The Piranhas are back for a second bite

The Piranhas, the band that dominated the late ‘Seventies punk scene in Brighton before being discovered by John Peel and finding chart fame with the Kwela-inspired single ‘Tom Hark’, have reformed as Piranhas 3D.

The band has been performing to ecstatic reactions at a series of unadvertised pop-up gigs in London and on the South Coast, starting with two sell-out sets at a ‘Punk All-dayer’ in Brighton. 'They launched into it as though no years had elapsed and they had been playing together all those years,‘ blogged an audience member; ‘the crowd went mental.'

The reunion was sparked when (Boring) Bob Grover and Johnny Helmer, the band’s original songwriting team, met up again by chance in Hanover, the district of Brighton where they first came together to form the Piranhas. Over numerous drinks, they decided to give it another go.

As with their performing skills, their songwriting, has picked up where it left off. Bob and Johnny have written a clutch of new songs featuring the same hangdog wit and tightly-crafted, garage-influenced arrangements that brought them to cult, and then mainstream, success back in the last century. Titles include, ‘New Media’, ‘(The Relentless Pursuit of) Adequacy’ and ‘Ebay Baby’. John and Bob are joined in the new line-up by Owen Instereo and Steve Burnaby-Davies, the rhythm-section that powered Bob’s previous band, Dates.

With a series of successful pop-up gigs behind them, designed to work the new material in alongside old favourites (including Tom Hark, still a perennial favourite on national radio and at sporting fixtures around the land) The Piranhas 3D are now gearing up for a series of officially advertised gigs throughout 2010 and making plans to record the new material.

Piranhas 3D is:

(Boring) Bob Grover - Guitar and lead vocals

Johnny Helmer - Guitar and lead vocals

Steve Burnaby-Davies - Drums and vocals

Owen Instereo - Bass guitar and vocals

Note: Phil Collis (AKA Zoot Alors), the original saxophone player with the group, joined the line-up for the Punk All-dayer, flying in from Manhattan where he now lives. It is expected that Zoot will make future appearances with the band, as and when he can be arsed.

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