The Quireboys
Originally known as The Queerboys, The Quireboys, known in the U.S. as the London Quireboys (even though they come from Newcastle), are a hard rock band that started in the late '80s/early '90s, getting that moniker from the 1977 comedy film of the same name. With John Grey ("Spike") on vocals, Guy Griffin and Guy Bailey on guitar, Chris Johnstone on piano/keyboard, Nigel Mogg on bass guitar, and Ian Wallace on drums, the guys are best known for their 1990 hit album 'A Bit of What You Fancy'.
The group's band of sleazy, rambunctious rock struck a chord with listeners as their singles got major airplay, even breaking into into the U.S. market. Still, though their first album proved a hit, the band became bogged down in arguments with their record label. It took the guys a long time to get 'Bitter Sweet & Twisted' released, with it finally coming out in 1993. The rise of grunge music as well as modern alternative rock styles made it a challenging time for them for the rest of the 90s.
They ended up splitting up as their music became somewhat lost in the shuffle, with Spike leading occasional reunion gigs, including at the popular 'Bulldog Bash' with Thunder in 1998. The band got back together in 2000 and recorded "This is Rock 'n' Roll", which was released in 2001. In 2004, the group released "Well Oiled". In 2008, "Homewreckers and Heartbreakers" came out.
In March 2013, the band released a new single "Too Much of a Good Thing" on 15 May 2013, taken from their seventh studio album, Beautiful Curse, which was released a month later in June 2013.
The band's most recent album, Amazing Disgrace, was released on 5 April 2019.
In late 2021 they supported the Dead Daisies on their UK Tour. The February 2022 Monsters of Rock Cruise included the Quireboys as a five-piece, with Griffin covering vocal duties, after "a last-minute nonappearance" from Spike. In March 2022, the Quireboys announced that they had released lead vocalist Spike from the band. This sparked a mixed reaction from fans, leading two venues to cancel their upcoming Quireboys dates. However, the band continued to tour with Guy Griffin as lead vocalist. Spike's departure sparked an ongoing dispute about legal ownership of the Quireboys name. In May 2022, Spike announced that he was reuniting with original members Guy Bailey and Nigel Mogg to write and record new music using the Quireboys name.
The Quireboys released their CD/DVD 'Orchestral Quireboys Live', on February 10, 2023.
The Quireboys‘ founding member — guitarist Guy Bailey — passed away on April 6, 2023.
Following an ongoing dispute about the band's name, there are currently two Quireboys lineups.
In July, 2023, the remaining The Quireboys band members (lead vocalist / guitarist Guy Griffin, guitarist Paul Guerin and keyboardist Keith Weir) announced the release of a new studio album titled 'The Band Rolls On...', which will be released via Off Yer Rocka Recordings in September 2023.
In an announcement, Spike revealed that he and Bailey had written songs for a new Quireboys album featuring bandmates Chris Johnstone, Nigel Mogg and Rudy Richman. The album, titled 'Wardour Street' , will be released in the spring of 2024. The lead single, "Jeeze Louise", was released on 31 October 2023.
It was announced in October 2023 that Spike and the remaining original members of The Quireboys will Headline the Friday Night Party at the Stonedead Festival in August 2024. Guitarist Luke Morley from Thunder will play with them in place of Guy Bailey.
See: www.quireboys.com
The group's band of sleazy, rambunctious rock struck a chord with listeners as their singles got major airplay, even breaking into into the U.S. market. Still, though their first album proved a hit, the band became bogged down in arguments with their record label. It took the guys a long time to get 'Bitter Sweet & Twisted' released, with it finally coming out in 1993. The rise of grunge music as well as modern alternative rock styles made it a challenging time for them for the rest of the 90s.
They ended up splitting up as their music became somewhat lost in the shuffle, with Spike leading occasional reunion gigs, including at the popular 'Bulldog Bash' with Thunder in 1998. The band got back together in 2000 and recorded "This is Rock 'n' Roll", which was released in 2001. In 2004, the group released "Well Oiled". In 2008, "Homewreckers and Heartbreakers" came out.
In March 2013, the band released a new single "Too Much of a Good Thing" on 15 May 2013, taken from their seventh studio album, Beautiful Curse, which was released a month later in June 2013.
The band's most recent album, Amazing Disgrace, was released on 5 April 2019.
In late 2021 they supported the Dead Daisies on their UK Tour. The February 2022 Monsters of Rock Cruise included the Quireboys as a five-piece, with Griffin covering vocal duties, after "a last-minute nonappearance" from Spike. In March 2022, the Quireboys announced that they had released lead vocalist Spike from the band. This sparked a mixed reaction from fans, leading two venues to cancel their upcoming Quireboys dates. However, the band continued to tour with Guy Griffin as lead vocalist. Spike's departure sparked an ongoing dispute about legal ownership of the Quireboys name. In May 2022, Spike announced that he was reuniting with original members Guy Bailey and Nigel Mogg to write and record new music using the Quireboys name.
The Quireboys released their CD/DVD 'Orchestral Quireboys Live', on February 10, 2023.
The Quireboys‘ founding member — guitarist Guy Bailey — passed away on April 6, 2023.
Following an ongoing dispute about the band's name, there are currently two Quireboys lineups.
In July, 2023, the remaining The Quireboys band members (lead vocalist / guitarist Guy Griffin, guitarist Paul Guerin and keyboardist Keith Weir) announced the release of a new studio album titled 'The Band Rolls On...', which will be released via Off Yer Rocka Recordings in September 2023.
In an announcement, Spike revealed that he and Bailey had written songs for a new Quireboys album featuring bandmates Chris Johnstone, Nigel Mogg and Rudy Richman. The album, titled 'Wardour Street' , will be released in the spring of 2024. The lead single, "Jeeze Louise", was released on 31 October 2023.
It was announced in October 2023 that Spike and the remaining original members of The Quireboys will Headline the Friday Night Party at the Stonedead Festival in August 2024. Guitarist Luke Morley from Thunder will play with them in place of Guy Bailey.
See: www.quireboys.com
