The set
Rock covers from the likes of Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top, Quo, Robert Palmer, Bryan Adams, Free and Steppenwolf. A bit of punk thrown in from Sex Pistols, Ramones, Undertones, Stranglers, Clash and the Buzzcocks. Something for the Goths from The Cult, and up-to-date renditions from Greenday, Kaiser Chiefs, Blink 182, Jet and the Arctic Monkeys. All rocking, all dancing! – Guaranteed to get your feet tapping and have you dancing in the aisles. Come along and Enjoy!
Biography
The band originally started as a bit of fun, friends jamming around the kitchen table and only playing at parties and for our own pleasure. We got the band together for a charity gig and it all evolved from there. Firstly called Katan and then Bite the Mango, we performed many charity gigs before forming Styckleback in 2002.
Our first gig was at The Broadway in Leeds playing to a packed pub and from there we have gone on to play many top venues including The New Roscoe and The Irish Centre and just recently appearing at The Bootfest Festival with bands such as Saxon, T Rex, John Parr and Mick Rutherford.
We are also proud to have been invited to play at the prestigious Rock of the North Convention in Nov 2007
In the early days drumming duties changed from Andy to Mick. Andy is currently with originals band The Unsung, Mick came from the infamous Charley Marley band who fans will remember from The New Roscoe in the 90’s. Next drummer in was Damien who stayed with us until November 2008. The core of the band remained the same with Howard Kev Baz Jason Ann and Damien even though members have left and come back.
This line up played 50-60 gigs a year up until the Christmas of 2006 and at that point Ann and Barry decided to leave to go live in Portugal.
January 2007 saw us play for the first time as a 4 piece which has seemed to accentuate our "rock with a punk edge" image and gigging just seems to get better and better.
In March 2008 Jason announced he was going to hang up his guitar after 5 years and 265 gigs so the search was on for his replacement and we came up gold with Andy who with the minimum of rehearsals was gig ready. Jason was good enough to stay for how ever long it took to get someone suitable so on the 16th of May he played his last gig and final farewell at a packed Miners Arms. Andy made his debut the following day at The Clarence in Huddersfield and played like he had been in the band for years.
In November 2008 Damien and Styckleback parted company and ex Twin Lizzie drummer Steve Wright was brought in to replace one gifted drummer with another. With the minimal of rehearsals Steve made his debut at Maguires and blew the audience away with a drum solo that left everyone speechless.
After 5 years of relentless gigging it was great to get the recognition to be invited to play The Bootfest Festival and The Rock of the North Convention, it seems a long way from playing for fun around a kitchen table.
We are now into our 7th year, playing 76 gigs last year and this year should be more or less the same, and with a reputation for playing mega long sets
when the audience are up for it we could never be accused of short changing anyone.
We still have the same enthusiasm for playing and for having fun on stage and hopefully that transfers to the audience, add that to a set list that varies from the Arctic Monkeys through to ZZ Top, and a great light show, and you have STYCKLEBACK.
We are gigging regularly –- check out the gig guide.
The current line-up is ...
Andy - rhythm guitar & lead vocals
Kev - lead guitar
Howard - lead vocals and bass
Steve - drums
