Galahad (band) explained

Galahad
Image Upright:1.2
Origin:England
Genre:Neo-prog, progressive rock
Years Active:1985–present
Label:Avalon, Voiceprint/Gonzo Multimedia, Oskar Productions/Independent Music Market, Blue Stone, PRM, Pony Canyon International
Current Members:Stuart Nicholson
Spencer Luckman
Dean Baker
Mark Spencer
Lee Abraham
Past Members:Mark Andrews
Tim Ashton
Karl Garrett
Mike Hewetson
Nick Hodgson
Mike Hooker
Roy Keyworth
Mike Kneller
Pat McCann
John O'Callaghan
Paddy O'Callaghan
Steve Pearson
Neil Pepper
Peter Wallbridge
Paul Watts
Craig Wilson

Galahad is an English progressive rock band formed in 1985 in Bournemouth.[1] They have released 12 studio albums, six live albums and three rarities collections, as well as two offshoot project albums under the names Galahad Acoustic Quintet and the Galahad Electric Company. Over the past 38 years they have played with the likes of Pendragon, IQ and Twelfth Night. Galahad have performed their own shows and at festivals in Europe and North America, and have sold tens of thousands of albums despite never having had a major record deal.

History

The band's vocalist Stuart Nicholson described Galahad's early days as follows: "...the band was formed just after the so called second wave of 'Prog' bands such as Marillion, Pallas, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon etc. of Prog bands came to the fore in the early Eighties. They all started around 1978–1981 and we started in 1985 after the bubble had effectively burst, but didn't really get going seriously until 1990 onwards. To be honest we really did play just for fun in the early days and weren't really that concerned about record deals etc. It was only after playing with some of the bigger bands when we thought. Actually, we are just as good as these guys so why not give it a go..."[2]

In 2012, Galahad released their first ever vinyl LP 'Battle Scars' in conjunction with Ritual Echo Records, on high quality 180-gram vinyl, in a gatefold sleeve, as a limited edition pressing of 300.Since then the band has released several more albums on vinyl i.e. 'Beyond the Realms of Euphoria' (a double LP/EP album available on red/orange vinyl), 'Empires never Last' (double LP including an 'orchestral' version of the title track, available on blue or black vinyl), 'Seas of Change' (Standard single LP on black or turquoise blue vinyl and also on limited edition picture disc in a die cut sleeve) and in 2020 'Sleepers' on a double gatefold LP (available on standard black or white vinyl). All releases are on their own 'Avalon Records' imprint other than some re-issues which are released in association with Polish label 'Oskar Productions'.

Founder member Roy Keyworth left the band in March 2017. Producer Karl Groom filled in for Keyworth on the band's Quiet Storms album released in May 2017,[3] but did not join the band full-time.

Lee Abraham was officially announced as the new Galahad guitarist on 23 October 2017 after having already recorded all the guitar parts for their 2018 Seas of Change album, which was released in January 2018.

In 2020 Galahad released a 21st anniversary edition of 'Following Ghosts'. The expansive release brings together all of the 'Following Ghosts' related material and consists of a three-CD package: a newly mixed version of 'Following Ghosts' taken from original tapes, 'Alternative Ghosts' featuring alternate versions of original album tracks, and the experimental 'De-Constructing Ghosts' which had accompanied the main album.[4]

2020 also saw the re-release of 'Sleepers' on vinyl for the first time, 25 years after the original CD release, in conjunction with Oskar Records in Poland and including several extra tracks. The album was released as a double gatefold 2X LP on standard black or white vinyl.

October 2020 saw the release of the first 'Galahad Electric Company' album in 21 years, which was effectively a 'Covid lockdown' album written and recorded by Dean and Stu at their respective homes. Entitled 'When the Battle Is Over', it is one of the fastest Galahad-related albums to have been written, recorded and released, as writing only started in late April 2020. A second GEC album, 'Soul Therapy', was released on 20 October 2021.

Galahad's eleventh studio album 'The Last Great Adventurer' features the band's longest-lasting line-up and was released on 24 October 2022. Another new studio album 'The Long Goodbye' was released in October 2023 on CD and November 2023 on LP and digital platforms.

Members

Current members

Occasional member on recordings only: Sarah Bolter – Flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax, vocals (1994–present)

Former members

Timeline

Discography

Tapes

LPs

Singles

Studio CDs

Live CDs

EPs

Compilation CDs

Downloads/Streams

Spin-off projects

DVDs

Other recordings

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bournemouth band Galahad release 12th studio album.
  2. http://www.grande-rock.com/interviews/galahad Interview with Stu Nicholson
  3. Web site: 31.03.2017 – AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE BAND . Galahadonline.com . 28 May 2020.
  4. Web site: Following Ghosts - 2020 Expanded Edition, by GALAHAD . 2024-02-27 . GALAHAD . en.
  5. Web site: Galahad welcome back Lee Abraham | Louder . Teamrock.com . 23 October 2017 . 28 May 2020.

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