Pool Of Sound - The Dead 60s

The Dead 60s

When they were 16/17 years old, four school friends got into punk because it was 'fast and loud' and it inspired them to start playing together. With Matt McManamon on vocals and guitar, Ben Gordon on guitar and keyboards, Charlie Turner on bass guitar and Bryan Johnson on drums, they first formed a band named 'Rest Home'. Changing their name to 'Pinhole', they had several releases including the single 'So Over You' c/w 'Morning Rain' on Too Nice Records in 2002, which made it to No.8 in John Peel's Festive Fifty having recorded a session for Peel at the Maida Vale Studios. Following extensive tours throughout the UK, supporting artists such as 'Green Day' and 'The Hives', the band then announced that they had split up via their website in early 2003.

After a few months away they re-emerged under the name 'The Dead 60s' and, now sounding like a mix of 'The Specials' and 'The Clash', they brought ska back into fashion and sounded totally different from any other band around. Their name was derived from all the other bands in Liverpool at the time who to them sounded 'dead sixties', as in 'dead gorgeous'. Retracing the steps of the bands they liked, such as 'Talking Heads', 'The Clash', 'Kraftwerk' and 'Gang of Four', not to mention 'The Specials' who were a huge influence on them, they signed to Deltasonic Records. They began to tour heavily throughout the UK, supporting artists such as 'Morrissey', who asked specifically for them, 'Kasabian', 'The Coral', 'The Zutons' and others.

The cover depicts Concourse House, which once stood next to Lime Street Station.

Having released two singles, 'Your Not The Law' and 'Riot Radio', both receiving a high level of positive media attention, and gatecrashing the Top 40, the band released their eponymous debut album. It was recorded at The Ranch and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and was released in the US on the 31st of May 2005 and in the UK on the 26th of September 2005. They then toured throughout Europe, Japan and the U.S. in support of the album and experienced success in the U.S. where their song 'Riot Radio', NME's single of the week on release, became the third most added song at Alternative Radio behind 'White Stripes' and 'Coldplay'.
They continued to tour throughout 2005 & 2006 playing various festivals in the US, UK, Europe and Japan before moving to New York in 2007 to record their second album 'Time To Take Sides'.

In November 2007, a 'Dead 60s' limited edition Fred Perry Harrington Jacket, designed with input from the band, was launched. It was on the 15th of November 2007 that lead singer of 'The Specials', Terry Hall joined them singing lead vocals, for their encore at the Fred Perry subculture gig in the 100 Club, London. The songs they performed were covers of 'The Equals' song, 'Police on My Back' and 'The Specials' song, 'Friday Night, Saturday Morning'.

The band issued a press release on the 8th of February 2008 announcing their split. Writing to their fans, the group explained: "Some of you may have heard the news by now, 'The Dead 60s' are no more. We decided to call it a day just after Christmas.There's no big story, no falling out between us. We just felt like the band had run its course, time for us all to branch out and try other things."
The band members went on to pursue other musical careers, including Matt McManamon guesting as 'The Specials' lead guitarist.

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