This excellent, and often underrated band have become a driving force behind the UK indie rock genre from the early 90’s. From hard rock to mellow ballads, this band covers most musical tastes, and have won numerous Kerrang! music poll awards. They have sold over 3.5 million albums, and 4 million singles to date. The sad death of drummer Jon Lee was almost the end of the band in early 2002, but the band has continued with success, although it may be said that with Lee, Feeder may well have grown to even greater heights.
1992 - Friends Grant Nicholas and Jon Lee form "Reel" in Newport, South Wales.
1995 - The pair move to London where they meet Taka Hirose. He soon joins the band as Bass player. They re-name the band "Feeder". They later sign for label Echo records.
1996 - June. Feeder release the mini album, "Swim" on Echo records, produced by Chris Sheldon. The album features six tracks, "Sweet 16", "Stereo World", "W.I.T", "Descend", "Shade" and "Swim".
1997 - May. Feeder release their first major album, "Polythene" on Echo records, produced by Chris Sheldon. And what an album this is, arguably their first and finest album, containing the singles, "Tangerine", "Cement", "Crash", "Suffocate", and "High". The latter song became somewhat of an anthem for Feeder, and was a fan favourite. Other tracks include the excellent, "Polythene Girl", "Radiation", and heavy rockers "Descend" and "Stereo World". The album is a fast paced, with driving rock tracks, combined with spaced rhythms and gentle melodies. The album was voted #1 in a best album poll for "Metal Hammer" music magazine.
1998 - Feeder embark on an extensive US tour, supporting the likes of REM, and [ ].
1999 - Feeder release their second album, "Yesterday too soon" on Echo records, and produced by Andy Wallace. The album entered the UK chart at #7, with singles including, "Day in Day Out", "Insomnia", "Yesterday Went Too Soon", and "Paperfaces". Tracks also included "Tinsel Town", and "Picture of Perfect youth".
From Spring to Autumn, Feeder headlined tour dates, and Summer festivals, including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds in the UK. They appeared for the Mount Fuji festival in Japan.
2000 - Feeder headline the "NME Carling premier awards" in January, they then travel to the Southern hemisphere to tour Australia for their first time. Jon Lee marries Tatiana Englehart in Miami, Florida US.
2001 - Feeder release album number 3, titled "Echo Park", produced with Gil Norton, ("Foo Fighters"). This debuted at the #5 UK album chart spot, with hit single "Buck Rogers", now firmly establishing the band as forerunners of UK’s new indie movement.
Feeder snatch the Kerrang! award for "Best British Live act" from fellow indie rockers "Muse". A surprise as Muse had more live performances for this same year. Muse, however, were not disappointed as they received "Best British band" at the same awards.
With unrivalled airplay, "Buck Rogers" becomes a standard for radio stations across the UK. Grant Nicholas admits these days that it is not one of his most favoured Feeder songs, but does not dispute the success it brought for the band.
Feeder again play summer festivals, Reading and Leeds and also "T in the (Hyde), Park". They finish the year touring the UK with "The Stereophonics". They release the single "Just a day".
2002 - January. Tragedy strikes when drummer Jon Lee is found dead in his Miami home on January 9th. In great sadness it is realised that Lee had taken his own life two days earlier. From this point it is not certain whether Feeder will continue and survive from such a great loss.
July - After taking much thought and consideration, Feeder decide to continue with Nicholas and Hirose, and new drummer Mark Richardson, from recently split rock band "Skunk Anansie".
2003 - Feeder release "Comfort in Sound" on Echo records, produced with Gil Norton. Very much a sensitive and pensive album, the excellent opening , "Just the way I’m feeling", and single "Comfort in Sound". Other tracks include "Child in You", "Love Pollution", "Moonshine", and benchmark track "Forget about tomorrow". The band’s loss of drummer Jon Lee had a profound effect on the band, and especially friend Grant Nicholas, whose lyrics reflected the feelings of loss, sorrow and of hope.
Kerrang! awards - "Feeder" beat "Muse" once more, this time taking the coveted, "Best British band" award for the year.
2004 - The band release a B-Side single compilation album, "Picture of Perfect Youth", featuring a massive 36 tracks. The album is only available however, as a limited edition through the official Feeder website on both 12" Vinyl, and CD.
2005 - January. Feeder play for the Asian Tsunami appeal concert at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff, Wales, UK. The concert was recorded for BBC Wales.
Feeder release "Pushing the Senses" on Echo records. The album reaches number 2 in the UK chart, featuring singles "Feeling a moment", and "Tumble and fall" and the brilliant "Tender". Maybe not their best album, with styles now favouring a more mellow approach and sound. However, the album debuted at #2 in the UK album chart, and has since earned the band two gold sales awards.
April. Feeder play festivals across Europe, including Germany and Spain.
June. The band play at the Isle of Wight festival together with other headliners, "Morrissey", and "Roxy Music".
September. They fly to Japan for tour dates in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya.
Feeder have to abandon a gig in Brighton UK, after only six songs, when Grant Nicholas looses his voice due to a severe throat infection. The gig and following dates were re-scheduled for a later date in March 2006.
"Echo Park" is voted as #25 "Best British Rock album of all time" in Kerrang! music magazine.
2006 - May. Feeder release "The Singles" on Echo records. This includes single hits from all previous albums, plus "Shatter", written for "Pushing the Senses", but not included on the album; and new songs, "Burn the Bridges", "Save us", and "Lost and found".
May. Feeder play dates across Europe. Later UK Summer festivals planned include; Reading and Leeds, Oxygen in Eire, and "T in the park", Scotland.
October. Feeder announce more Japan dates, and will be playing 5 shows in Tokyo 7th October, Nagoya 8th October, Osaka 10th October, Hiroshima 12th October, and Fukuora on 13th October.
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