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Oysterband | |
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 Oysterband headlining the 2006Wickham Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Kent, England |
| Genres | British folk rock,folk punk |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Members | Alan Prosser Ian Telfer John Jones Sean Randle Al Scott Adrian Oxaal |
| Past members | Will Ward Cathy Lesurf Chris Taylor Ian Kearey Chris Wood Russell Lax Lee Partis Ray Cooper AKA Chopper Dilwyn Davies Pete Flood |
| Website | www |
Oysterband (originallyThe Oyster Band) is aBritish folk rock andfolk punk band formed inCanterbury around 1976.[1]
The band formed in parallel toFiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as a dance band at first. The name Oyster comes from the group's early association with the coastal town ofWhitstable,Kent, known for the quality of its oysters. Their first album, released under the Oyster Ceilidh Band name, wasJack's Alive (1980)[2] on the Dingles record label. Subsequent albums, as "Oyster Band" (sometimes "The Oyster Band") were released on the band's own Pukka Music label:English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800–1850 andLie Back and Think of England, followed by20 Golden Tie-Slackeners andLiberty Hall.[2]
The line-up of the band changed over these albums. The first recorded line-up was:
When Chris Wood left the band to go travelling in Canada, he was replaced on bass guitar by returning founder member Ian Kearey. Cathy Lesurf subsequently left to joinAshley Hutchings'Albion Band, and Will Ward also departed so that by the time they recordedLie Back and Think of England, the personnel had settled down to John Jones, Ian Kearey, Alan Prosser, Chris Taylor and Ian Telfer.[3] For the albumStep Outside they added Russell Lax on drums.Step Outside mixed self-penned songs, often with a political theme, with reworkings of traditional standards such as "Hal-an-Tow".
After the 1987 releaseWide Blue Yonder Kearey left the band to be replaced by Chopper (real nameRay Cooper).[2] Subsequent albums includedRide,Little Rock to Leipzig and theJune Tabor collaborationFreedom and Rain. Following this the band changed its name to Oysterband. Drummer Lee Partis (who for several years was billed only by his forename) replaced Russell Lax for 1992'sDeserters beforeHoly Bandits in 1993 propelled the band to the forefront of a booming folk rock scene alongside bands such asThe Levellers.
In the 1990s, the band adopted a more overtly political stance, recording the harderThe Shouting End of Life and collaborating withChumbawamba to record "Farewell to the Crown", released as the B-side of the "Tubthumping" single. But recent releasesDeep Dark Ocean,Here I Stand,Rise Above andMeet You There have seen the band return to a softer, more melodic sound, while recent tours under the banner The Big Session have seen the band offer exposure to several young, emerging folk musicians likeDan Donnelly,The Handsome Family, as well as veterans such as June Tabor. James O'Grady (Uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, vocals) regularly appeared on the Oysters' albums and tours in the last few years.
John Jones, James O'Grady and Ian Telfer provided vocals and instrumentation onChumbawamba's albumA Singsong and a Scrap, and Oysterband provided vocals for the song "Hull or Hell" onThe Boy Bands Have Won.
In 2007, long-standing drummer Lee Partis took a break to concentrate on his work as a psychotherapist, counselling in prisons. In August 2008, he confirmed he would be leaving the band permanently. The band then appointed Dilwyn Davies as replacement drummer.
Following a 30th anniversary concert in December 2008 the band took a six-month sabbatical, during which John Jones and Chopper both made solo albums.
The band returned to the studio in 2011, teaming up once again with June Tabor and releasingRagged Kingdom in September at a sell-out concert at London'sQueen Elizabeth Hall. For at least some dates on the Ragged Kingdom tour, they were also joined on bass and guitar by Al Scott, who produced the album. On 8 February 2012, June Tabor and Oysterband won Best Traditional Song, Best Album and Best Group at theBBC Radio 2 Folk Awards forRagged Kingdom, with Tabor also winning Folk Singer of the Year.
Ray Cooper announced in December 2012 that he would leave the band at the end of the Ragged Kingdom tour in February 2013, to pursue a solo career.Adrian Oxaal, formerly of rock bandJames, replaced him on a few gigs late in 2012, and took over in 2013, although it was unclear whether he would become a full-time member of Oysterband. The band also featured Al Scott on bass at some gigs. Pete Flood, formerly ofBellowhead replaced Davies on drums.
On 5 February 2024, John Jones, Alan Prosser and Ian Telfer announced on Facebook that Oysterband will be retiring as a touring band, although they plan a 'long goodbye.'
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