Artist description Popular, hard-gigging, indie pop/rock band from Gloucester.ANASTASIA is:Bill, Jay, Steve, Ben and Nigel. The exact definition drifts a little from time to time, but the centre holds. The music has developed continuously over the years, continues to do so, and is, for want of a more applicable term, loosely described as guitar-based indie rock. It's influences are as diverse and as individual as the backgrounds of its musicians, each of whom holds the responsibility for the crafting of their area of the song into a part of the cohesive whole.The lyrical style drifts from the evocative to the narrative, but is based firmly in the imagery intrinsic to the mindset of a musician who views the crafting of words as his vocation. It is firmly supported by the rich detail, yet inherent simplicity of the music provided by the drums, bass, and guitars of the band, with the occasional, but essential, assistance of a mandolin.The entire effort is always in sympathy with the intention of the song, from a band that has evolved over the years through the writing, crafting and performance of it's own material. It is a band with its own story to tell, and the need to tell it. To communicate with it's audience, and long experience of doing so, has been fundamental to it's evolution.Although a sound idiosyncratic to ANASTASIA, a search for context will find echoes as diverse as the likes of Bowie, REM, Radio Head and Alanis Morisette. Or Pink Floyd, Crowded House, The Verve and Sheryl Crow. Or Dillan, The Levellers and Counting Crows.Kind of depends on who you ask. And when.And the context shifts and changes with each new song, as other influences emerge or fade in the search for inspiration.And context is as context does, and so the sound is, perhaps, best left to be described as ANASTASIA.___________________________________________

Music Style Guitar-based, lyric-driven indie pop/rock

Musical Influences REM, The Levellers, Stereophonics

Similar Artists Ash, Feeder

Artist History Anastasia is an indie guitar-based/lyric-driven outfit who have notched up over 600 live appearances to date. UK venues include The Marquee, Mean Fiddler, West One Four and Laurel Tree in London, The Axiom Arts Centre, Attic and Town Hall in Cheltenham, The Manchester Boardwalk, The Dolly in Oxford, Bristol's Fleece & Firkin and Gloucester's Guildhall Arts Centre, plus the occasional aircraft hanger-sized gig! Many festival appearances include the Cheltenham Fringe, Brecon Jazz and Greenbelt '99.The band has played live acoustic and full sessions for the BBC, independent radio and TV. Winning the Severnsound Battle of the Bands took them to London's Earls Court where they were runners up in the Live '95 Competition. ANASTASIA were also selected from an entry of over 4,500 bands for the "UK Showcase of Music" last year.Their music has been selected for inclusion on the Peoplesound Website and CDs and free MP3 samples are available from http://www.peoplesound.com/artist/anastasia.

Group Members Bill Gribble - Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriter \ Jay Gribble - Bass, backing vocals, musical arrangement \ Steve Gribble - Mandolin or rhythm guitar \ Ben Jones - Lead guitarist \ Nigel Fortune - Drums

Instruments vocals, guitars, mandolin and drums

Albums Vision - 1996 / Yesterday's Tomorrow (13 track album) - 1998 / Treading Water (EP) - 1999 / Blue Sky (13 track album) - 2000

Press Reviews http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/hertfordshire/bob/reviews/review45.html - Music Review: Blue Sky - Anastasia (Madrigal Records): Tight, moody and powerful, Anastasia combine soft rock vocals with a guitar-heavy indie sound and dark, Placebo-esque lyrics. This is true indie at its best. Cheerfully stealing ideas from all and sundry, the band mix it up to create an individual, unique sound. Sometimes the band runs away to a carefree world of sixties nostalgia, before quickly returning to the grimy mess of the modern day. It can occasionally get a bit samey in parts, but the musicians have enough talent and skill to keep it interesting. Anastasia are a band to listen to in your bedroom, preferably with only a few candles for illumination. If this is your kind of thing, definitely check them out.

Location Gloucester, Gloucestershire - United Kingdom

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