An Irish Progressive Rock Band? Surely Not!
Almost certainly Ireland's only progressive rock band, DEAD HEROES CLUB offer us 21st century prog-rock.
The band wear their influences firmly on their sleeve and yet manage to achieve an original and inventive approach to their music. The self-titled debut album contains all original songs that range from the unashamed progressive rock leanings of A Day In The Life Of The World and the moving acoustic charm of Sunrise On the Trenches to the sheer musical power of Falling From Grace and the epic A Secret Never To Be Told .
The band members have come together from various corners of the musical past with one thing in common, the love of experimental and progressive music. Composing music under the philosophy of let the music lead the way, DEAD HEROES CLUB have a lot in common with the progressive rock giants of the past, and yet the music feels modern and fresh. The origins of DEAD HEROES CLUB lie in the words of many long dead conversations around the year 2003 between guitarist Gerry McGerigal, vocalist Liam Campbell and drummer Mickey Gallagher all of who were playing in various other bands at the time and feeling frustrated with the lack of musical adventure in the moribund waters of mainstream rock and pop. Each felt a need to break free from this stagnation and write and perform songs that could stir the imagination.
Having agreed to get together for a few jams (the prerequisite for membership - a need to break out of tired old rock and pop clichés and experiment with songs and music), the three founder members soon found a likeminded soul in bass player and part-time keyboards player Charlie Coyle.
The initial rehearsals involved the band knocking out covers of classic prog-rock songs such as Time by Pink Floyd and Squonk by Genesis. The now new nameless band however, found great difficulty in finding a keyboards player who had the mindset, will or ability to be part of a contemporary prog-rock outfit. It was during these months searching for a keyboards player that the four-piece started jamming and constructing songs and bringing compositional ideas into the rehearsals. Much of the work appearing on the DEAD HEROES CLUB debut album was written here, with both Charlie Coyle and Liam Campbell filling in on keyboards.
Quite quickly the boys realised that they had enough material for an album and decided to set about recording the songs whilst still trying to track down the elusive keyboard player. The songs despite missing the input of a dedicated keyboards player, because of their experimental nature and prog-rock leanings still paved the way for Dead Heroes Club first steps into the world of prog…
Whilst in the processs of finishing off the recordings and now determined to release the album, the band came up with their name DEAD HEROES CLUB which seemed to suggest a affection for the heroes of the past and a gathering of likeminded souls intent in forging into the future. The idea for the cover of the debut album came quite quickly after deciding upon the name of the band, with each member choosing some of their personal dead heroes from the past. The need to include lyrics into the packaging of the album was paramount as the words of the songs play a major role in the music of DEAD HEROES CLUB.
Quite out of the blue, whilst the band was busy finalising the album, drummer Mickey Gallagher announces that he may have found the perfect keyboard player for the band. Gifted keyboardist, pianist and classical composer Chris Norby, after having listened to a few of the now recorded songs agrees to join DEAD HEROES CLUB. Although Chris does not appear on the debut album, the subsequent rehearsals elevate the band to status of bona fide prog-rock with Chris adding that missing piece of the live performances. With the successful release of their debut album, DEAD HEROES CLUB play a series of gigs around Ireland, and continue to write for a second release. During the writing sessions for the second album, however,the band stumble upon what can only be described as ‘a series of unfortunate events’ not least of which is the decision of bass player Charlie Coyle to withdraw from the band for health reasons.
Dead Heroes Club, after an exhaustive search replace Charlie Coyle with bass player Wilson Graham and take time out from the recording sessions (now in progress) to integrate Wilson into the existing material. Finally as 2008 draws to a close the band are ready to release their second album A Time of Shadow . The album with a dedicated keyboards player and now quite long in the making is the true mark of the Dead Heroes Club sound. The album is due for release in early 2009. The band intend to tour in 2009 to promote the new album…this promises to be a busy aand productive year for the boys.
Just prior to the release of the band's self-titled debut in 2004 they found a keyboard player as well - in the shape of Chris Norby. He hooked up with the band, and with a full line-up in place performing their music in a live setting became viable.
various gigs was to be the main order of the day for the next few years, besides writing new material, rehearsals - and the obligatory line-up change. Coyle left the band, and new man in was Wilson Graham (bass, vocals).
In early summer 2009 Dead Heroes Club issued their second album; A Time Of Shadow, with various concerts in Ireland following to promote this latest venture.
Biography courtesy of Liam Campbell
Discography:
Dead Heroes Club 2004 
A Time of Shadow 2009
Everything is Connected 2013
