Paul Salisbury - Vocals/Guitar
Ben O'Hare - Drums
Martyn Cain - Bass
GRATIZ 3 is a massive blend of musical layers supplied by singer-guitarist Paul Salisbury, and a seriously impressive rhythm section featuring bass player Martyn Cain and drummer Ben O'Hare.
After a handful of band line-ups and the occasional change in musical direction, the trio have built up a fearsome reputation as one of the most intense and powerful bands on the local scene.
Gratiz 3 have been writing and performing constantly for the last six months, Their EP 'The Measure Of Time . . . hears the band's sound take on a more cohesive, professional approach.
They have become the latest local band to link themselves with the successful Ballagroove label, which has released the EP. This has allowed the songs to grow more and to match the stunning prowess of their live set.
The most striking aspect of this recording is that the band have forged themselves a very real, unique sense of identity.
Although you can pick out the sort of bands that have influenced Paul's song writing — bands such as U2, Muse, Placebo, Jeff Buckley & Doves — make no mistake that Gratiz 3 are very much an original band in their own right, and have created some amazing musical moments on this EP.
Opening track Vapour Trails and third song in Fear Of Being Lost come laden with anthemic choruses, swirling melody lines and crunching riffs, backed up by some of the best drumming you'll hear, while the fourth track They is one of their catchier songs, mixing light, melodic verses with trademark intense guitars.
However, the absolute highlight is My Own Cage. Salisbury's guitars rise and fall like a pulse and build to an incredible instrumental seizure towards the end!
If any of these songs can demonstrate Salisbury's huge talents as a singer-songwriter, it's this.
This has long been a live favourite and nothing here diminishes from the emotional punch it delivers onstage.
This truly is an EP worth having and placing alongside anything else in your music collection.
The Independent
"Gratiz 3 are not exactly shrinking violets. 'Vapour Trails' is a dandy blend of solid and sinuous guitars, a good rhythm section and a melody that surfs on the pile-driving sound. 'My Own Cage' is equally subtle, without ever losing a deep rock groove which connects U2 to Nine Inch Nails with aplomb. 'They' pumps out a heavy riff on a track that shows some influences of Nirvana to good effect. Gratiz 3 tolerate no nonsense, and make no apology."
Hot Press Magazine Nov 2006
Gratiz we f*****g amazing. I've not seen them for quite a while, but they were just brilliant. So tight, the songs so superbly crafted and often pretty epic, and the band were bursting with energy on stage. The new one they played about three songs in was quite simply pop/dance genius, and lyrically it's pretty subversive too. I liked it. I liked it a lot. And it's got succesful single written all over it.
Gratiz 3 with 4 Day Hombre!
Once again we got the chance to compare one of our own progressing bands against one of the UK's and as before it was obvious if we weren't in the middle of the irish sea, a band like Gratiz would be knocking on the door of success. I took great pride in answering "downstairs" when a punter asked me where Gratiz3 were from.
Manager 'The CornerHouse'
first time i saw gratiz 3, and i was blown away.
Gratiz were excellent, very, very impressive set
"Live Gratiz3 turn into a subtle power play which keeps the band dynamic at taut as the tunes, it's a breathless chase to follow each song through its twists and turns, soothed by snatches of melodic sweetness one second; unsettled by jagged riffs the next."
Liz Corlett - Journalist
"They are original, no compromising"
Mannin Media
"Gratiz3 have sparked something of a creative rebirth., with a brace of new songs; and a contagious self-belief they've got their sights trained on surprising old fans and stunning new ones. There's no excuse for missing out on the live shows and there's no substitute for Gratiz3"
MT Magazine
Influences
Muse, Editors, Leaves, Dark Star, Jeff Buckley, A Perfect Circle, Nine Black Alps, My Vitriol, Aqualung, Morning Runner, Tool, Tom McRae, Massive Attack, Idiot Pilot, Placebo, U2, Brian Eno, Flood, Youth, Chris Sheldon,
Sounds Like
us...
...but... also....
'U2 meets Nine Inch Nails' - Hot Press Magazine
'like Placebo shagging Muse'
Gratiz 3 released their EP 'The measure of time : The measure of everything' in June to storming reviews after six months of solid shows on the live scene. After a number of major line up changes and some serious 'down time' the band have returned slimmer yet bigger and brighter. Their new EP has picked up some heavy airplay and top reviews. The band have now returned to the stage after a brief sebatical to work on new material.
