The band bounces back to promote the recently re-issued back catalogue on Sanctuary records, following their excellent “10” studio and “Live in Yer Face” albums on Mystic records. Meanwhile Stray’s classic early albums “Suicide”, “Saturday Morning Pictures” and “Mudanzas” are now re-issued on CD and are in the shops. The November 06 edition of Record Collector – featured a great 5 page article on the band while in the December edition of Classic Rock - Stray were in the top 25 of the Best Album re-releases of last year - for the album "STRAY".
January 2007 sees the re-release of the final 4 albums “Move It”, “Stand Up And Be Counted”, “Houdini” and “Hearts Of Fire”, from the late 70's period - a total of 8 albums collectively titled “The Stray Collection”.
Back in the 70’s Stray was one of the hardest gigging, and consistently excellent live acts on the circuit. Stray originally came together at the tender age of 14 in 1966, eventually building up a solid following and signing for Transatlantic Records in 1970. This marked an intensely busy decade for the band including two appearances at the famed Reading Festival and also the huge Weeley Festival, as well as an appearance on BBC’s Disco 2. Further major tours with the likes of Ten Years After and Status Quo boosted Stray’s profile before they were Black Sabbath’s special guests at a huge Alley Pally show back in ‘73.
By 1976 they toured with the new kids on the block Kiss and Rush, but eventually took a sabbatical with the advent of Punk.
After a couple of brief returns as Stray, Del hit the road with the hard rocking Killer Bees, before taking the decision to front a new Stray lineup as both vocalist and guitarist. The band quickly signed with Mystic records and made their recording debut in 1995 with the excellent “Live at the Robin” album.
The last decade has seen such long term Stray fans as Iron Maiden record Del’s “All In Your Mind”, and subsequently Stray toured extensively across Europe with Maiden, receiving a great reception in many East European territories where the band had never played before.
With the brand new re-issue programme and the fiery guitarist Del Bromham at the top of his form, the new Stray line-up of Stuart Uren, Karl Randall and of course Del Bromham, are setting a new standard for one of Britain’s most enduring guitar led rock bands. (Pete Feenstra)
A sold out gig at Colwyn Bay last night! At last I've got my faith back in mankind, now if only everybody else would stop watching the telly and go to a gig. Thanks for a great night ( as usual ) See you in 2010! Pete x
