Years active 2004-present Record label Demolition Records | Labels Demolition Records | |
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Origin Brighton, United Kingdom (2004) Members Hayley Cramer, Leah Duors, Sophie Taylor, Cat de Casanove Albums Break the Silence, Open Road, Like I Care / You Leave Me Dead Genres Alternative metal, Hard rock, Post-grunge, Nu metal | ||
McQueen were a rock band from Brighton, England, formed in 2004. They have released one album (Break The Silence) on Demolition Records. McQueen has toured all over Europe and played shows in the US and Asia including headlining the Unite Festival in Vietnam in 2007 in front of a crowd of 15,000.
Contents
After making significant inroads in the UK and mainland Europe, with a series of high-profile tours, well received singles and a highly impressive debut album, the band's UK management withdrew and they left the UK under the guidance of Tom Zutaut (who first signed Mötley Crüe & Guns N' Roses). Whilst captive in America the band were in gridlock with UK former associates and despite a couple of one off shows and a few guest appearances with the likes of Camp Freddy, they concentrated on writing new material. On their return to the UK guitarist Cat de Cassanove left the band (being replaced by a temporary stand in for their performance at Norway's Quart Festival) and to date there has been no announcement regarding a permanent replacement.
McQueen have not played any shows in the UK since the Velvet Revolver support tour in 2008 and little news has been forthcoming from the band themselves as to future plans, leading fans to fear that the band had split or gone on indefinite hiatus.
It is believed that the long-awaited second album has been written and that plans to record and release it are in ongoing negotiations.
In May 2016, American rock band Pop Evil announced that Hayley Cramer will be their new drummer.
Line up
The current line up of McQueen is as follows:
Past members:
Temporary stand-ins:
Break the Silence
Released 22 January 2007 on Demolition Records. Tracklisting:
- "Neurotic"
- "Dirt"
- "Running out of Things to Say"
- "Break the Silence"
- "Numb"
- "The Line Went Dead"
- "Blinded"
- "Bitch"
- "Not for Sale"
- "(Don't Know How To) Break It to You"
EPs
You Leave me Dead/Like I Care (2004) Furry Tongue Records
Singles
Live performances
McQueen started performing live in venues around their home town of Brighton in February 2004. By June of that year, they had started to play at venues in London, and from there began touring the UK as supporting artist for various acts including Roxy Saint and The Holiday Plan. Their first headline tour was a university tour in January/February 2005. They played seven UK university venues. 2005 also saw McQueen's first non-UK live performance, at Highfields Festival, Germany, where they performed alongside bands such as Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Incubus. Since starting out, McQueen have toured with high-profile names such as W.A.S.P., Hanoi Rocks and Wednesday 13 and played the rock tent on the Sunday when Aerosmith headlined at Hyde Park Calling in June 2007. They undertook their first "proper" UK headline tour in January 2007 to promote the release of their first album. In 2008, they also supported Velvet Revolver on various tour dates on their 2008 Revolution Tour. They also supported HIM on their Down Under tour. Recently McQueen appeared with Slash at the Gibson Summer Jam 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. More recently they played a set at the Quart festival in Norway, followed by a performance the Guns N' Roses song "Nightrain" with Slash.
Press releases
"Debut album 'Break the Silence' released January 22nd 2007" (Press release). Division Promotions. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
Leah Duor's confrontational strut comes across like she's ready to take on the whole world. Their aim is to recreate pure Sunset Strip sleaze, an eyeliner smeared Duors' whisky-sodden voice snarling over punchy rock n'roll.
McQueen play filthy punk rock, chock full of the type of catchy riffs and anthemic choruses that the music scene has been lacking so severely recently.
Songs
The Line Went DeadBreak the Silence · 2007
You Leave Me DeadLike I Care / You Leave Me Dead · 2004
Break It to YouBreak the Silence · 2007