Bivouac were an English

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band from

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

, England, who were active in the 1990s. They released two albums on the independent label Elemental, before being signed by DGC/Geffen for the 1995 album ''Full Size Boy''.

History

The band was originally a trio of Paul Yeadon (vocals, guitar), Granville Marsden (bass guitar), and Antony Hodgkinson (drums).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 627-8 They were signed by Workers Playtime sub-label Elemental, releasing their debut EP in May 1992. The band was influenced by American artists such as

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

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and

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, developing a sound similar to the

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

bands then emerging from the U.S., and they had support slots on tours by

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

and

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. Debut album ''Tuber'' was released in 1993, and they went on to sign for DGC, with

Keith York Keith York is an English session drummer who has toured throughout the world and worked with a range of bands, including The Lightning Seeds, Pitchshifter, bivouac, Ladytron, and Esoteric, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Broadcast and Love Amongst Ruin. He w ...

(formerly of Dr Phibes & the House of Wax Equations) joining the band to replace Hodgkinson. ''Full Size Boy'' was released in July 1995, and despite good reviews, the album did not sell well, and the band were dropped from their label and disbanded soon afterwards. Yeadon has since turned to music production group The Moot group, which has produced bands such as

Send More Paramedics Send More Paramedics is an English zombie film-influenced crossover thrash band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They are named after a line in the film ''Return of the Living Dead''. Biography The name is a reference to a line in the 198 ...

, as well as forming the UK band The Wireless Stores, releasing an EP and an album in 2003 and 2006. Along with second drummer

, Yeadon has also played with other bands including

Pitchshifter Pitchshifter are an English industrial rock band from Nottingham, formed in 1989. The band was started by lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A. Carter, and bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden. The band’s early material was characterized for ...

. Original drummer Antony Hodgkinson (Tony The Interpretative Dancer) danced on stage for

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

;. Bassist Granville Marsden has since uploaded some of their unreleased demos from before they split to YouTube on his personal account. They are now back together for shows and a new EP in 2016.

Discography

Albums

*''Tuber'' (1993), Elemental *''Full Size Boy'' (1995), Geffen

Singles and EPs

*''ABC'' EP (1992), Elemental *"Slack" 12" (1992), Elemental *"Good Day Song" (1993), Elemental *"The Bell Foundry" (1993), Elemental *''Marked and Tagged'' EP (1994), Elemental *"Thinking" (1995), Geffen *"Monkey Sanctuary" (1995), Geffen *"Deep Blue Sea Surround" (2016), Reckless Yes

Compilations

*''Derby and Joan'' (1993), Elemental - tracks from the ''ABC'' EP and the "Slack" 12"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bivouac English alternative rock groups English rock music groups Musical groups from Derby Musical groups established in 1990 Musical groups disestablished in 1996