To Begin with duress have been around for quite a while now in one shape or another, the idea started way back in 2001 and has since evolved into its strongest form that is what they are today, veterans of music, a band who all in all want to enjoy and have people enjoy the music they live for:
Ben and Dave had played in many bands in Thurso HIgh School, and wanted to start a band when the left school, Ben Was in Silverstone and Dave was in Dacalgarjam. The original idea was at the end of the 2001 battle of the bands when Ben had just found out he had won it for the second time Ben, Dave, Jamie Reid and Jamie riddel talked about starting a band, Ben was already in a Band called Grannpa Duke, but that ended a few months after school had finished as did Silverstone and Daves band Dacalgarjam.
The band would consist of Jamie Riddlel singing, Ben on Bass, Jamie Reid on Guitar and Dave on Drums.
The band never really stared until Ben's old man Rob told the 4 of them that they were playing a gig in skins for the a firm called Midus, basically a lot of bands from all over scotland were playing and they needed a local band to play aswell, problem is it was in 3 days time, the guys hadnt jammed together at all so were under a lot of pressure and a lot of threat from Rob to get a set list together in time, basically the guys were under duress and we then became duress.
We played a few gigs locally as the 4 piece that we were until Jeid (jamie reid) quit the band and then moved away, so we were left to find another guitarist, Jamie then brough in Graeme Craig (Bones), Bones turned out to be an amazing guitarist and the band then started over and we became a better band for it, we played yet more gigs in pubs etc and then Jamie, who was becoming very unreliable quit, that wa sus, as far as we were concerned we were screwed.
We tried out as a 3 piece with Ben now singing and playing the bass but, whoa, it was awful, so we thought everything was over, but we decided NO we would practice practice practice and we would make it work, after months and months it finally happened, we were a 3 piece band with a good singer again.
we played lots of gigs until we were asked to play in Skinandi's again and realised there was only so much we could do as a 3 piece, so we got Richard Moncur into the band as a second guitarist, and once again started over, sice then we have played lots of pubs, clubs, etc and in nightclubs, and played outwith caithness etc, The band is the best its ever been and we always get a good crowd and have a small, yet growing following.
We have since been together for nearly 2 years woth our new line up of Bones, Ben, Richard and Dave, we might not be the most well known band, but we know the local music scene well as we have been involved in it for years and we hope to help grow the local music scene and encourage more people to start their own bands.
We are classed as a cover band as that is what we play, we do write our own music and have quite a selection, but for us, the time is not right for us to perform our own material. For now we will stick to what we have always done, love live and be the music, Get it on...with duress |
