Spider

Biography

Spider were a British hard rock band formed in Wirral in 1976 who were part of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM). The band were often compared to Status Quo for their upbeat boogie rock sound.
Spider released three albums, titled Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies (1982) Rough Justice (1984) and Raise the Banner (For Rock 'n' Roll) (1986).

Career

Spider formed in 1976, consisting of four young men from Wallasey, including brothers Brian and Rob Burrows, none of whom had played in bands before.
After the release of their sophomore single "Children of the Street" on the independent label Alien Records, Spider were playing an average of 20 shows a month, which included a support slot on the Uriah Heep 1980 Winter Tour.
1982 proved to be the band's most commercially successful year, following music industry buzz generated when BBC Radio 1 commissioned them to perform on Friday Rock Show the previous year. The show's producer, Tony Wilson, introduced them to Maggi Farren, who set up a recording deal with Creole Records, as well as getting the band a support slot on Slade's 1981 winter tour.
Spider released the single "Talkin' 'bout Rock 'n' Roll" with Creole, which featured on BBC Radio 1's playlist. They then went into the studio to begin recording their first album Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies, to be released on the Creole label also. However RCA made a late bid for the band, and after negotiations, Spider signed a six-year recording contract with the them.
1982 continued with Spider playing consistently sold out monthly shows at the Marquee Club and supporting Alice Cooper on the British leg of his Special Forces Tour, playing at the Reading Festival on Sunday 29 August 1982, and securing a support slot on a much-anticipated Gillan tour, which coincided with the release of Spider's first album, Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies.
The band released two more albums, 1984's Rough Justice, and 1986's Raise the Banner (For Rock 'n' Roll), then split that year.
The band had announced a reunion in 2016, but this was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
On 22 July 2022, it was announced on the band's official Facebook page that Colin Harkness had died at the age of 62.
Dave Bryce, guitarist, currently plays with the London-based rock band A.W.O.L., who are named after the opening track on Spider's debut album, Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies.

Band members

Colin Harkness - lead vocals, guitar (died 2022)
Dave "Sniffa" Bryce - guitar, backing vocals
Brian Burrows - bass, backing vocals
Rob E. Burrows - drums