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Danny Hynes was born on the 15th November 1900? in Dublin, Ireland into a family of eight.
He grew up listening to his older brothers records by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles & The Hollies etc, before discovering his
personal favourites The Small Faces. It was Steve Marriott, his hero and someone he was to meet later in life that gave him the singing bug.
The 1st song he ever sang in public was Christie's, Yellow River. He left Ireland in the 70's to live in Birmingham with his former wife and two sons.
It was there he started his professional musical career signing in several Midlands bands, including Machine and Sister Dora with whom he toured
the army bases of Germany, a real musical education! Also in the line up, on bass guitar, was one Baz Downes.Bored with the music scene in The Midlands,
and going nowhere, Danny answered an advert in the Melody Maker for a London band and Baz came along to support him. He didn't like the band but
checked out another one who where looking for a singer and a bass player. They got the gig and both moved to London. After rehearsing and recording
for several months they could see it was going nowhere and decided to form their own band, Snatch, along with drummer, George Jackson. After
auditioning many guitarists they settled on Bob Angelo, who later became a member of both Iron Maiden & Praying Mantis.
After several gigs,
and with record companies only interested in punk bands, Snatch called it a day. March 1980, Danny placed an advert in The Melody Maker
'Singer looking for rock band, no time wasters please' In the same issue Jeff Summers had placed an ad 'Rock band looking for singer'.
Danny auditioned for Jeff's band, Fast Relief. He got the gig, loved the material but hated the name. They agreed on a name change. Weapon,
an expression always used by Bob Angelo when he though something was great, was born. They invited several record companies, publishers and
agents etc to their 1st show, at Neros Palace, Wandsworth, London, in May 80. After the show Laurie Dunn, then head of Virgin publishing, showed
interest and offered the band some time in Virgins Barge studios, a small demo studio onboard a boat moored on Londons Maida Vale Canal. The band
laid down several tracks, which Dunn liked. However he didn't think much of the rhythm section, something Danny was in agreement with.
After talks with Jeff it was decided to bring in a new rhythm section. Danny suggested his best mate Baz Downes and Jeff, Bruce Bisland, a drummer
who had played with Jeff's brother, Steve, in Lip Service. The line up clicked immediately. With further recordings at The Manor & Townhouse studios
the band signed a 5-year publishing deal with Virgin. And went on to support Motorhead on their 32 date 1980 Ace Up Your Sleeve U.K. tour.
Weapon called it a day after a couple of years due to bad management, lack of record company support etc, etc, but all the guys remained good friends.
Danny tried to resurrect the band a couple of years later with a completely new line-up but after a few gigs he could see it wasn't right so called time.
Still in contract to Virgin publishing and Smart, or not so smart!, Management, and with nothing to do he decide to form a covers band.
Paddy Goes To Holyhead was born. A band whose line-up was, and is, ever changing. Members came and went depending on their availability from the proper
bands. Over the past 25 years Paddy has included the elite of the music business, including his old partners in Weapon, Jeff, Bruce and Baz,
Andy Scott (Sweet), the late Mick Tucker (Sweet), Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep), The Troy brothers (Praying Mantis) who are in the current line up.
Guests have included the late Mel Galley & Neil Murray (Whitesnake), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Brian Robertson, Eric Bell & Darren Wharton (Thin Lizzy),
Dave Hill & Don Powell (Slade), Deborah & Jason Bonham and the list goes on. Paddy Goes To Holyhead continues to gig and currently have a new
album, Shamrocked out.
Ian Sweeting was born in Isleworth, Middlesex on 1st November 1970. Growing up listening to bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Dream Theatre,
Montrose, Van Halen and Rush inspired him to play drums. Which he started playing at the age of 16, studying under 2 teachers, one in jazz and
one in metal/rock. Played in the following bands: Cross Cut Saw 1988 - 1991, Dermot Mar 1991 - 1994, Stone Katz 1994 - 1999, Captain Cook Music
Venue 'house drummer' 1990 - 1996, 2Menatll 1996 - 2003, Tomsong's albums 2003 - 2007.
Along with playing drums,
he also promoted his own band, 2mentall, playing some 480 gigs in and around London and the Home Counties. Along with his 4-year-old Daughter, Lily,
they won the Christian O'Connell (Absolute Radio) Britain's Got Talent competition playing a Drum Solo Duet. Over the last 7 years he has been a
dep drummer on the London/SE circuit playing for bands such as Netherworld, Bad Penny, Replicant, From The Ashes and Land of Cain. In the summer ´
of 2009 he joined forces with the legendary Jeff Summers and Danny Hynes, along with Bassist, Gavin Cooper, in the new line-up of nwobhm band, Weapon.
