Michael Jackson, Nina Simone, Donovan, Radiohead, The Beatles, Syd Barrett, The Cure, Pulp, Television, The Velvet Underground, Nico, Felt, Luna, Denim, Orange Juice, 80s indie-pop, Postcard Records, Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Strokes, Hefner, Silver Jews, Charles Bukowski, John Fante, F Scott Fitzgerald, The Wave Pictures, The Libertines, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, David Bowie, Blur, My Bloody Valentine, The Bishops, Bloc Party, Polytechnic, Vivian Stanshall, Marvin Gaye, William Burroughs, Louis-Ferdinand Celine, The Zombies, The Spinto Band, REM, Johnny Cash, Love, Elvis, Postcard Records, Frank Sinatra, Kurt Elling, Kula Shaker, Adam Green, The Moldy Peaches, Thomas Truax, The Loungs, Richard Pryor, John Keats, John Candy, Bill Murray, Bill Hicks, Graham Nash, Eva Cassidy, Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers, James Brown, Morrissey, Jim Noir, Magnetic Fields, Nouvelle Vague, The GO! Team, Harrisons, Dionne Warwick, BB King, John Lee Hooker, Alfie, Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, The Shirelles, The Ronettes, Merge Records, Rough Trade, Phil Spector, Motown, Dion & The Belmonts, New Wave, The Longcut, Nine Black Alps, Pete Doherty, Pink Floyd, Broken Social Scene, The Blues, Belle & Sebastian, Loose Canon, Elliot Smith, The Stone Roses, Scott Walker, Neil Young, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Coral, Sam & Me, Joy Division,The Smiths, I Am Kloot, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, New Order, Stevie Wonder, The Postal Service, Lauryn Hill, Sufjan Stevens, ..bored now (to be continued)
Tired of having to carry all his own equipment around, PIERRE HALL put the LEAD BALLOONS together in the dying days of 2005, after playing solo across the city for quite a while.
He recruited CRAIG MARCHINGTON in on bass.
He then got DAN STUBBS in on guitar.
SCOTT JACKSON came in and made a racket on the drums.
Bonding over a diverse range of influences they brought their lovestruck jangly-indie pop together in a rickety old rehearsal room in Salford, with bands like Felt, Belle & Sebastian, The Libs, Orange Juice, Televison, I Am Kloot, Blur and Dion & The Belmonts in mind.
They played gigs solidly for two years, and got to do some cool stuff on the way.
They took Glastonbury by storm.
They played loads of great gigs with loadsa great bands like The Courteeners, Viva Voce, Tokyo Police Club, and at some great nights like akoustik Anarkhy and Another Music=Another Kitchen.
They released the much sought-after limited edition seven inch ‘Somethin’ You Say/Don’t Let That Go To Waste’. Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy XFM played it.
They had some crazy house parties inviting every man and his dog to come and watch.
Then Scott told us he had to go.
Sorely needed on some kind of mission from God (a la Blues Brothers) in his nativeland, Australia, we wiped our tears- and said our good-byes…
The Lead Balloons are now on permanent hiatus until further notice. Keep the dream alive. Never give up.
X
Praise for Lead Balloons…
“EXUBERANT POP HEAVEN” -TIME OUT
“IMMEDIATELY LOVEABLE... MUSIC TO SOUNDTRACK A GREAT NIGHT OF PARTYING” - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
“A RAUCOUSLY TUNEFUL INDIE-POP QUARTET” - METRO
“THIS IS MUSIC TO FLOP YOUR FRINGE TO, OR TO ASK THAT GIRL/BOY OUT YOU'VE BEEN THINKIN ABOUT FOR AGES.” - MANCHESTERMUSIC.CO.UK
“PIERRE HALL IS THE CITY’S MOST NOTORIOUS CROWD-SURFING SCENESTER” –NME
“THIS ENSEMBLE HAVE PRODUCED A PLETHORA OF SUMMERY, DELICATE, LOVE-FILLED SONGS” – BOB MAGAZINE
'MADE ME DANCE AROUND THE HOUSE AND PUT ME IN A GOOD MOOD!'-ADAM GREEN (MOLDY PEACHES)
'The Lead Balloons are certainly more sponsorship-friendly, although whilst their upbeat, exuberant indie pop radiates sunshine and the sort of warm evenings where a few cold beers would go down a treat, any product endorsements are quite definitely tongue-in-cheek. A "scenester" he may well be by his own admission, but as a singer and songwriter Pierre Hall is about as unpretentious as it's possible to be, a sweet boy with a heart full of tunes and a scruffy bunch of mates to help him play them. With reference points such as early shambling Pastels, The Coral's jangle-shanties and bittersweet Buzzcocks romantic punk-pop it's time to forget all the crap going on in the world for a few minutes, smile and sing along to the infectiously wonderful likes of "Don't Bother With Him", a summer festival hit in waiting if ever there was one. And if the last track - a new one called "Something You Say" which fizzes like a packet of Refreshers into a great big headrush fuzz-pop frenzy - is anything to go by, they've got no shortage of those.'
-Manchester Music, April 07
in control is my favourite! we've got some new stuff too.. come and have a listen. and if you know anyone that may need some Eon's setting Phre then give us a shout!
Hey thank's for the add. I'm Sophie and I'm 23 and I live in Tennessee. I really like your music. Your song's are great. I love listening to them. Best of luck with everything. later
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