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ISHTAR

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FEATURED SONG
Temple Of Ishtar
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Temple Of Ishtar
Released: Jul 26, 2006
Label:

General Info

  • Genre: Acoustic / Progressive / Rock

    Location Auckland, Ne

    Profile Views: 49582

    Last Login: 8/25/2011

    Member Since 11/28/2005

    Website http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmZhY2Vib29rLmNvbS9JU0hUQVIuTlo=

    Record Label Self Funded release

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Ishtar is a band moniker for Transgendered Guitar Goddess Simone Whitlow's musical outlet over the last decade. A Hard Rock group based out of Auckland, Ishtar is Musically cinematic, mixing stadium-esque riffs, big hooks and often disparate elements into their songwriting style. Ishtar's music draws comparisons to bands like Led Zeppelin, Queen, Van Halen, Kansas, Styx, Iron Maiden, Nightwish and... Dream Theater, to name a few. Ishtar have had numerous highlights including playing to a packed out Aotea Square during New Years & releasing 2 EPs (South of Sanity (2006) and the internet only release Ambigram (2007). They scored airplay on numerous indie and student Rock stations across NZ, featured on a Tsunami charity CD 'Reconstruction' & filmed a yet to be released Video for their song 'South of Sanity' The band has seen numerous incarnations. Mk 1, Featuring Simone (then Simon) on guitars also consisted of Angel & Johnny Walker (A Beautiful Chaos, vocals and drums) and Warren Keene on Bass. This incarnation was a proggy affair also with elements of Black Sabbath and hair metal. In Mk 3, Simone was joined by Mel Wright (vocals), Dave Cannon (drums) and Jamie Denton (bass) This version of the band forged the Ishtar sound and also recorded the bulk of Ishtar's material. Collaborative and still heavy but a more commercial, rock orientated approach, the band crossed the line from Metal to Rock, while also indulging their musicality beyond that typical of Rock bands of the day. In 2007, just prior to folding Ishtar Mk3 (at this point Mel, Dave, Simone and bassist Matt Farley) filmed a video for their song 'South Of Sanity' since disregarded due to the fact Simone featured on it while still 'Simon'. In 2007, with Mel Wright having left to concentrate on her studies & Dave Cannon due to fly out to the UK Ishtar booked into the Rock Factory for a quick live recording session. In what came to be known as the Cardenio Sessions (with vocalist Lou Theobald in Mel's place) Ishtar recorded a dozen live tracks, walking away with the finished product the same day. Following the break up of Mk3 Simone took time out to transition. The latest incarnation started off with Simone (now very much the Transgendered guitar goddess) collaborating with Lou Theobald on unplugged versions of Ishtar's songs. This soon became a full band with Jamie Denton re-joining on bass. The lineup was complete with legendary drummer Greg Page. Ishtar Mark 4 contained all the elements of MK3 but showed more versatility, performing unplugged sets also featuring Simone on mandolin. This time also saw a leaning towards bands like Muse, Black Album era Metallica and, a growing 60's Rock and Roll and R&B influence. With 2 part harmonies added the material took on an extra dimension live, at times Simone and Lou working as co-vocalists on songs. Ishtar Mk 4 split amid acrimony among the band members. The band is currently in down time though Simone is currently performing unplugged as 'Simone_Ishtar and hopes to have a full band lineup ready to go in 2012.

  • Members

    Simone Whitlow - Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Vocals. Will build a new band in 2012.

  • Influences

    Dream Theater, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Judas Priest, Muse, Michael Schenker Group, Kansas, Boston, Styx, Rainbow, Evanescence, Iron Maiden, Steve Vai, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Tool, UFO, Journey, Faith No More, Uriah Heep, Crowded House, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, Thin Lizzy.

  • Sounds Like

    elements of:.. *Classic 70s bands Queen, Led Zeppelin, Kansas and Black Sabbath.. *Gothic female fronted bands Evanescence and Nightwish..*Prog rockers such as Dream Theater, Rush and Faith no More... *80's Metal acts Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Schenker and Judas Priest.

Stream

  2. ISHTAR

    back at work this morning; stomach is feeling better but still feeling achey ... Got laser treatment this evening can feel a couple of hairs on my face still bu

  3. ISHTAR

    feeling a little poisoned, or fluey today, unsure which .....

  4. ISHTAR

    OMG I go offline for half a weekend, almost and it gets busy here, one message and 34 notifications .... coolness, will reply to stuff as soon as I can :)

  5. ISHTAR

    messages all replied to, battery died on laptop again with out warning so running from mains power... about to dive into seek etc though only saving to shortlis

Clipboard

Bio:

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BIO

 Formed in 2000 and active 2000 to 2008 ISHTAR were an Auckland, NZ-based hard rock group. Known for their cinematic musical vision, and light and shade ethos (going from stadium-esque riffs to atmospheric clean passages), prodigous musical talents and love of the great Dinosaur rockers of the 70's Ishtar occupied a space somewhere between Led Zeppelin and Dream Theater. Ishtar had a reputation, over several waves of Auckland rock bands as one of Auckland’s best live rock acts. Progressive, Gothic, Classic and, at times, Unplugged, Ishtar were also unique to the Auckland scene for their eight years active.

Ishtar went through four incarnations, MK1 (running 2000 to 2002) the shortlived MK2 era in 2002, MK3, which began 2003 and encompassed their Sole official EP 'South Of Sanity'and Internet only unplugged release 'Ambigram'. MK4 played a handful of gigs and, mostly as a sketch of various ideas, featured their Cardenio Sessions demo recording.

During the MK3 era Ishtar did score quite a bit of indie airplay, on several smaller Rock stations across NZ, featured on a Tsunami charity CD, Reconstruction, gigged solidly around Auckland + filmed a yet to be released Video for their song 'South Of Sanity' Ishtar went on Hiatus in 2008, Mel needing to put more time into her studies, Dave heading off to the UK, and Simone- well Simone had other things to sort out. MK4 ran till Dave's plane to the UK arrived pretty much, the vocals being handled by Naquadah vocalist Loud Lou and young Bass virtuoso Matthew Farley. At this point in time Ishtar is working on MK5 and hopes to have some news to announce soon.

Members:

MK 5 - TBA!

MK 4


Lou Theobald - Vocals
Simone Whitlow - Guitar
David Cannon - Drums
Matthew Farley - Bass

MK 3
Mel Wright - Vocals
Simone Whitlow - Guitar
David Cannon - Drums
(& at different times)
Matthew Farley
Jamie Denton
Andrew White
Greg Ratcliffe - Bass

Sounds Like:

elements of:
*Classic 70s bands Queen, Led Zeppelin, Kansas and Black Sabbath
*Gothic female fronted bands Evanescence and Nightwish
*Prog rockers such as Dream Theater, Rush and Faith no More.
*80's Metal acts Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Schenker and Judas Priest.

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