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The Whisky Priests is a folk punk band from Durham, England, founded in August 1985 by twin brothers Gary Miller and Glenn Miller from Sherburn Village, a former coalmining community 3.5 miles east of Durham City. The band's took its name from the unnamed main protagonist of Graham Greene's novel The Power and The Glory. The band grew out of the Thatcher years Although The Whisky Priests struggled through numerous line-up changes, legal battles and other major setbacks throughout its 19-year career, the band became known for its energetic live shows. and developed an international cult following. Gary Miller received acclaim for his songwriting and Glenn Miller for his contribution to the band's unique sound through his unique accordion playing style, but another key member of the band was Mick Tyas who joined in 1989 and sang lead vocals on arguably the band's best known song internationally, their unique interpretation of the traditional North East England street ballad Dol-Li-A.

Formation & Early Years: 1985-88
The original group consisted of school friends Gary Miller (vocals, guitar), Glenn Miller (keyboards, tin whistle, backing vocals), Michael Stephenson (bass, backing vocals), Timothy "Tester" Woolfendon (vocals, percussion), Ian Daly (electric guitar) and Andrew Johnson (drums) who had all previously played together in a school band called The O'Neills, which played mostly original material (in the style of The Undertones, The Stranglers and The Clash) but never performed live. After only a handful of rehearsals, The Whisky Priests played its debut gig on 4th October at Fowlers Yard Community Centre in the band's home city of Durham, performing a set which mixed traditional folk songs and tunes from North East England with a handful of original songs and tunes written by Gary Miller, in a funk punk style. Having played only two concerts, the band was then invited to contribute a song to a compilation album of Durham-based bands called Twelve Go Mad In Durham. The band chose to record the Gary Miller-penned Danny's Hard Life for the album, which gained them their first taste of local media attention. By this time, however, half the band had quit to be replaced by banjo and mandolin player Mark Kelly and a succession of drummers before Michael "Sticks" Stoker became the band's first long-term drummer. In the meantime, Glenn Miller made a permanent switch from keyboards to accordion and dropped the tin whistle entirely, thus sowing the seeds of what would become the band's trademark sound. It was with this line-up that The Whisky Priests appeared live on the Tyne Tees TV Series for Channel 4 The Tube in January 1987, opening the show with their unique rendition of the North East England music hall classic Blaydon Races, a song they never subsequently recorded, and only reluctantly agreed at the last moment to perform at the insistence of the show's producer Malcolm Gerrie, who threatened to drop the band from the show if they did not agree to play this particular song (as opposed to the band's preferred choice, the Gary Miller-penned The Coal-Digger's Grave). This appearance, however, brought them national attention for the first time and led to the band's first nationwide tour including three concerts supporting the Bhundu Boys on the Zimbabwean band's debut UK tour. When Mark Kelly quit at the end of this tour, three new recruits were drafted in

No Chance EP Sounds magazine listed it as one of their singles of the week, describing the band's sound as "accordions on acid".

Middle Years
In 1989 The Whisky Priests were approached by Dave Bulmer of CM Distribution Became one of the most successful new artists

When The Whisky Priests finally got round to recording their second studio album Timeless Street in 1992, three years after their debut Nee Gud Luck, they chose to record it at Trinity Heights at the suggestion of Mick Tyas.

Sued Dave Bulmer

Following their successful appearance at Cambridge Folk Festival in 1990, there were huge expectations on The Whisky Priests and many believed they would be the next big thing

Later Years and Dissolution
In 1997 Gary Miller and Glenn Miller made the timely decision to take a year out from The Whisky Priests to lick their wounds In 1998 The Whisky Priests recorded what would prove to be (though they did not know it at the time) their final studio album, Think Positive! Many of the songs on the album had been written by Gary Miller for an unrealised theatre project which was intended to be a musical with a contemporary kitchen sink drama style setting based on the conflicting lives of a fictional family (a father, mother, two sons and a sister) living on the North East England coast. The songs on the album that were part of this sequence included A Better Man Than You, Side By Side, My Ship, Alice In Wonderland, The Man Who Sold His Town and Brothers In Arms Again. Although the idea of carrying these songs (and others) forward into a fully-fledged musical was ultimately abandoned due to lack of time and increased demands on the Millers as a result of the reinvigoration of The Whisky Priests through the band's successful relaunch and increased touring schedule, it perhaps sowed the seeds of Gary Miller's creative urge to explore musical theatre, which later began to bare fruit through some of his community projects and the subsequent development of Mad Martins.

