Jail

Band page created in 2004.

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Biography

Indie punk-pop

Jail are a shouty psychedelic punk-pop band who combine the insane wisdom of Syd Barrett and Mark E Smith with the pop sensibilities of Blur and Pulp and the onstage lunacy of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. TV's Stewart Lee, one half of the 90s comedy double act geniuses, Lee & Herring, also a Sunday Times music critic, novelist, dj, director and librettist of Jerry Springer: The Opera, and star of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, has described them as "a miniature meccano-kit replica of the classic leftfield indie template" and also played Jail's 'Renaissance Man' on his One Way Single Parent Family Favourites lunchtime show on London's Resonance 104.4 FM.

Formed in Leeds in 2001 when lead singer and songwriter Jon Leone was a Geography student there, they have played the Royal Park four times (once supporting the Container Drivers and Being 747), the Joseph's Well and the Rocket, and twice in Manchester, though most of their gigs these days are in London. The story goes that Jon Leone recorded his debut EP 'Evil Moon, Bad Sun' with help from Kieran Hurley on drums, then Steve Kind (legendary promoter at the Royal Park) saw the demo in local guitar shop Rock Shack, and had an urge to buy it, despite never buying demos of unknown bands. He offered Jon a gig, who hastily assembled the band, which consisted of his friends the backing band of the now sadly defunct Blindside, fellow Leeds University students.

Jail supported Coventry 80s two-tone sensations The Selecter at Crash Festival and ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead's band at The Water Rats. Mark E Smith of the Fall has a copy of their 2003 album Ri0t At The Health Club, as do TV's Stewart Lee, Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, TV Personalities' Ed Ball, legendary session musician Terry Edwards (who played in the Higsons with Charlie Higson of the Fast Show), ex-Fall guitarist Ben Pritchard, and the Curious Orange himself and Little Britain actor Paul Putner.

Jail's albums Communist Speech Tower Land and 3rd Won are available on Amazon and iTunes.