Me Vs Hero were a British
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, England. The band consisted of lead vocalist Sam Thompson, bassist Michael Booth, guitarists Bobby Pook and Grant Berry and drummer Simon Smith. The band were known for their inclusion of
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and
heavy metal influences to complement their pop punk sound. The band their self-titled
EP in January 2009, followed by a second EP release entitled ''This One's for Our Friend'' in December 2009, and the following year the band released their debut album ''Days That Shape Our Lives''.
On 25 April 2014 it was announced that they are releasing their second album, ''I'm Completely Fine'' later this fall. They also released a new single to coincide with the announcement entitled "Marks of a Slave".
On 18 February 2015, Me Vs Hero announced they were splitting up.
They held a reunion tour for Slam Dunk Festival UK in late May 2018.
Formation, early years and Days That Shape Our Lives (2007–2011)
The band formed in 2007 with Alex McCulloch, Sam Thompson, Oliver Bradley and Michael Booth. Sam and Mike, whom were best friends since secondary school, used to practice in Sam's garage.
The band started when vocalist Sam Thompson wrote two demo songs: ''hand me the keys to massey'' and ''spiceweasel bam'' and then showed them to the other three.
The band's name is when Alex McCulloch was listening to
Walls of Jericho and misinterpreted the lyrics as being ''beast versus hero''.
The band played their first gig in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
at a small venue called ''Riffs''.
In August 2008 the band declared that founding guitarist Alex McCulloch died.
The band has stated that their continuation was "to pay tribute to Alex". The band chose old friend Ross Malpass, who is also a successful web and app designer, as their new guitarist.
In 2009 they released two Extended plays: ''Me Vs Hero EP'' in January and ''This One's for Our Friend'' In December. The band toured with several bands that year, completing a co-headline tour with Paige in March,
festival appearances at
Slam Dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
and
Sonisphere
The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...
.
The band's debut album ''Days That Shape Our Lives'' was released 18 October 2010. The album used re-recorded songs from their first two extended plays, this was because the band decided on—in their opinion—the best songs on the two EPs and wanted to show them to a larger audience. Following up to the release of the album three music videos were generated from the album, the title track 'The Days That Shape Our Lives', 'Can You Count, Suckers?' And later in 2012 'My Warren Sense Is Tingling'. On 6 October 2010 the band made the album free to stream on the internet. In November the band complete their first tour in support of the album by supporting
Deaf Havana
Deaf Havana are an English alternative rock band from Hunstanton and King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The band was formed in 2005 at the King's Lynn campus of The College of West Anglia.
Biography Early days (2005–2008)
Deaf Havana was forme ...
across Britain. On 6 December Me Vs Hero signed to
Hang Tight Records to release the album on
12″ vinyl. Thee vinyl press was limited to 500 copies; 100 on blue/green splatter and 400 on green.
In early 2011 Oliver Bradley was replaced by Stephen Jones on the drums. Bradley's reasons were never specified, only that he no longer wanted to be a part of the band any more. This was a coincidence as Jones' previous band had just broken up and he was looking to join another band. Across 2011 the band supported
Skindred
Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum ...
across the United Kingdom. As well as made several festival appearances including: ''Relentless Boardmasters'',
Slam Dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
,
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...
and
Hevy Music Festival
Hevy Music Festival was a rock festival established by Claire Baker and James that took place annually near Folkestone, Kent, in the UK. It was originally held on 1 August 2009 on Folkestone seafront as a one-day festival with Feeder (band), Fe ...
.
At their Sonisphere Festival at
Knebworth
Knebworth is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Hert ...
they confirmed themselves for the festival's secret performance at "the Roadhouse" in Manchester on 14 July, the show was designed to raise funds for the
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
.
In early 2012 Stephen Jones left the band and they invited Simon Smith to join as their new drummer. However Smith initially rejected the offer as he was a session drummer for an
X-factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
finalist. Three days later, Smith joined the band.
Second studio album (2012–2015)
The band spent a majority of 2012 writing and recording their second studio album, the band posted a teaser of their work on the album to the internet in its early stages in March. In June Me Vs Hero, With The Punches, and ''Heroes For Hire'' completed their 5 date "Beyond the Blue" tour of Japan. Then appeared with
Kids Can't Fly
Kids Can't Fly were a British pop punk band from Southampton, United Kingdom that formed in May 2006. The line up consists of lead singer and guitarist Robin Black, bass guitarist Tom Dowd, guitarist Dan Parkinson, saxophone Dave Matthews, drumm ...
at the Middlesbrough-based ''Make A Scene Festival'' and at the
UK Warped Tour at the
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...
in London, and co-headline tour of the United Kingdom alongside ''With The Punches'' in December 2012.
