The Bolshoi Brothers (formerly The Bolshoi) / Theatre of Hate
The Bolshoi Brothers (formerly The Bolshoi), Theatre of Hate
The Bolshoi Brothers (formerly The Bolshoi) / Theatre of Hate
The Bolshoi Brothers is an indie rock duo featuring two original members of the 1980s new wave band The Bolshoi: singer/guitarist Trevor Tanner and keyboardist Paul Clark. After parting ways decades ago, they reunited in 2022 and began recording new music remotely from their homes in Florida and Washington.
Gothic post-punks Theatre of Hate formed in Britain in 1980; led by singer/songwriter Kirk Brandon, formerly of the Pack, the original group also comprised guitarist Simon Werner, bassist Jonathan Werner and drummer Jim Walker. Immediately recognized as one of the era's premier live acts, Theatre of Hate debuted in 1981 with the concert LP He Who Dares Wins Live at the Warehouse Leeds; soon after, Brandon dismissed the remainder of the group, assembling a new line-up comprising guitarist Billy Duffy, bassist Stan Stammers, saxophonist John Lennard and drummer Nigel Preston (who was soon after replaced by Luke Rendle). Another concert recording, Live at the Lyceum, followed in 1982 before Theatre of Pain entered the studio with producer Mick Jones of the Clash to record their proper debut, Westworld; the album went on to reach the UK Top 20, also launching the Top 40 single "Do You Believe in the Westworld?" He Who Dares Wins Live in Berlin followed in late 1982, but by this point the group was beginning to disintegrate, with Duffy exiting to form the Cult; a second studio album, Aria of the Devil, was recorded but went unreleased. By 1983, Brandon had founded a new unit, Spear of Destiny.
Being one of the more prominent Indie / Alternative bands from the early / mid 1980’s, Skeletal
Family enjoyed relatively major national and international success. From topping the National
UK Indie Charts for three weeks in Autumn 1984 with debut album “Burning Oil” (above other
contemporary northern bands The Smiths & New Order) to recording seven BBC Radio One
sessions for John Peel, Janice Long & Kid Jensen.
Their impressive live show at this time brought them to the attention of The Sisters of Mercy
front man Andrew Eldritch, who, after seeing a local performance, invited them as special
guests on their 1984 Black October tour. The next two years saw the band gracing the stage
with acts such as Siouxsie & The Banshees, Spear Of Destiny & The Mission etc..
Undeterred, following vocalist Anne Hurst’s sudden departure in 1985 following the release of
their second album “Futile Combat, the band enjoyed greater national chart success with the
singles ‘Restless’ & ‘Just A Minute’ via signing to Chrysalis Records with new vocalist Katrina
Phillips (from ex Specials Terry Hall’s band The Colourfield, single ‘Thinking Of You’)
This line up of the group disbanded in 1987 but due to the advent of the worldwide web,
reissues of earlier studio and compilation albums, along with a rapidly growing resurgence of
interest in eighties music & culture the band reformed again in 2002
Now consisting of original members Stan Greenwood, Roger “Trotwood” Nowell and Ian “Karl
Heinz” Taylor, i.e. the main songwriters of the band (all of whom were in the original pre cursor
to Skeletal Family from 1979 called The Elements) produced two new original studio albums
“Sakura” & “Songs Of Love Hope & Despair” alongside a third release on Jungle Records titled
“Day Of All Days”
2020 / 2021 saw the band utilising the Covid pandemic to their advantage. Alongside vocalist
Anneka Latta and drummer Adrian “Ozzy” Osadzenko the band recorded 19 new songs at Paul
Weller’s Black Barn Studios, Ripley, UK. The Album ‘Light From The Dark’ was released on 22nd April 2023 to critical acclaim.
They have since appeared at Wave Gotik Treffen Leipzig and Darker Waves Huntington Beach California as well as various dates in the UK and USA.