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| Johnny Panic Biography 1997 - Eight years ago a couple of South London - based lads take the glut of musical mediocrity as their inspiration to raise the bar on it all. With stealth they plough the furrow of Pulitzer prize - winning poet Sylvia Plath's "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" for a name. With intention they marry an ear for infectious melodies to a healthy dose of social consciousness. "There's an ethic missing from a lot of bands," says singer Rob Solly. "We live in a society that refuses to question. That's where rock 'n' roll comes in. We're not here to shove them down people's throats, but every single one of our songs is trying to get something across." Johnny Panic has always been about writing the best music. As drummer Jonny Shock explains: "Most of the bands I'd go and see used to be rubbish. Sure, I wasn't playing anything back then, but I'd think 'Christ, these guys are dull'. I know I could do better." Meanwhile, back in 97 future frontman Solly has just been introduced to The Jam by his older sister, and an obsession with Buzzcokcs, Sex Pistols and The Clash is soon nipping him on the bum. But it's a fateful encounter on a bus with Jonny Shock - a fellow Sidcup native - that sows the seeds of the band. "He was wearing a Depeche Mode T-shirt so I had to go up to him," laughs Rob. "And he could only be a drummer..." They soon enlist the talents of local bassist NASH FRANCIS and Johnny Panic is three - quarters there. But seventy five per cent is never enough. In fact, it's five long years before it all falls into place... 2002 - The boys still haven't found a guitarist, when one night they fall into conversation with one Guns 'n' Roses - toting Matt James at their local on Sidcup High St. Let's get one thing straight. Johnny Panic - as we know it - is born that night. Like his future band - mates, Matt's already experienced his share of no - hope bands and is ready for success. "We'd had a few people out to jam with us, but Matt was the only bastard who crashed his car into mine," explains Shock helpfully (referring to a fateful post - audition mishap). But it was Matt's talents on the six - string that made him truly memorable. "I'd played with a load of other bands, but nobody really had the hunger," he says. "And then Rob calls me and asks me if I want to join the biggest band in the world. How could I say no?" Good thing he did, because while they may have yet to achieve the star - stubbed status of their idols it looks as if Johnny Panic are already well on their way to hitting the big - time. They've toured the UK far and wide - in fact they've done 130 gigs in 18 months. They played on last year's prestigious Kerrang! New British Rock Tour. They supported Buzzcocks on all 12 dates in April, with Pete Shelley even declaring them his "favourite support band ever." And in recent months they delivered storming sets at South by Southwest, Download Festival, Rock am Ring in Germany and as support for Towers Of London. "Johnny Panic is above us," says Rob. "The Plath story is about a mythical figure who holds an encyclopedia of people's hopes and dreams, even despair. We're the members of Johnny Panic, but we're not Johnny Panic. It's just something we aspire towards. Having said that I don't think any of us put too much emphasis on the name, it's just a fact that it's a name actually drawn on something." After 2004's classic debut single and live favourite "Burn Your Youth", Kerrang! Single of The Week "Chemical Girlfriend" (available on download only) and XFM Single of The Week "You're A Fool", Johnny Panic released the chart - denting "Minority Of One" (supported by Radio 1, XFM, Kerrang! and Scuzz) in April. This was swiftly followed by debut album "The Violent Dazzling, recorded in Hastings' Parkgate Studio with famed producer Al Clay (Pixies, A, Pink) in just 11 days. New single "Automatic Healer" - arguably their most melodious moment yet - is released September 5. "Any band worth listening to has had to struggle to achieve something," says Solly. "Music needs to keep pushing, keep questioning and there just aren't enough bands doing that." |
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| (Rob, Jonny, NASH and Matt) |
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