THE NEXT BAND : Four By Three EP (1978) UK
Gannet Records SRTS/78/CUS159
320 kbps
01. Never On A Win
02. Close Encounters
03. Red Alert
04. Too Many Losers
Rocky Newton : Vocals & Bass (RED ALERT, WILDFIRE, LIONHEART, McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP, MIDNIGHT, REUBEN ARCHER)
John Lockton : Guitar (RED ALERT, WILDFIRE, WILD HORSES, BADLANDS, RATED-X, VICTORY)
Frank Noon : Drums (DEF LEPPARD, RED ALERT, WILDFIRE, LIONHEART, WILD HORSES, BERNIE TORME & THE ELECTRIC GYPSIES, WAYSTED, DiANNO, STAMPEDE, ROADHOUSE, CRAZY LESBIANS)
THE NEXT BAND were a three piece Hard Rock group from Grantham, Lincolnshire, formed in 1976 by John Lockton, Rocky Newton and Frank Noon.
The trio were first mentioned in the music press in 1977 when they took part in the Melody Maker sponsored 'Rock & Folk Contest', but they failed to reach the finals.
In March 1978 The Next Band supported ZAL, (the short lived band of former S.A.H.B. guitarist Zal Cleminson), on live dates.
At the end of the summer, having relocated to Yorkshire, the group entered Hull's Fairview Studios to record some of their material.
From these recordings came the four song 'Four By Three' EP which surfaced on November 25 on the Gannet label.
It's energetic self-penned compositions are viewed now as early examples of the genre that came to be known as NWoBHM.
The EP is particularly sought-after by DEF LEPPARD fans as Frank Noon drummed on Leppard's debut EP, (also recorded at Fairview Studios in late 1978), following the sudden departure of their original drummer Tony Kenning.
It is widely reported that The Next Band's approach of funding and recording their own EP was a direct influence on Def Leppard, who used the self same tactic to kickstart their career.
Before the end of the decade The Next Band had metamorphosised into RED ALERT, who then changed their name to WILDFIRE to avoid confusion with a few other acts using the Red Alert name.
Red Alert had released a single on the Steel City label entitled "Run To Ground" in 1980, and when they changed their monicker the remaining copies of the record were altered using Wildfire stickers to reflect the change.
Unfortunately, the group disbanded before the end of the year, with The Next Band's three members remaining active in music and going on to varying degrees of success in the industry.
John Lockton later played with WILD HORSES, BADLANDS & the German group VICTORY.
Rocky Newton resurfaced in LIONHEART before joining the newly formed McAULEY SCHENKER GROUP in 1986. Newton would go on to play on all 3 studio albums by the McAuley Schenker Group.
Frank Noon was even more active, drumming with Lionheart, Wild Horses, BERNIE TORME & THE ELECTRIC GYPSIES, WAYSTED, DiANNO, STAMPEDE, ROADHOUSE and others.
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