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The Honeymans are an ambitious, hardworking band whose eclectic, manic
mix of Celtic rock and Chili Pepper funk defies description…
THE MUSIC
The lyrics project wry, colorful images that are good natured and
sincere; the golden poetic scope of Gordon Lightfoot filtered through
the streetwise tongue-in-cheek viewpoint of Tom Waits. Rhythmically, at
one moment projecting the joyous Hibernian traditions of good-time
jigs, at other moments coloring the backbeat and rhythms with the
proud, mournful Eastern European minor-scale melodies of the Gypsies.
All founded upon the concussive whack of John Bonham one minute and the
tasty flash of Buddy Rich the next.
THE HISTORY
Originally (1996) it was Mike and Kevin playing local coffee houses and
smaller shows in Kimberley. Ben Dunn saw them at a show in 1997 and
knew instantly that he was going to play with them even though he
hadn't even met them yet. They then started playing smaller bars. The
first one was a place called "The Hosmer Inn" in Hosmer, BC, producing
Hosmer's first traffic jam (population 42). Neil played a set with them
at this show, as well as recorded two songs on the first CD in the
summer of 1998, then joined the band full time in November 1998. Since
then, the band has been a full time touring act and has performed over
300 shows in 7 countries.
THE BOYS
Mike Honeyman picked up the electric bass during junior high.
Inspiration from such diverse groups as Nomeansno and Metallica moved
him into serious musical exploration from the age of 18. As one-half of
the Honeymans' rhythm section, Mike's rolling bass lines switch moods -
from following Kevin's bright guitar rhythms to looping, individual
melodic counter lines.
Kevin Honeyman, draws as much influence from the emotional
post-hardcore frenzy of Fugazi, as from the up tempo skanking groove of
the Specials. Armed with his homemade half-brown, half-orange
amplifier, Kevin is as at home with choppy ska rhythms as he is with
crushing power chords.
Ben Dunn's first encounter with percussion began at age four with a
kitchen-floor experiment involving pots, pans, and chopsticks. After a
smoke-damaged Baxter drum kit was presented to the Dunn household as a
Christmas gift, young Ben was suitably motivated to bigger and better
instrumentation. Seminally influenced by the orchestrative percussion
of Primus' Tim "Herb" Alexander.
Neil MacDonald is the last pillar of support underneath the Honeymans'
sonic platform. He began playing violin at age twelve, influenced by a
cousin of his father's who was a fiddler and a luthier. The self taught
fiddler brought a new dimension to the band with his folk and Celtic
influences.
Stompin' Grounds
Stomping Ground CD
$16.00
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Plugged Up CD
$16.00
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