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milltown brothers
Live at Kanteena, Lancaster 25.11.23
Live at Kanteena, Lancaster 25.11.23
Background information
OriginColne, Lancashire, England
GenresIndie rock
Discographywww.officialcharts.com
Years active1989–1993; 2004–present
LabelsA&M
SpinoffsAnother Crush, Kingsize Screamer, The Rubbish, The Showponies, Greenheart & Sixtyfivemiles
MembersMatt Nelson
Simon Nelson
James Fraser
Barney Williams
Nian Brindle
Websitewww.milltownbrothers.co.uk

milltown brothers are an English indie band from Colne, Lancashire, England.

They are best known for the top 40 single, "Which Way Should I Jump" and "Here I Stand" which was also used as the theme tune to the BBC drama All Quiet on the Preston Front.[1]

History and Career

Early Releases

In 1989 the band's first independent release on Big Round Records, was the "Coming From The Mill" EP featuring the songs “We’ve Got Time”, live favourite "Roses", and "Something On My Mind". It was named single of the week in the NME magazine. The same publication tipped Milltown Brothers for stardom in the 1990s, along with The Hoovers, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, The Charlatans, The Mock Turtles and New Fast Automatic Daffodils.[2]

The band's second indie single was "Which Way Should I Jump", with "Silvertown" as the B-side.

A&M years (1990-1993)

After the band signed to A&M Records worldwide in 1990, "Which Way Should I Jump?" was re-recorded and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 38,.[3] It also reached number 10 in the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock chart.

The album Slinky followed. It peaked at number 27 in the UK Albums Chart.[3] Q Magazine described it as the "Byrds with hard-edged contemporary pop and upfront vocals".[4] and awarding it a maximum five stars.[5]

It was placed #46[6] by NME in their 1991 best album of the year list.

The next single released from the album was "Here I Stand", which was also used as the theme tune for the BBC television programme, Preston Front.[1] It peaked at number 41 in the UK Singles Chart.[3]

In 1993, the single “Turn Off” was released ahead of the bands second album Valve. The album was not as successful as Slinky and the band eventually left the A&M label.

Live Appearances

The band made their Reading Festival debut in 1990, playing the Mean Fiddler stage.[7] and again in 1991.[8]

The following year on Friday 28 August 1992, they supported The Wonder Stuff & The Charlatans on the main stage.[9]

On Monday 23 September 1991 the band appeared at the WFNX 101.7 8th birthday celebration festival in Boston, Massachusetts[5] alongside The Wonder Stuff, The Smashing Pumpkins & Nirvana.

Originally booked for the 6 October[10] but moved to 14 October 1993[11] they were the headline act at Manchester Academy 3. Supported by the Real People and an up and coming Manchester band called Oasis.[12]

On 13th April 2012 the band made an appearance at the Colne Muni to promote the charity album, Songs From the Neighbourhood; which was released to rasie money for Pendleside Hospice and Derian House Children's Hospital in Chroley. [13]The album included the milltown brothers first single, Roses. It also included songs by The Rubbish, Danny Handley, Simon Webbe, The Hollies and the former Burnley Building Society song The Best Dreams Begin with B by George Chandler.

On 26 August 2023 they played Hebden Bridge Trades Club to a capacity crowd.[14] The gig followed renewed interest in the band after Slinky made an appearance earlier in the year on an episode of Tim's Twitter Listening Party hosted by The Charlatans frontman, Tim Burgess.[15]

Independent Releases

A 12-track compilation ‘’The Best Of Milltown Brothers’’ was issued by Spectrum Music in 1997.

It took 10 years for the band to work together again, but in March 2004 they released their third studio album, Rubberband. This double CD was released on their own label Rubber Band Records and made available on their website.

In 2009 an extended 17-track retrospective ‘’Milltown Brothers - Best Of’’ was released on Cherry Red Records.

In the summer of 2015, Milltown Brothers released their fourth album Long Road, which was once again self-released.

In 2020 a further album Stockholm[5] was released featuring eight new songs.

