After a decade of touring with their unique take on roots/punk, Bates has embraced a darker sonic landscape for Headless Fowl; their first release for 2012. Bates & Co claim influences as varied as 16 Horsepower, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Murder City Devils. Adding high voltage to gothic Americana they've created a monster of a southern rustic punk live show.
In 2011 Gretsch guitar endorsee Big John Bates began recording for Germany's Rookie Records with Hofner-endorsed upright bassist Brandy Bones. Creating a rustic punk style (southern influences with dark, rural lyrics & melodies) they share fans with artists like 16 Horsepower, Jack White, Hank Williams III, Legendary Shack Shakers and PJ Harvey. And before that ...
EXCERPTED FROM WIKIPEDIA:
John Bates was the original singer and a founding member of the biggest-selling heavy metal band from Canada, Annihilator, formed in Ottawa, ON with Jeff Waters. Beginning with 1989's Alison Hell on Roadrunner Records and continuing until 1997's Remains, John co-wrote of many of Annihilator's most well-known songs (Alison Hell, Human Insecticide, WTYD, I Am In Command, King of The Kill). John left to join the short-lived Ligeia as singer then began Bates Motel as vocalist /guitarist. Moving from Ottawa to Vancouver in the 1992 the Bates Motel project released two albums (Tales of Ordinary Madness - Tomcat Records 1996 / John Bates - Spinner Records 1998).
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After a decade of touring with their unique take on roots/punk, Bates has embraced a darker sonic landscape for Headless Fowl; their first release for 2012. Bates & Co claim influences as varied as 16 Horsepower, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Murder City Devils. Adding high voltage to gothic Americana they've created a monster of a southern rustic punk live show.
In 2011 Gretsch guitar endorsee Big John Bates began recording for Germany's Rookie Records with Hofner-endorsed upright bassist Brandy Bones. Creating a rustic punk style (southern influences with dark, rural lyrics & melodies) they share fans with artists like 16 Horsepower, Jack White, Hank Williams III, Legendary Shack Shakers and PJ Harvey. And before that ...
EXCERPTED FROM WIKIPEDIA:
John Bates was the original singer and a founding member of the biggest-selling heavy metal band from Canada, Annihilator, formed in Ottawa, ON with Jeff Waters. Beginning with 1989's Alison Hell on Roadrunner Records and continuing until 1997's Remains, John co-wrote of many of Annihilator's most well-known songs (Alison Hell, Human Insecticide, WTYD, I Am In Command, King of The Kill). John left to join the short-lived Ligeia as singer then began Bates Motel as vocalist /guitarist. Moving from Ottawa to Vancouver in the 1992 the Bates Motel project released two albums (Tales of Ordinary Madness - Tomcat Records 1996 / John Bates - Spinner Records 1998).
Musical influences such as the Cramps and the new burlesque revolution in 2001 led to the formation of Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz. Bates was the first artist to bring burlesque performers ontour throughout Europe and North America (2002) in an ensemble (Dynamite Magazine). Bates released four albums and two live DVDs on a variety of indie European labels as noted in interviews with BJB, ex-bassist sCare-oline and articles in Bizarre Magazine (2005), Tattoo Life Magazine (2010), on Europe's VH1 and on national television in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Documentaries in North America on the A&E Network and Discovery Network have featured John's interviews on the influences of both film-makers such as Russ Meyer and authors like Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane on the lyrical content and neo-burlesque styles. Bates' version of "Tainted Love" from their Mystiki album (2003) was also selected for the soundtrack of the French film ""Un singe sur le clos". The band stopped touring with the Voodoo Dollz in late 2010.
==Accomplishments==
Big John Bates has managed to sell thousands of copies of each of their records without any major label support. They have played over 1000 shows in 17 countries; headlined to 10,000 at Germany's Stemwede festival; a federal prison in Belgium and topped the bill at the first Stag-o-lee Festival. They've performed at the oldest theatre in Germany, were banned by Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and awed festival crowds in Palermo, Sicily. They played the Raalte Festival in Holland with the and the Ink & Iron Festival in Long Beach. They’ve even been featured on Battlestar Galactica (Season 3, Episode 14 – The Pleasure Planet).
Big John Bates is based in Vancouver, Canada but is constantly touring Europe and North America. They have shared stages with notable and varied performers such as Andre Williams, Wayne Hancock, the Fuzztones, Dex Romweber, Corb Lund, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Supersuckers, Solomon Burke, the Blasters, Eric Sardinas, Southern Culture on the Skids, Los Straitjackets, Jay Munley, Koko Taylor and Jooles Holland, T-Model Ford, the Bellrays, US Bombs, New Bomb Turks.
All of Big John Bates recordings have been included in Library and Archives Canada "dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible."
==Current Performers==
* John Bates (vocal, guitars)
* Brandy Bones (vocal, upright bass)
* Tim Hagberg / William Anker (percussion)
==Discography==
Big John Bates:
2012: Headless Fowl (Frontman Records EP)
2010: Bad Pussy / Scarecrow Close (Rookie Records 7")
Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz:
2010: Clockwork Blues (Frontman Records DVD)
2009: Bangtown (Rookie Records/Stag-o-Lee Records/Devil's Ruin Records)
2007: Live at the Voodoo Ball (Devil Sauce Recordings DVD)
2006: Take Your Medicine (Wolverine Records)
2003: Mystiki (Devil Sauce Recordings)
2001: Flamethrower (El Toro Records - re-release of Voodoo Bar-B-Q)
1999: Vibro-Psychotic (Nearly Nude Music 7")
Bates Motel:
1998: John Bates (Spinner Records)
1996: Tales of Ordinary Madness (Tomcat Records/Nearly Nude Music)
Annihilator (ex-singer / songwriter)
:
1997: Remains (CMC International)
1996: Refresh the Demon (Music For Nations)
1994: King of the Kill (Hypnotic)
1990: Never, Neverland (Roadrunner Records)
1989: Alison Hell (Roadrunner Records)