On 19 November 2012 the band released a short video through
Rock Sound Magazine
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
introducing the album and showing footage of its recording, and later, on 26 November 2012 the band debuted a
live-studio recording of a new song ''Heisenberg'' through Drop Dead Clothing. The band has also confirmed that a mystery "tattooed gentleman" guest vocalist appears on the album.
The band toured the
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
in February 2013. During May 2013 the band played at all 3 dates of the 2013 Slam Dunk Festival as well supporting
Polar Bear Club
Polar Bear Club was an American post-hardcore band from Rochester and Syracuse in upstate New York. Formed in 2005, the band underwent multiple line-up changes, with vocalist Jimmy Stadt and lead guitarist Chris Browne as the only consistent me ...
on their U.K tour
On 25 April, they revealed the title of their upcoming album ''I'm Completely Fine'', which is slated to be released later this year. They also released a new song called "Marks of a Slave".
On 2 June 2014 the band released a second single off of their upcoming album called "Things We Know".
On 6 August 2014 a programmer released a sneak preview of what appeared to be a Video Game for the album. No other information was provided and the band have not said made any statements. On the Facebook post band members are tagged. It is expected to be officially announced later in August 2014.
Musical style and influences
Me vs Hero is seen by critics as being a
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
band
inspired by both
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and
heavy metal bands.
Thompson has gone on record saying he has never had an issue with the tag, saying: "So many bands go under the umbrella of pop-punk that you call someone pop-core or easy-core you know it’s something like pop-punk with beatdowns."
The band's debut album, ''Days That Shape Our Lives'', showcases the bands typically positive lyrics.
The upbeat energy of the album is a result of the excitement they felt as they formed the band.
Songs like the single "Can You Count, Suckers?" are described as an "unstoppable blend of pop-punk and hardcore"
and as "pure modern pop-punk".
The positivity of the album is halted by the
acoustic ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
'A Loss in the Ranks',
which was written specifically about the death of founding member Alex McCulloch.
With the writing of the second album the band members have stated that it displays a more contrasting, broader range of styles, offering a more dynamic sound and that the "heavier bits are going to be heavier, and I think the poppier bits are going to be more poppy maybe". They have also considered the album as more of a group effort, so more diverse influences will come into their style.
lyrically the albums is said by the band as sounding more "honest" and "more relatable" than its predecessor.
When singer Sam Thompson was asked to name three albums that made him want to be in a band he spoke about ''
Dookie
''Dookie'' is the third studio album and the major label debut by American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late 1993 at Fantasy ...
'', ''
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...
'' and ''
Take This to Your Grave
''Take This to Your Grave'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on May 6, 2003, by Fueled by Ramen. When the band was signed to Island Records, the label employed an unusual strategy that allowed them to sign with ...
''.
The band has been compared to
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...
and
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
,
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released seven studio al ...
,
New Found Glory
New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vocal ...
,
Set Your Goals and
A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...
.
Members
;Final lineup
* Sam Thompson – lead vocals
(2007–2015)
* Michael Booth – bass guitar
(2007–2015)
* Bobby Pook – guitar, backing vocals
(2008–2015)
* Grant Berry – guitar
(2012–2015)
* Simon Smith – drums
(2012–2015)
;Former members
* Alex McCulloch – guitar
(2007–2008; deceased)
* Ross Malpass – guitar
(2008–2012)
* Oliver Bradley – drums
(2007–2011)
* Stephen Jones – drums
(2011–2012)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Days That Shape Our Lives'' (2010)
* ''I'm Completely Fine'' (2014)
Extended Plays
* ''Me Vs Hero EP'' (2009)
* ''This One's for Our Friend'' (2009)
Compilations
* ''A Pop-Punk Summer'' (Alternativ News, 2011,) contributed "Can You Count, Suckers?"
References
;Footnotes
;Bibliography
* pages 65–66.
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
English pop punk groups
Musical quintets
Musical groups from Lancashire
Musical groups disestablished in 2015
Musical groups established in 2007