GuilFest 2006. The 3 Day Guildford Music Festival on 14th, 15th and 16th July 2006

About the bands
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Artist: Puritan
Genre: Rock
Performing: 16th July 2005 /The Andertons LiveClub Stage
Website Address: [www.puritanmusic.co.uk]
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Puritan were formed in February 2002. The Band consists of Lee Maddison (Vocals & Guitar), Matt Simpson (Bass Guitar) & Lee “Ozzie” Ward (Drums).

They took their name from the religious movement “The PURITANS” who were dominant a few centuries ago and banned music and dancing amongst their followers. How much more of an ironic stance and a two fingered salute to everything that they believed in can you get than naming a raucous rock band “PURITAN”?

Noticing a vast lack of British sounding Rock bands, PURITAN are great believers in the true traditional fast moving melodic Brit-rock which influenced and sculpted music today all across the world.

From early metal pioneers, like Black Sabbath & Uriah Heep, to the post punk rock sound of the Jam etc. PURITAN are non-conformists to the letter and tell them to do something and they’ll come up with the opposite just to prove they can.

PURITAN are out to upset the American sounding rock band wagon of now which seems to dominate and influence the majority of bands at the moment, and push them aside to make way for a truly ‘British’ sounding rock band.

Just trying to sound like another American rock band has never been an option for PURITAN, and never will be. They are BRITISH!!. They are not ‘Anti American’, but they are definitely anti establishment and seeing as the music establishment seems to be dominated by America then that’s the way it seems.

“ We don’t like being told what we are supposed to like and not like! And music fans today are only given by the media a small sample of all the music that’s out there. Paul Weller summed this controlling media up when he wrote the lyrics ‘The public wants what the public gets’! PURITAN also seem to be infuriated by this and appear to be on a mission to open peoples eyes to wider spectrum and greater things.

PURITAN’s live shows and strong songs are getting them noticed all across the country and they make a lasting impression wherever they play. Whilst quickly establishing themselves across the majority of the UK ’s medium sized venues, their armoury of songs take you through a roller coaster of a ride and a barrage of emotions, from slow powerful songs to fast raucous guitar riff orientated post punk rock music.

The truly British sounding guitar of lead vocalist and guitarist Lee Maddison, mixed with the multi-layered effects and supreme bass playing of Matt Simpson, is all thrown in a large rock pot and glued very tightly together by drummer Lee “Ozzie” Ward. This gives the PURITAN sound a very layered musical depth which should not be physically possible from a 3 piece band!

Lee Maddison’s vocals also have such a wide range this adds massive depth and emotion to every single song. His range has only been likened to singers such as U2’s Bono and Manic Street Preacher’s vocalist James Dean Bradfield.

PURITAN’s debut album, which was self-released locally and via the bands website “COLOSSUS”, was recorded during the summer of 2004 after writing and gigging for 18 months. The band wanted the sound of this album to reflect and capture their ‘Live’ sound as much as possible. Therefore everything was recorded as one take where they could (i.e. no drop ins or over dubbing etc). “If we didn’t get any of the guitar parts in one take, then we’d do it again until we did!”

The band are currently working on new material for their 2 nd album, already titled “GODS & MONSTERS”, due to be released late summer of 2005.

Already being lined up for numerous summer festivals and more “Further a field” shows, PURITAN are going to be getting stronger and stronger in 2005.