DIAMOND HEAD
Royaume-Uni
Teenagers Brian Tatler and Duncan Scott first started writing music together in Stourbridge in early 1976, with Brian on cheap fuzz guitar and Duncan playing drums on biscuit tins. Brian had a poster of an album by Phil Manzanera called Diamond Head that was released in 1975 and he thought “that would be a good name for the band”.
They needed a singer though, so auditioned several school chums without success until someone mentioned they had heard Sean Harris singing Be Bop a Lu La on a coach. Brian asked Sean to try out and after one song he was asked to join. With a little persuasion from Brian, Colin Kimberley bought a bass and learnt to play.
The first demo tape was cut in 1979 in a studio in Kidderminster. This was used to get gigs, and a copy was sent to Geoff Barton at the music magazine Sounds, who was suitably impressed and put them in his play list. The band then released their first self-financed single 'Shoot Out The Lights’, backed with ‘Helpless’, on the local indie label Happy Face Music.
At the beginning of 1980 continual gigging paid off when they were offered two prestigious opening slots for AC/DC (Bon Scott’s last ever gigs) and Iron Maiden. In March Diamond Head recorded their debut album Lightning to the Nations, also released by Happy Face Music, in the Old Smythy Studio in Worcester. They did not, as hoped, secure a record deal with the album, independently pressing 1000 blank white label discs to sell at gigs and mail order through Sounds magazine for £3.50 (This is how Lars Ulrich obtained his infamous copy). This first pressing became known as ‘the White Album’. A second pressing of 1000 discs was later made, this time with the track listings printed on the label. Lighting to the Nations became one of Diamond Head’s most acclaimed albums, a landmark album in the new NWOBHM scene and has influenced other metal bands including Metallica and Megadeath. The 7 song album contained classic metal tracks ‘Am I Evil?’, ‘The Prince’, ‘Helpless’, ‘It’s Electric’, ‘Lightning To The Nations’, ‘Sucking My Love’ and ‘Sweet & Innocent’ (this was the second single backed with 'Streets Of Gold').
Two new tracks arrived in 1981 this time on DHM Records: the double A-side of ‘Waited Too Long’ and ‘Play It Loud’. The Diamond Lights 12′′ EP followed soon after with ‘It’s Electric’ and three new tracks, ‘We Won’t Be Back’, ‘Diamond Lights’ and ‘I Don’t Got’.
1982 was a big year for Diamond Head. They were courted by A&R man Charlie Eyers, who signed the band to MCA Records. Their first release with the label was the ‘Four Cuts’ EP containing ‘Call Me’, ‘Trick or Treat’, ‘Dead Reckoning’ and a new version of ‘Shoot Out The Lights’ plus a second single, ‘In The Heat Of The Night’.
Later in the year Diamond Head also played a magnificent set at the Reading Festival prior to releasing their second studio album Borrowed Time, their first with MCA, in a lavish gatefold sleeve with stunning artwork by Rodney Matthews. It entered the UK charts at number 24 and was promoted with a 12 date UK tour in October and November in major venues including Birmingham Odeon, Manchester Apollo and London’s Hammersmith Odeon.
1983 saw the release of the ‘Makin Music’ single as a precursor to the album Canterbury, a progressive album that was less heavy metal and more rock. This third studio album eventually charted at number 32. To promote Canterbury Diamond Head opened the Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival in the summer of 1983 and completed a European tour supporting Black Sabbath. The tour continued in September with an Odeon sized UK tour. MCA records suggested a change of management which was resisted and the label decided to drop Diamond Head in January 1984. Work began on a self-financed album, but when their manager failed to get a deal at Midem music business convention, the lack of funds lead to the band breaking up in 1985.During the break, Sean was working with Pete Winkleman on another project when the conversation of reuniting Diamond Head came up. Pete called Brian to pitch the idea, and the two founding members reunited in 1990 to write new material. In 1991 they pulled in two new members to tour and record: Karl Wilcox on drums and Eddie Moohan on bass.
In 1993 Diamond Head released their fourth album, Death & Progress with Castle Communications. It featured two celebrity guests: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine who played guitar on and mixed the track ‘Truckin’ and a co-write with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi who also played guitar on ‘Starcrossed’, adding a very distinctive solo. The album sold more than 50,000 copies to their ever loyal fan base.
On the 5th June 1993, as part of the album promotion, Diamond Head opened a show at Milton Keynes National Bowl featuring Megadeth and Metallica. This show was later released as the Evil Live CD in 1994 along with extra tracks from the Death and Progress sessions -however
Diamond Head broke up again soon after the performance.
