode, the summer of love-ish Old Californio, the anything but summer love-ish Christopher Rees and, wait for it..."Travelling Salesman's Young Wife Home Alone On Christmas In Montpelier, VT" from Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, which evenr if it was rubbish (and it's not) just had to be included for the names alone.
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