A Brief history...

A Brief history... Eddie and the Hot Rods began life in 1976, when four teenagers from Southend on Sea got together and playing their own style of fast energetic rock and roll / r'n'b, were soon a big hit on the London pubrock scene. Catching the eyes and ears of the music press and the major record companies, they were soon signed up by the legendary Island Records and went on to have three hit albums and four top forty UK singles including the Top Ten hit 'Do Anything You Wanna Do'. There have been numerous TV appearances worldwide and they have filled almost every major venue in the UK. A success in the USA too, they have toured alongside The Ramones, Tom Petty, The Police, Squeeze and Talking Heads. After over a decade of touring, and with various members of the band involved in other projects (Paul Gray - UFO/The Damned: Barrie Masters - The Inmates: Graeme Douglas - The Kursaal Flyers: Steve Nichol - One the Juggler...), the Hot Rods slowly ground a halt and for a few years there were only occasional reformations involving several line-ups. However, throughout the changes, one man remained a constant - the 'very RocknRoll' Barrie Masters and in 2000 the band were asked to take part in a 76 date tour of the UK alongside Dr. Feelgood, John Otway and The Hamsters. Barrie reconditioned his Hot Rods and the tour was a great success. The band have been back in demand ever since, touring all over the world including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic and Poland, as well as three successful tours of the USA in 2006, 2008 and 2009. They have found time to record two albums of brand new songs, "Better Late Than Never" in 2004 and the aptly titled, "Been There, Done That...".in 2006. There is also a full concert DVD, "Live in London - 2005", recorded at London Astoria as well as a Live CD compilation "Right for the Night". The band is now busy writing for a third album in it's present form and is shortly to release "Live in New York" - a CD of their show at Brooklyn's Southpaw venue, recorded during the 2009 tour.

From left to right Eddie and the Hot Rods are: RICHARD HOLGARTH (guitar), DIPSTER (bass), BARRIE MASTERS (vocals), CHRIS TAYLOR (guitar) and SIMON BOWLEY (drums).