It’s the way it always goes; as one city gets pointed to as an example of a music scene in the ascendancy so those used as its fruitful examples – the acts, the promoters, the labels – are followed and replicated so that soon an area becomes flooded with imitators, with those shouting the loudest often the ones mistakenly paid heed too. Yet it also goes that it’s the ones who turn the other way and swim against this tide of trend who ultimately prove themselves far and beyond their geographic peers. 
Cyril Snear are one of a pocketful of disparate, seemingly nomadic British experimental bands – though in fact based in Manchester – who just seemed to appear from nowhere. They exist for nothing and no one else, content to lurk in the margins, to push, probe and satisfy their need for sonic exploration. Raising their heads occasionally to play support slots with the likes of Manchester’s great purveyors of noise Amplifier and Kong, they largely eschew the unfulfilling toil of endless bar room opening slots, only surfacing when they’ve sculpted and moulded the latest stage of their chameleonic space-rock. 
Last time this occurred was on 2009 debut LP Fluent In Seven Types Of Monotone; an album that initially suggested the disturbing calm of Slint’s quieter moments, it soon opened up to incorporate a range of influences that went so much further than the coupling of the math-rock and grunge loud/quiet effect that formed the bulk of its foundations. ‘Wardy Cained’ was a sprawling ten minute piece that’s drifting ambience was gradually pulled back and pinned down by ravenous guitars and Nick Roe’s thunderous percussion, while tracks like ‘My Saliva Is The Only Holding Me Together’ and ‘In The Wake Of This’ were altogether more concentrated slabs of noise, the rasping howls of Michael McKnight’s vocals playing off against siren six-strings and bludgeoning drums. The overall effect was that of a patchwork, a snapshot into what had made up the group’s life so far, gaining plaudits from the likes of BBC6 Music and ManchesterMusic along the way.
Two years on and the group have sought to emerge again, supporting The Oscillation last March and preparing an album titled ‘The Riot Of Colour.’ It promises to take the group’s previous far reaching touchstones and pull them in tighter to form a more pointed, direct and aggressive amalgamation of their sound. Amongst the clamour of Manchester over the past eighteen months Cyril Snear have remained quiet, if it is now that they feel ready to speak again then you can guarantee that it’s because they truly have something worth paying attention to.

Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford may not have intended it, but their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has taken on a startling life of its own. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section (bass and drums respectively) from the legendary group Creedence Clearwater Revival launched the Creedence Clearwater Revisited project in 1995 to once again perform live Creedence Clearwater Revival hits - touchstones of a generation. Though the pair initially only planned to play private parties, Creedence Clearwater Revisited now performs up to 100 shows a year and has released the album "Recollection."

"We never really had any intention of playing for the public," says Stu. "But a friend wanted to promote a couple of concerts. We got talked into it, but didn't know how it would go over."

Since then, the reaction to Creedence Clearwater Revisited's concerts has been astounding, and driven in part by a generation of kids who, as Cosmo says, "weren't even born when the music came out." Likewise, the release of a double-live CD on Universal's Hip-O Records label, which features passionate, authoritative versions of 22 classic hits - was the result of public demand. "It was generated by requests of the people who came to the shows," Stu acknowledges."Over and over they would ask, "'do you guys have a CD?'"Creedence Clearwater Revisited's "Recollection" has proven so popular that it was certified as a platinum record by the RIAA in 2008.

Having now toured North America, South America, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, knocking out audiences with astounding concerts jam packed with songs that are still a staple of radio and movie soundtracks, Creedence Clearwater Revisited has come a long way. "In the beginning Cosmo and I decided that if we could find the musicians that could capture the sound and recreate what the music was about, we'd do it," recalls Stu.

As fans who have experienced a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert can attest, Stu and Cosmo found the right players. Lead singer/rhythm guitar player John Tristao, a powerful tenor with the energy to power songs, initially rose to prominence as lead singer for the band People when their hit "I Love You" bulleted into the top ten. One musician in particular, Cosmo and Stu found in a surprising place. “Every interview we do, people ask ‘Well isn’t this a weird combo?’” Stu notes, referring to lead guitarist Elliot Easton. Though Elliot gained fame playing lead guitar in the cool detached new wave band The Cars, “Elliot’s playing always had a bluesy rock feel. In fact, Elliot has the same musical roots and grew up on the same stuff Doug and I did.” Talented multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner rounds out the group. As Cosmo puts it, "Gun provides live all the overdubs that were on the records. He plays keyboard, acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and sings the high harmonies."


With this new lineup, Stu and Cosmo and their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited add a new chapter to their legacy with vibrant and exhilarating energy and pure American spirit. As the Hollywood Reporter's music critic John Lappen wrote about a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert in Los Angeles, "Their set was an amazing list of hit after hit that was done serious justice by the players involved. If anyone in the cheering crowd was disappointed [anyone] wasn't there, they hid it well behind their big smiles and whoops of joy at hearing live some of the best American rock ever written and recorded." "People don't want to be involved in an endless debate," Cosmo sums up. "They want to hear the music." And Creedence Clearwater Revisited always delivers.

For bookings please contact sphelmvibes@gmail.com 

What do you do when your infamous underground post-metal band breaks up? Well, for Mike McKnight, formerly of Manchester's cult experimental rockers Cyril Snear, the answer is that you sell all of your equipment, and form an electronic-acoustic project with one of your oldest friends. Then, you grab your acoustic, and go out to play to the same post-rock, progressive metal and experimental rock audiences as the old band;
"For us what qualifies as a good show is when we manage to silence crowds, just from our guitar playing and harmonies. There's nothing more satisfying than hearing all the chatter at the beginning of the gig, and then complete silence."
Those hushed crowds speak volumes of the musical power that Sphelm boast. If at all possible, the same post-rock and math-rock feel remains despite the acoustic guitar and electronic instruments; music written as if for a modern progressive rock band re-imagined as electronica. If that sounds brilliant, that's because it is.
Some background; Mike formed Sphelm ("a term picked up from our home town of Mold in North Wales... it doesn’t really mean anything; we chose it because it reminds us of where we are from," he says) in 2013 as a creative outlet to explore a completely different side of his musical personality; "I started on the acoustic and that's what has always felt natural to me," Mike muses. As his main band wound down, Sphelm continued to take shape, with electronics and acoustic guitar taking the fore in a reaction to "all the pedals and loud amps" becoming "a bit of chore, [that] all felt too much." Tim Powell joined on guitar and keyboards after Mike's initial shows, and quickly became key to defining their sound.
"Our first release was written and recorded over a very short space of time," explains Mike, of 2014's 'Orenda' EP, released on Manchester label This City is Ours, "since, we've refined our sound, matured as musicians, and this time we've paid a lot more attention to the technical side of the recording in order to really bring out the sound and feel we were looking for."
Now, with debut LP 'These Roots Know No Boundaries' in the bag, 2016 is looking busy for the duo as they plot its release and touring to support it.

CAULDRONATED are Eva Menon, David Harman and Dave Barbarossa (Drummer with Adam and The Ants, Bow Wow Wow, Republica, Chicane...).

DEMOS in DM will not be checked, please send them to: https://www.revealedrecordings.com/demo

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