{"product_id":"the-needles-fire-in-the-city","title":"The Needles - Fire In The City","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Needles\u003c\/strong\u003e, active in the late 1990s, were a fistful of energetic and powerful punk rock. The band, dealing with the gruelling schedule of recording, touring and daily life, split, exiting the stage for the final time but leaving a legacy of great rock songs behind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecently there have been signs of a resurgent interest in the band, with the Newcastle band \u003cstrong\u003eBear Park\u003c\/strong\u003e covering \u003cem\u003eTeenage Bomb\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eDave Powell\u003c\/strong\u003e said of live performances, “Well if the records are well received we are hopeful of reuniting the band for a couple of gigs or so - I know \u003cstrong\u003eEric\u003c\/strong\u003e is really keen to get the band back on stage, would be fantastic wouldn't it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA major influence on the band was producer \u003cstrong\u003eMark Nicols\u003c\/strong\u003e. The production values Nicols brought to the band developed their sound from raw sugar cane, rough at the best of times, to a high-octane, take-no-prisoners rock 'n' roll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original band comprised \u003cstrong\u003eDave Dixon\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ePaul Curtiss\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eRichey Wolfe\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJohnny Wolfe\u003c\/strong\u003e, united by a shared hatred of the same things as school friends. When self-confessed ‘loser’ Dave Dixon and ‘teacher’s pet’ Paul Curtiss decided to do something with their lives, they roped in the only other person they knew who was into the same music, Johnny Wolfe, laying the foundations for what would become The Needles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fiery three-piece played their first gig at an Internet café in April 1996. After several pub and club gigs in their hometown of Aberdeen, they coaxed another friend, Richey Wolfe, onto keyboards. With the line-up complete they were ready to take on the world. Richey made his debut with the band at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree… with his leg in a plaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong-time Needles supporters, the newly formed Lithium Records, headed by Mark Nicols, approached the band in April ’98 and asked them if they wanted to record a single. They did. The result was \u003cem\u003eTeenage Bomb\u003c\/em\u003e. Dave, on the band’s writing style, said, “When we started, so many popular bands were writing wanky, ironic songs that didn't mean anything. We just wanted to strip everyone down to their raw emotions and make them burst into tears and burn their record collections for being so futile and pointless.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTeenage Bomb\u003c\/em\u003e was a success, capturing the live spirit of the band. It was short, straight to the point, and pricked up the ears of music lovers and radio stations around the country and abroad, flying out of record stores far and wide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There is no perfection. We are artists, we strive on chaos.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe band finally split in 2007 to pursue new projects. Dave, Paul and John went on to form \u003cstrong\u003eThe Hidden Masters\u003c\/strong\u003e with \u003cstrong\u003eNic Denholm\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eOwsley Sunshine\u003c\/strong\u003e) and former \u003cstrong\u003eBangtwister\u003c\/strong\u003e bassist \u003cstrong\u003eAlpha Mitchell\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Hidden Masters went on to record the album \u003cem\u003eOf This And Other Worlds\u003c\/em\u003e for Rise Above\/Metal Blade Records and perform backing vocals on \u003cstrong\u003eTrembling Bells\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBonnie \"Prince\" Billy\u003c\/strong\u003e's 2012 album \u003cem\u003eThe Marble Downs\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSinger Dave Dixon later went on to front \u003cstrong\u003eThe Shiverin' Sheiks\u003c\/strong\u003e, who released the debut single \u003cem\u003eGuided Missiles\u003c\/em\u003e on BrewDog Records in 2013, while bassist Paul Curtiss (née Milne) formed London-based psychedelic pop band \u003cstrong\u003eThe Magnetic Mind\u003c\/strong\u003e, which released the 7\" single \u003cem\u003eMaybe the Stars, Maybe the Sun\u003c\/em\u003e on Heavy Soul Records in 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"25 HOUR CONVENIENCE STORE","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":58660788273497,"sku":"SDZ-49239","price":27.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/CAR_20260723_1440_134112_978_p_download_20260723134050_1_001.jpg?v=1784814568","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/the-needles-fire-in-the-city","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}