1999 and a young John and a young Joe. Both happy little people living in Hayfield. They loved to make dens and play war games but best of all, they liked to play music. Joe being the skilled musician he is and John being the skilled drummer they had lots of fun. Playing steriophonics covers in Joes house.
But there was something missing. There was no bass player. So in came Tom who also had a keen musical background. He began to play bass on their happy litlle Stereophonics covers. From then on they happily played more Stereophonics covers in Joes house. Little did they know what great wonders where round the corner.
Nick was an unoticed boy at school. No-one realised what true potential there was inside him, until he met Joe, John and Tom. Nick joined the band as guitarist number two, and became the spark that ignited Raised in Hell's fire.
Nick had extensive knowledge of many bands, as well as his own unique style of guitaring. The four continued to practice together in Joes house, playing the occasional school assembly. Unfortunately, none of them had the sense of confidence or exhibitionism to get up and sing on stage.
Enter an older, perhaps wiser social outcast...
The as yet unnamed foursome had been asked to play a gig for some exchange students due to leave for their own country. Three days before they were due to play, they realised that none of them wanted to sing. An old friend of theirs quickly volunteered.
Hyde had been given extensive training in the army, and was completely proficient in at least three firearms. He had always been seen as something of an attention seeker, but this was his chance to get himself noticed at last.
Simply from one practice at Johns house, the four asked Hyde to join the band permanently. They then went on to play a set consisting entirely of covers for the exchange students. Despite getting a better crowd response than the main band, the performance itself was awful. Hyde couldn't sing for a bag of chips. If it wasnt for Mill, he still wouldn't be able to.
Mill is Hydes oldest friend, and they have been friends since nursery school. One fateful Sunday afternoon, Mill attended one of the bands practices. Mill was unhappy with the effort Hyde put into his singing, and through his extensive motivational skills forced Hyde to sing. The first song the band ever played that began to show signs of the true potential the band had was Wake Up, by Rage Against The Machine. (Thank you Zack de la Rocha!)
After this the band began to rent out Thornset band room on Sunday, in preperation for their own gig at New Mills school under their new name, D.O.A.
The gig went slightly better than the first, as the band manged to sell roughly 240 tickets. But they were still playing all covers. The band then took some time out to start writing their own material.
The bands first big debut gig was in support of well(ish) known band Violent Delight at the Roadhouse in Manchester on October 31st 2002. The gig couldn't have gone better and the band got lots of lovely new fans and some contacts for other gigs and people worth being in contact with around the Manchester area.
After about a year of playing more gigs in some of Manchesters well known clubs the band thought it was time to start working towards an EP. With the departure of Hyde in early 2003 and a slight change of name Joe took lead vocals along with his guitar playing. The band are now waiting to record and are playing a bunch of gigs before hand...
Raising Hell have played alongside :-
Ratsiraka, Lost Cause, Persons Unknown, Death By Boardin', Exodus, The Chaps. Victor FME, Temporary Amnesia, Kick Me When Im Down (KMWID),
Emma, Joe steakhouse, No Justice (Sbandx), err theres more but i cant remember the names
Isidore, Lazy Jack
Violent Delight.