BLIND MELON – THEIR FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR – OCTOBER 2015
In recent years, the tale of Blind Melon has taken a dramatic turn from an abrupt and tragic end, to a rebirth and reconnection with their legions of dedicated fans. No matter how you slice it, the group was responsible for some of the most memorable and pure sounding rock music of the ‘90s, and with their reformation with singer Travis Warren, Blind Melon have picked up with their fans exactly where they left off. Originally formed in 1990 in Los Angeles by five transplants from other states – singer Shannon Hoon, guitarist Christopher Thorn, guitarist Rogers Stevens, bassist Brad Smith, and drummer Glen Graham. With a buzz created around the band shortly thereafter due to Hoon’s appearance on Guns N’ Roses’ 1991 release, ‘Use Your Illusion’ (and specifically, the hit single/video, “Don’t Cry”), a recording contract soon followed with Capitol Records. The group’s now classic self-titled debut followed in 1992.The album saw the group fit in perfectly with the then burgeoning alt rock/grunge movement, due to their stripped down, rootsy sound, as evidenced by such standouts as “Tones of Home” and “Change.” But it was the song “No Rain” that became a smash on radio and MTV a year later (peaking at #8 on the Australian charts and #4 in the Triple J Hottest 100), and Blind Melon became one of rock’s feelgood ‘overnight success stories’, thanks in plus to the iconic “No Rain” video and the bee-girl it featured. As the album scaled the charts, plum opening gigs piled up over the next year – Guns N’ Roses, Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, and the Rolling Stones, as well as an unforgettable appearance at Woodstock ’94. Despite high expectations, the group’s sophomore release, 1995’s ‘Soup,’ was panned by critics upon release. Over the years however, the album has rightfully become recognized as one of the decade’s most underrated rock gems, spawning such standouts as “Galaxie,” “Toes Across the Floor,” and “Mouthful of Cavities.” Barely two months after the album’s release, Hoon died while on tour from a drug overdose, at the age of 28. The four surviving members regrouped and issued an outtakes collection, 1996’s ‘Nico’ (named after Hoon’s then baby daughter, and spawning such further Melon classics as “Soup” and “Soul One”), as well as the Grammy nominated home video, ‘Letters from a Porcupine.’ An attempt to find a replacement for Hoon was abandoned, and in 1999, the group officially went their separate ways. During the intervening years, interest in Blind Melon continued to grow further, due to the emergence of the jam band scene which many feel the group helped create while such compilations as 2002’s ‘Classic Masters’ and 2005’s ‘Tones of Home: The Best of,’ as well as 2005’s ‘Live at the Palace’ CD and ‘Live at the Metro’ DVD, racked up impressive sales. Add to it an ever-growing Blind Melon online community of fans, and it was clear that there was still an unmistakable demand for the band. It was precisely around this time that Smith and Thorn were asked to produce a few tracks for Texas based singer/songwriter Travis T. Warren who also happened to be a diehard Blind Melon fan. Working with Warren on his demo, Smith jokingly said to Thorn that Warren “could sing Blind Melon songs in his sleep.”
The idea was born. The four remaining members who hadn’t been in the same room in years came together with Warren. Soon after, it had become apparent that they had finally located Blind Melon’s new singer. Blind Melon was back in business.
After a short hiatus, Blind Melon has again returned to the stage playing cities all over the globe including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and more. Their legacy continues to grow with a new crop of fans and a Shannon Hoon documentary in the works by acclaimed photographer Danny Clinch.
2015 is a year of great significance to Blind Melon: the twenty-fifth anniversary of formation, the twentieth anniversary of the highly-acclaimed SOUP album, and pertinently the twentieth anniversary of the death of original singer Shannon Hoon (the date of which co-insides with the first ever Australian show – October 21).
BLUE PALM TOURING is proud to present BLIND MELON in their first ever Australian shows:
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21:
WOOLLY MAMMOTH BRISBANE
FRIDAY OCTOBER 23:
MAX WATT’S SYDNEY
SUNDAY OCTOBER 25:
MAX WATT’S MELBOURNE
Tickets available at
www.thevenuecollective.com.au
Or
1300 724 867
On-sale July 27th