In 2000, Gary and Glenn Miller together with Joseph Porter of Blyth Power founded acoustic trio Mad Dogs and Englishmen, as a side project to their respective bands, releasing one album Going Down With Alice and performing a handful of live concerts before splitting up two years later.

Though the band neither played a farewell tour nor officially announced it was breaking up officially, so in reality the band has never officially ended.

Aftermath
After The Whisky Priests breakup Glenn Miller retired from music, pursuing a successful career outside the music industry.

Meanwhile Gary Miller battled long-term illness and personal difficulties, retreating from performing and recording his own songs and music, but continuing to work in the music industry as a community arts practitioner (on various projects throughout the UK and Europe), artist booking agent (at Adastra representing such artists as Martin Simpson, Danú, Eleanor McEvoy, Eric Roche, Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham Warsaw Village Band, music industry tutor (at York College of Further Education) In 2005 he collaborated with German accordionist Ralf Weihrauch In 2010 he released his debut solo album Reflections on War. He was approached by Shayne Freeman, lead singer and fiddle player with US folk punk band The Bloody Irish Boys to record lead vocals on the track Catch Me If I Fall for the band's 2011 album Auld St. Patrick. In February 2013

After leaving The Whisky Priests, Mick Tyas founded The Wickermen with other former Whisky Priests members Nick Buck and Nick Thompson and ex-Blyth Power members Darren Tansley and John Rutherford, touring Europe and releasing a cassette-only album. Later, he formed acoustic folk trio Tippin' The Wink with Richard and Sylvia Doran, releasing the album The Devil's In The Detail in 2011.

The Whisky Priests also provided invaluable first major touring and recording experience and developing ground for several additional band members who went onto other musical achievements. Mike McGrother went on to found and lead his own successful band The Wildcats of Kilkenny. Hugh Bradley became a member of the late [Alistair_Hulett|Alistair Hulett]]'s band The Malkies. Simon Chantler

Other notable former members of The Whisky Priests include Mark Robertson (son of ITV show's This Morning's resident agony aunt Denise Robertson), David Simpson, and folk rock legend Chuck Fleming.

Reunion?
In 2013 Gary Miller announced via his official website, as well as his official Facebook, Twitter and other online accounts, that The Whisky Priests were planning a reunion, which would consist of a series of live concerts and the release of a "Best of" album. . This announcement was preceded in December 2012 by the release of the first Whisky Priests release in 12 years, the CD EP Full Circle, comprising the title track which had previously only been available on the various artists compilation album A Full Head of Steam in 2000 (and was the final track recorded by the band during its initial 19-year run), a remixed version of the Think Positive! track Alice In Wonderland, which had previously only been available on the various artists compilation SEKA in 1999, plus three previously unreleased tracks from a radio session recorded in Germany. The line-up for this reunion was announced to be Gary Miller, Glenn Miller, Mick Tyas, Nick Buck, Paul Carless and Nick Thompson. By 2014, however, the reunion had still not taken place and the "Best of" album remained unreleased.

Current Members

 * Gary Miller - vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, mandola, mandolin (all gigs and all recordings in 1985-2004)
 * Glenn Miller - accordion, piano, keyboards, vocals (1985-2004)
 * Mick Tyas - vocals, bass, guitar, mandolin (72 gigs and played on Nee Gud Luck album in 1988-90, returned for 556 gigs and played on Timeless Street, Bloody Well Live!, The Power And The Glory, Bleeding Sketches albums in 1990-1995, returned for 3 gigs in 1997, returned for x gigs in 2000, returned for x gigs in 2002-2004) (latterly of The Wickermen, Tippin' The Wink)
 * Paul Carless - harmonica, mandolin, percussion, backing vocals (1989-90, 1990-91, 1992-94)

