Gun

Tags: hard rock , rock , classic rock

For the 60s band 'The Gun' please see: The Gun

Gun (1987-1997, 2008-today) is a hard rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. They started out as 'Blind Allez' and then â€˜Phobiaâ€™, finally settling on the name 'Gun' on signing a record deal with A&M. Early gigs saw them touring with their fellow Scots Simple Minds whilst at the same time selling out their own headline shows. Gun are perhaps best known for their energetic arena rock version of the classic dance song "Word Up", a top 40 hit in nations such as Germany, New Zealand, and the U.K.

Gun's original studio lineup consisted of Mark Rankin on lead vocals, Guiliano Gizzi and Baby Stafford on guitar, Dante Gizzi on bass, and Scott Shields on drums. Mark Rankinâ€™s cousin, Sharleen Spiteri, sang backing vocals on the band's first albums, Taking on the World and Gallus. Although not quite breaking into the musical mainstream, their brand of American alternative rock fueled heavy music garnered a large cult-following. Q Magazine named the band's 1994 follow-up Swagger one of the best albums of the year, and Gun's single "Word Up" (a cover of the Cameo tune) even blasted into the top ten.

However, Gunâ€™s popularity waned in the 90s due a change in style to more funky and slick feel, influenced by producer Andrew Farris (INXS) and especially following a spate of high-profile gun crimes that caused the group to mutate their name into G.U.N. Their final studio album signaled the end of the hard rock sound that built their reputation. Not long afterward, the band split. Even after their 1997 folding, the group did, nonetheless, reform for a charity gig in January 2008 with Toby Jepson (ex-Little Angels) on guest vocals.

Their most popular songs include their evergreen cover of Cameoâ€™s dance smash "Word Up" (the group having won an MTV award for best cover) as well as the spirited songs "Better Days", "Money (Everybody Loves Her)," "Something Worthwhile", "Shame on You", and "Donâ€™t Say Itâ€™s Over" among others. Between 1987 and 1997, Gun rocked all through and beyond the British Isles, and they're still regarded as one of Scotland's best hard rock bands.

After some sporadic activity, Gun reformed in 2008 on a permanent basis with Toby Jepson (ex-Little Angels) confirmed as the new lead vocalist until early 2010. Alan Thornton, the original Gun drummer, was back behind the kit for a short time before being replaced by Gordon McNeil, who in turn was replaced by Paul McManus. They joined Jools and Dante Gizzi on guitar and bass, respectively. Gun toured extensively in the U.K.and Europe in 2009, and they have released a new EP called Popkiller.

Toby Jepson left Gun in early 2010 to concentrate on other projects. Dante Gizzi has now moved to vocal duties with Derek Brown joining the band on bass. The band have re-adopted their original logo and are planning on releasing new material sometime in the middle of his decade.

Taking on the World (Studio)
Gallus (Studio)
Swagger (Studio)
0141 632 6326 (Studio)
The Collection (Best-of Compilation)
The River Sessions (Live gig and radio sessions)
Popkiller (Studio)

[Current line up as Gun (2010 - onwards):]
Dante Gizzi - Vocals
Giulano â€˜Joolzâ€™ Gizzi - Guitar
Derek Brown - Bass
Paul McManus - Drums

[Former members as Gun (1987 - 1997, 2008 - 2010):]
Toby Jepson - Vocals
Mark Rankin - Vocals
Camillo Morlotti - Bass
Baby Stafford - Guitar
Scott Shields - Drums
Alex Dickson - Guitar
Mark Kerr - Drums
Stuart Kerr - Drums
Alan Thornton - Drums
Gordon Mcneil - Drums
Irvin Duguid - Keyboards
Greg Barnes - Keyboards

[Line up as Blind Allez:]
Guilano Gizzi - Guitar
Ian Murray - Guitar
Camillo Morlotti - Bass
Peter Scallan - Vocals
Alan Thornton - Drums

information sourced from: http://www.officialgunfans.co.uk

Official GUN Site: http://www.gunofficial.co.uk 'Read more on Last.fm'. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.