The band are associated with anthemic, dark but lifting songs. This tradition continues with the new material with the rest of the group now putting their individual stamps into the soundscape. New songs reveal a more bass and drum driven, angular side to Gratiz3
''the sound and passion that comes out of these three guys is amazing''
''It’s too heavy to be pigeonholed and thrown into Indie-rock’s “bottomless pit of hair spray and despair”, and too catchy to be slapped into metal’s mixing bowl. You can’t put one genre on any song, and this is what is exciting and lovely about this threesome. It’s delightfully “rock” This means that you can headbang to it without acting like a knob swinging your arms around in the air. These guys just want to play for you, and they want to make you whirl within the vortex of progression…you will feel enlightened, oh yes dear reader, you will.'' - Eye Musik
Martyn left the band in March 2007 and so Paul and Ben decided to have some down time. The guys are now back together working with a new bass player in a band called PLANES OVER PARIS
www.myspace.com/planesoverparis
Photos by Andi Howland - andihowland@yahoo.co.uk
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Gratiz3, Please note the new RecordScout.com website is live! We have so many new features all aimed at unsigned, and signed bands looking for valuable exposure. Previously it was just a directory for unsigned bands but our new launch includes MP3 and Video exposure as well as photo galleries. Encourage your fans to sign up and vote for you. When we go live with our national radio coverage the charts will be announced weekly! Unfortunately previous bands and artists will have to set up an new account from scratch but it is worth it!
hi how's it going? just letting you know that our debut limited edition EP has now been released, we would just like to say a massive thank you to you for supporting our music we really appreciate it, if you would like a copy please come onto our myspace page or for the best deals click the links below thank you again hayd/veil cassini
Easily one of the most important bands of our times (and we don't say that lightly), Stars of the Lid are the highpoint of the ambient genre. Their influence on the music that really matters over the last decade has been huge, and we're incredibly honoured to be hosting them again in Leeds. This gig will be very very different, and very very special. Stars of the Lid have excelled at designing subtle, minimalist epics which sound like they're being played on a single multifaceted organic instrument. A wise man once described SOTL as "divine classical drones without the tedious intrusion of drums, or vocals. "
The Declining Winter is the musical project of Richard Vincent Adams of Leeds UK, the co-founder of the continuing group Hood and a full time stricken office worker. What does it sound like? Richard says "cassette tapes spilling out of the glovebox of a 1970's Datsun Sunny somewhere in the north of England, captured on Super 8 film". He's not far off. Live he is joined by a few more people to bring the beautiful pastoral feel to life. Wonderful stuff.
Golden Diskó Ship combines a mass of instruments and found objects (guitars, viola, glockenspiel, sticky tape, compact disc cases, toys…) together with perfectly crafted laptop electronica to form a world of beautiful, original and individual music - “…dreamy, experimental folk electronica that sounds like walking on the beach with the sun in your eyes."
The Declining Winter is the musical project of Richard Vincent Adams of Leeds UK, the co-founder of the continuing group Hood and a full time stricken office worker. What does it sound like? Richard says "cassette tapes spilling out of the glovebox of a 1970's Datsun Sunny somewhere in the north of England, captured on Super 8 film". He's not far off. Live he is joined by a few more people to bring the beautiful pastoral feel to life. Wonderful stuff.
Hands and Fingers makes minimally gorgeous cerebral music. He mixes samples, acoustic guitars, glockenspiel and ambient atmospheres with drum breaks that have been described as "Tortoise having a fight with Four Tet in the dark, with John Bonham trying to split them up". It's ace. Very ace.
A Forest of Sound presentation. It’s £4 on the door, doors are 8pm.
Hey here is the v%wbetween204043242wbetween%eo i promised from the new yrs eve party, OMG was that a blast and that wild bitch got naked can you believe it???
Just dropping by to let you know our debut album, 'It Came From Outer Space!', is out on Monday 12th December. Visit our MySpace to listen to some of the tracks or click the banner below to pre-order now!
wowzer youre not gunna believe this...i did this offer to get a REAL name-brand purse on Coach absolutely FREE & it truly came!! since i KNOW its for real now, i'm going to go real quick and snag more to wrap up as goodie..you should go snag a few too ROFL! isnt the one i got awesome?
The Chap! The Chap! They make indie-electro-punk-electronica-rock-pop fun. They make slow tunes, but they make FAST tunes. They're known for their energetic live shows which often end with exploding violins and cellos. They're so much fun it's almost obscene. COME ON!
Also joining the bill are the brilliant purveyors of some of best live shows you'll ever see Fonda 500, as well as aceness in the form of The Debuts and local funpunk rocking beats legends Cowtown
Tickets are £5 advance from We Got Tickets and £6 on the door.
Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Audrey make stunningly beautiful music. Four part vocal harmonies combine with lush organic instrumentation to conjure up the feeling that you're watching a winter morning's sunrise, but with a sense of nagging unease... (ahem). Comparisons to Low, Sigur Ros and Red House Painters are spot on in terms of quality, but miss that certain something that makes Audrey so captivating. Forest of Sound can't believe its luck in getting them to come to Leeds. They're amazing.