In 1998 Metallica released a double album of covers called
Garage Inc on Vertigo records containing four Diamond Head songs, this went on to sell over 5,000,000 copies and introduced Diamond Head to a whole new generation of listeners. Diamond Head made its third comeback in 2000 when Brian and Sean started working on an acoustic project, reworking some of their back catalogue in an acoustic style with new recruit Floyd Brennan on rhythm guitar. The acoustic shows helped revitalized interest in Diamond Head, and new songs had already started to be written. Early in 2002, an offer to headline the New Jersey Metal Meltdown IV Festival as an electric band was too good a chance to miss.Eddie Moohan and Karl Wilcox returned to the pack and after a short 4 date UK tour, the band made their first trip to American soil. After another UK tour in autumn 2002 Diamond Head began recording a new album of songs, however during the recording Sean said he wanted to release the album under a different band name, which he called Host. Sean wanted to disassociate himself from the NWOBMH and the songs and styles that had made Diamond Head a success. Unfortunately that ill-fated album finally broke up the partnership of Brian and Sean for the last time. The album has consequently never seen the light of day and in 2003 the rest of Diamond Head began looking for a new singer. Diamond Head toured the UK as the special guests to Europe on all dates in February 2010. Also at this time, Brian Tatler’s much anticipated autobiography Am I Evil? was published as an exclusive hardback first edition print, available only at shows and through their website. The book contained many unseen photos, had forwards by Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine and received rave reviews, quickly selling out.
In 2004 the band chose Nick Tart to fulfil vocal duties and recorded their fifth studio album, All Will Be Revealed. Harking back to the Diamond Head early days and their ‘do it yourself’ attitude, they self-financed the pressing of 1000 copies of their new album. These quickly sold out at gigs and via their website. In February 2005 Diamond Head embarked on an extensive European tour supporting Megadeth, which turned out to be a massive success for the band, impressing long standing fans and picking up younger ones along the way. All Will Be Revealed was later licensed to Cargo Records giving the album a full commercial release, allowing it to reach a much larger audience. The year culminated with another short tour and Diamond Head headlining a 25th Anniversary of the NWOBHM at London Astoria in November. The Astoria show was professionally recorded which resulted in a live album, It’s Electric, and the band’s first ever official DVD.
On the 30th July 2007 Diamond Head released What’s In Your Head?, their 6th studio album, on Livewire/Cargo. To promote it they toured the UK and Europe including Keep-It-True Festival, Germany,Hard Rock Hell Festival and Diamond Head’s first headlining tour of Ireland. In December 2007, Diamond Head toured the UK as special guests to Thin Lizzy on their 30th anniversary tour of Live & Dangerous. 2008 saw Diamond Head’s first trip to Japan to play at the prestigious Shibuya O-East venue and a UK club tour.
In 2011 Diamond Head were invited to open for the Big 4, playing at both the UK and French Sonisphere festivals. Plus for the first time in their career Diamond Head played festivals in Canada (Heavy MTL & Heavy TO) and a 17 date headline tour of the USA. Diamond Head undertook another two tours of the US in 2013 starting with a 15 date East Coast tour in the spring and later in the year a 14 date West Coast tour, plus a UK double bill tour with Uli Jon Roth.However since Nick's immigration to Brisbane, Australia in 2008, touring and writing had been made logistically challenging for the band.
Flying Nick around the world to tour became increasingly expensive and complicated as well as making writing or rehearsing new material almost impossible. During a band meeting at the beginning of 2014 it was decided that the only way forward was to look for a singer based in the UK.
Recommended through a friend of Eddie, Brian asked Rasmus Bom Andersen, a Danish born singer living in London, to audition for Diamond Head. Impressed by Rasmus’ vocal skills and range, the band offered him the role and embarked on a European tour including Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany and Hard Rock Hell UK. Rasmus was quickly accepted by fans for his powerful vocal performances and onstage chemistry with the rest of the band. Whilst on tour the subject of writing new material came up and Brian gave Rasmus 45 pieces of music he had been working on since 2007. The band agreed that they wanted to make an album that was a homage to the early, golden years of Diamond Head, and in January 2015 settled in together to write from what they fondly called ‘the Brief’, which directed all of the songs, riffs and lyrics towards the sound and feel of seminal albums Lighting to the Nations and Borrowed Time.
In July 2015 they entered Vigo Studio, Walsall to begin recording their 7th studio album, the fittingly self-titled Diamond Head. It was released by Dissonance Productions in April 2016 to universal critical and fan acclaim, hailed as a glorious return to form. It was the first Diamond Head album in 20 years to also be released on vinyl, to the delight of fans, and had some of the best press and reviews Brian has experienced in 40 years with the band, with high praise especially directed at the return of the classic Tatler riffs and the debut of Rasmus’ soaring vocal performances. On the back of Diamond Head the band resumed touring the UK, Europe and then their largest North American tour. Before commencing the US tour, Eddie Moohan decided to leave the band. After quickly auditioning a number of bass players the band settled on Dean Ashton to replace Eddie in July 2016.
The new line-up of Brian, Karl, Abbz, Rasmus and Dean toured the US and Canada in a massive 27 date marathon over 33 days, quickly selling out of albums and merch at many venues.Once back in the UK the band filmed their first original music video in an old jet testing facility called The Hush House in Suffolk, in support of the new album. The song chosen for the video,‘All The Reasons You Live’, was voted for by fans on Diamond Head's social media and was coincidentally also Brian's favourite track from Diamond Head.
In early 2017 Brian and Ras started listening through Brian’s extensive collection of riffs, from which they began formulating ideas for the next album, scheduled to begin recording in July. As well as writing the new material, Diamond Head have a busy schedule of UK and European tours and festivals lined up for 2017, including two more North American tours in May and August and their first official tour of 14 headline dates in Canada.
2018 - The new album is mixed and ready for upcoming release later this year!
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