Former Members

 * Michael Stephenson - bass, backing vocals (91 gigs and played on The Colliery 7" Single, No Chance 12" EP, Grandfatha's Fatha 12" EP in 1985-88)
 * Timothy "Tester" Woolfendon - backing vocals, percussion (1 gig in 1985)
 * Ian Daly - electric guitar (2 gigs in 1985; died)
 * Andrew Johnson - drums (4 gigs in 1985-86)
 * Gerard Rauss - drums (1 gig in 1986)
 * David Ayre - drums (0 gigs but played on 2nd Pig Pen demo in 1986)
 * Mark Kelly - banjo, mandolin, backing vocals (23 gigs in 1986-87)
 * Michael "Sticks" Stoker - drums (82 gigs and played on The Colliery 7" Single, No Chance 12" EP, Grandfatha's Fatha 12" EP in 1986-88, 56 gigs in 1989-90)
 * Bill Bulmer - mandolin, harmonica, washboard, jews harp, backing vocals (106 gigs and played on The Colliery 7" Single, No Chance 12" EP, Grandfatha's Fatha 12" EP, Nee Gud Luck album in 1987-89)
 * Helen Charlton - banjo (2 gigs and played on The Colliery 7" Single in 1987)
 * Catherine Topliss - fiddle (2 gigs and played on The Colliery 7" Single in 1987)
 * Michael Chrissop - bass (2 gigs in 1988)
 * David Simpson - marching snare drum, backing vocals (16 gigs in 1989)
 * Pete French - fiddle, northumbrian pipes, spoons, mandolin, backing vocals (39 gigs and played on Nee Gud Luck album in 1989, 17 gigs in 1990)
 * Steve Green - drums (28 gigs and played on Nee Gud Luck album in 1989, 24 gigs in 1990)
 * Gary Price - mandola, spoons, backing vocals (46 gigs in 1989-90)
 * Kay Price - fiddle (35 gigs in 1989-90)
 * Tony Wright - bass (35 gigs in 1990)
 * Kevin Wilson - mandolin, bouzouki, backing vocals (240 gigs and played on Timeless Street album 1990-92)
 * Clive Cavanagh - harmonica, washboard, vocals (31 gigs in 1990)
 * Nick Thompson - fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar (1 gig in 1990, 67 gigs in 1995, 2003-04)  (formerly of The Buttermountain Boys, latterly of Torfrock, Los Yobos)
 * Paul Marchant - drums (1 gig in 1990) (formerly of The Buttermountain Boys
 * Simon Chantler - fiddle (141 gigs and played on Timeless Street album in 1990-92) (latterly of Red Hippo, A Rookery, Shinjig, Kelly’s Heroes)
 * Mark Robertson - drums (66 gigs in 1990-91)
 * Piers Burgoyne - drums (64 gigs and played on Timeless Street album in 1991-92)
 * Tony McNally - drums (43 gigs in 1992, 2 gigs and played on Bloody Well Live! album in 1992)
 * Mike McGrother - fiddle (6 gigs and played on Bloody Well Live! album in 1992, played on The Power And The Glory album as a guest musician in 1994) (latterly of The Wild Cats of Kilkenny)
 * Steve Wilson - drums (4 gigs in 1992)
 * Nick Buck - drums, percussion (311 gigs and played on The Power And The Glory, Bleeding Sketches albums and Dol-Li-A EP in 1993-95, 2003-04) (formerly of Toy Dolls, latterly of The Wickermen, Wob, Torfrock)
 * Gaz Barney - drums (20 gigs in 1995; died)
 * Paul Stipetic - drums, backing vocals (149 gigs and played on Life's Tapestry album in 1995-97, 2002-03)
 * Chuck Fleming - fiddle, mandolin, piano, backing vocals (39 gigs in 1995, 17 gigs in 1997) (formerly of Trees, JSD Band, Chuck Fleming & Gerry Kaley, The Steel Skies Band, etc)
 * Thomas Fisk - electric guitar, mandolin, mandola, euphonium, backing vocals (125 gigs and played on Life's Tapestry album in 1995-97)
 * Mick Howell - bass, backing vocals (78 gigs and played on Life's Tapestry album in 1995-96)
 * Mick Shoulder - bass (46 gigs in 1996-97)
 * John Cutliffe - bass (18 gigs in 1997) (formerly of Frank Tovey & The Pyros)
 * Lawrence Doherty - drums (4 gigs in 1997) (formerly of Frank Tovey & The Pyros)
 * Roy Whyke - drums (2 gigs in 1997)
 * Hugh Bradley - mandolin, mandola, electric guitar, flute, whistle, vocals (219 gigs and played on Think Positive!, Live On Radio Heemskerk, "Here Come The Ranting Lads!" Live! albums in 1997-2000) (latterly of The Malkies, Shinjig)
 * Cozy Dixon - drums, percussion (1997-2000) (formerly of George Hamilton V)
 * Andy Tong - bass, fretless bass, electric guitar, vocals (1997-2001) (formerly of Wob)
 * Joseph Porter - drums, backing vocals (2000-2001) (Blyth Power, formerly of Zounds, The Mob, Mad Dogs and Englishmen)
 * Steven "Fly" Cooper - electric guitar, mandolin, harmonica, backing vocals (2001) (latterly of Blyth Power)
 * "Bambi" - bass ( 2001) (formerly & latterly of Blyth Power)
 * Tony Stipetic - bass (2002)
 * Jennie Beasty - fiddle (2004)