Bad Boat Doom Metal / Co. Antrim
‘Mechanical World’ was originally by the 60’s/70’s band SPIRIT and ‘Uphill Struggle’ was one of Graeme’s songs worked out with the band shortly before he left. Oddly Graeme was cool enough to play on the Spirit song and Gerard played ‘Uphill Struggle’. Limited to 100 cds, this release was rushed out to coincide with the Riff Fest tour of Ireland with STAND-UP GUY, TWO TALES OF WOE and TRIGGERMAN. By the time the tour had ended though successful enough as they shifted all of the ‘Lonely Doom’ cds and many albums, the band knew Niall was moving to Carlow, Mike was moving to Leeds and their old practice room was being tore down. The band may have been finally gaining some real momentum but couldn’t have surfed the wave they created any longer and ‘Lonely Doom’ seemed a fine epitaph so BAD BOAT dissolved. They played their last shows in June 2009 and vocalist Tom Clarke was heard from the stage saying “You’d have to wait for our last ever gig to get up and bloody dance wouldn’t ye”. Steve and John joined the band on the night and the Boat went down a storm.
The ‘Lonely Doom’ EP was finally be released on limited vinyl in early 2012 on Freak Flag Records with it’s originally intended cover. The original line-up of Steve, Niall, Tom and Graeme have reformed with the official ‘Lonely Doom’ EP launch being held on 19th January 2013. Support on the night came from ASTRALNAUT, NOMADIC RITUALS and CUTTER.
Latest news from BAD BOAT is that the band have resumed activity and have a new recording, ‘Drown The Phoenix’ on it’s way late 2014.
Counties
Antrim
Genres
Doom Metal, Rock, Stoner Doom
Year Formed
2002
Status
Active
Members (Current)
- Tom Clarke - Vocals
- Niall Ward - Bass
- Graeme Heyburn - Guitar
- Paul Gallagher - Drums
Members (Former)
- Jason Hendry - Bass
- John Gallagher - Guitar
- Gerard McGoran - Guitar
- Doot O'Reilly - Drums
- Michael McGoran - Drums
- Stephen Hobson - Drums
- Gerard Gallagher - Drums
“Thanks a million to Tom Clarke for helping out with this Archive page for the brilliant BAD BOAT. One of my all-time personal favorite Irish bands. It’s hard to pin down exactly what it is about the band and their releases that appeal to me. All I know is that once I start spinning ‘Blues Gone Black’ or ‘Lonely Doom’ I can’t bring myself to interrupt them. I have to let them play all the way through and usually end up hitting repeat too. I had my own piece written up for this myself, but Tom passed on his own write-up which left mine looking like a pile of dog shit. It’s obvious that the man takes a lot of pride in his past musical works. And rightly so, as far as BAD BOAT, and indeed HOWLIN’ WIDOW are concerned.”