Replacing the legendary Bruce Bisland, which is an honour! After playing several shows with the new Weapon line up Ian is really looking forward
to the up-coming shows and completing work on the new album. The new material is Spectacular!!!!!!
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PJ Phillips
was actually born in London, interrupting his mum's holidays, on 24th July 1964 in an ambulance, near Mile End General Hospital (within the sound
of Bow Bells, Gawd bless ya guv). He spent his first years back in Ireland in a very musical household. Fast forward to 1979: As a 15 year old,
watching 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', something happened. Rickie Lee Jones was on. She was a new artist and was playing her single "Chuck E's In Love"
It was the white Fender bass, played by the great Willie Weeks, in a white suit, that's what happened. He bought the album, a bass guitar a
'Kay' and started 'looking for the notes' on the bass. No training. No YouTube in those days. Next was Deep Purple's 'Come Taste The Band' then,
'Made In Europe'. Glenn Hughes has always been a major influence as bass player and singer. Again, white Fender and white suit. PJ then studied
(self taught) from books and by ear, listening for hours/days trying to get a bass line, a 10p sellotaped to the record player arm to slow the
tracks down. By then he was into Rush, Brand X, Maiden, Sabbath, 70's Funk, Sly and Robbie ... everything!
His early bands were already NWOBHM rising stars like Metal Mirror and Xero, both were hailed as great bands that never really fulfilled their
potential. Then a bunch of friends decided to form a rock outfit called Sing Sing, managed by Simple Minds drummer, Mel Gaynor. Sing Sing had various
members along the way including Keith Murrell (Airrace), Dean Howard (Gillan) and Ben Matthews (Thunder). Xero guitarist Bill Liesegang called
PJ and offered some gigs with German diva Nina Hagen that turned into Euro/US tour ....and it was paid! On his return he was offered another UK/ European
Tour with goth shockers Christian Death and was 'replaced' in Sing Sing. That was when he decided he'd had enough of bands and it was time to get
a proper job. He became ... a freelance session musician. The early and ongoing and diverse study really paid off. From Tom Jones to Dolly Parton,
Vanessa-Mae to Rod Stewart (Etc.). He couldn’t really get more diverse or further away from his metal roots. Years, countless recordings, tours,
TV appearances and even recording bass and backing vocals for his hero Glenn Hughes and it's all come around... I started with NWOBHM, now, thirty
years later, I’ve joined Weapon. Always liked Danny and Jeff, they are a rare breed in this business. Straight-talking, no bull-shit and they've
found a great drummer too, Ian, who's also a diamond geezer. It's all good! Maybe I should buy a white suit..
Jeff Summers began in the mid seventies playing with various London based rock cover's bands including Flex and
Fast Relief the later had seen him pen the seminal Set the Stage Alight a future NWOBHM classic. During this period, Jeff had met and
befriended Bruce Bisland, who had been introduced to Jeff's older brotherSteve and was working with London based recording Band Lipservice
but it soon became evident that Jeff and Bruce had a musical bonding that would see them accelerate fully into the NWOBHM scene.
Weapon was born
from the ashes of Fast Relief incorporating Irish vocalist Danny Hynes with Baz Downes on bass both formerly of Snatch and complemented
by Bruce on drums with Jeff on guitar. Weapon went on to sign with Virgin Music Publishing recording an album full of material and touring
(on the success of Set the Stage Alight) the UK with Motorhead's Ace of Spades tour followed by their own headlining tour
incorporating major Universities and small Theatres. After Weapon disbanded in 1982 Jeff auditioned and played with a number NWOBHM acts,
never finding the right chemistry or approach to music he was seeking (musically exciting & song based) until teaming up with Bruce
again in 1982 to form Wildfire along with Jeff Brown, Martin Bushell and Paul Mario Day.
Wildfire recorded two
influential albums Brute Force And Ignorance (1983) and Summer Lightning (1984) respectively and supported their
recording efforts with intensive touring and radio/TV appearances including the now defunct hard rock show ECT
where Steve Glover from Gary Bardens Statetrooper jammed with Wildfire leading to an intro to the man himself. After the sad demise of
Statetrooper, Jeff reluctantly left the music business and got himself a proper job whilst continuing to follow his love of writing and
performing music on a more part time basis. Stints with Paddy goes to Holyhead a band formed around musicians hanging around together and having
fun covering there favourite songs with like minded people saw Jeff teamed up with various musicians including: Bruce, Jeff,
Martin & Danny Hynes, who continues to work this successful band to this day. Jeff has continued with music writing new songs, working
recording sessions and playing gigs with various pub outfits including The Loudshirts, the reunion of Statetrooper and now the reformed Weapon.
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