In 2022 a compilation of independent singles and demos from 1987-1990 was released titled Tongue-Tied Mesmerised.

Other Ventures

The Rubbish, later known as The Tidy, featured Barney Williams on keyboards. They released LP "Crazy Farmers" in 1998 and supported Status Quo at Wembley Arena.[16] James Fraser played bass for them at Kendal Calling in 2018.[17]

Fraser has also played bass in Jay Diggins' band and is frontman of Greenheart, a band from Lancaster.[18][19]

As of 2023, Barney Williams is also a member of The Animals & Friends.

Simon Nelson was part of a four piece called SixtyFiveMiles[20] around 2009, along with Ash Woodward, Neil Gordon & Ryan Vann. They released the single "Mary" and album "Finnish Tango" both on Cherry Red Records.

Line-up

  • Matt Nelson - Vocals/Guitar
  • Simon Nelson - Guitar/Backing Vocals
  • James Fraser - Bass/Backing Vocals
  • Barney Williams - Organ/Piano/Blues Harmonica/Backing Vocals
  • Nian Brindle - Drums
  • Gary Thistlethwaite - Lap Steel Guitar - (2015 to date)

Discography

Albums

  • Slinky (1991) (No. 27 UK)[3]
  • Valve (1993)
  • Rubberband (2004)
  • Long Road (2015)
  • Stockholm (2020)

Compilations

  • The Best Of Milltown Brothers (Spectrum Music, 1997)
  • Best Of (Cherry Red Records, 2009)
  • Tongue-Tied Mesmerised (Independent Singles + Demos 1987-1990) (2022)

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
UK
[21] 		US Mod Rock
[22]
1989 "Coming From The Mill 1989" (UK only) — — singles only
"Which Way Should I Jump?" (UK only) — —
1990 "Seems to Me" (UK only) 181 — Slinky
"Apple Green" 82 —
1991 "Which Way Should I Jump?" 38 10
"Here I Stand" (UK only) 41 —
"Sally Ann" (Non-UK) — —
"Apple Green (Dave Meegan Remix)" 43 —
1993 "Turn Off" (UK only) 55 — Valve
"It's All Over Now Baby Blue" (UK only) 48 —
"Sleepwalking" (UK only) — —
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released.

References

  1. ^ a b "INTERVIEW: Lancaster members of the Milltown Brothers share stories of Oasis and Little Richard". Beyond Radio. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  2. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 463. CN 5585.
  3. ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 368. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ Black, Johnny (5 March 1991). "Slinky review". Q Magazine. 55: 75–6.
  5. ^ a b c "'It was a great time to be in a band' - Colne's Milltown Brothers 30 years on from debut album". Lancashire Telegraph. 21 March 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  6. ^ NME (10 October 2016). "NME's best albums and tracks of 1991". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Reading 1990". Reading Festival. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Reading 1991". Reading Festival. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Reading 1992". Reading Festival. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Manchester Academy | Roll of Honour". Manchester Academy. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Oasis, Ticket - Academy 3 (Hop & Grape), 14th October 1993". Manchester Digital Music Archive. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Oasis Gigography". Latest Oasis, Liam And Noel Gallagher News STOPCRYINGYOURHEARTOUT.COM. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Rare live appearance from Colne indie favourites The Milltown Brothers". Lancashire Telegraph. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  14. ^ "The Trades Club - Holme Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks, HX7 8EE". Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  15. ^ "slinky - Milltown Brothers". timstwitterlisteningparty.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Rubbish dumped". Lancashire Telegraph. 18 March 2000. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Cult East Lancs band The Rubbish to play first gig in 15 years - at Kendal Calling". Lancashire Telegraph. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Two bands, one heart". Lancaster Guardian. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  19. ^ "New album is psychedelic, funk-fuelled indie goodness". Lancaster Guardian. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  20. ^ eMinor. "Mary | Sixtyfivemiles". ReverbNation. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Milltown Brothers - UK Chart". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  22. ^ "Milltown Brothers - US Alternative Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
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