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Category: Sound System

Karrallon – The Band That Started It All

Karrallon – The Band That Started It All Karrallon was the band that set the foundations for everything that came after. We were a Plymouth-based rock band formed in 1990, built on strong songwriting, tight musicianship and a real drive to make something happen. I was the main songwriter, working closely with Brad Davis and John Sweet. Brad came in with serious pedigree. He was the man people called worldwide when a brass section needed to be recorded. He recorded the Tower of Power brass section on all of the Huey Lewis and the News albums. Eventually he crossed over to the rock side because he wanted to record rock bands, and our management brought him in as producer during the early days of Karrallon. Brad then introduced me to John Sweet, who had already written Ocean Deep for Cliff Richard in 1983, and had recorded Echo Bridge with Colin Blunstone, along with work for other high profile artists. The name Karrallon itself is a real dictionary term. It refers to a star system made of high energy particles, which matched the band perfectly. High energy. Focused. Built to go big. Big Crowds Big Energy Karrallon built a reputation for powerful live shows and a loyal following. Some of the standout moments include: Performing to 30,000 people on Plymouth Hoe at the Radio One Roadshow in 1990 Appearing on Radio Goes To Town outside the Holiday Inn in Plymouth in 1991 Headlining the Marquee Club in London three times in one year Taking three coach loads of fans from Plymouth to London for each Marquee show Holding a weekly residency at Plymouth’s famous Dance Academy Every Sunday night for two years Pulling between 800 and 1600 people every week For an unsigned band without a major label behind us, those numbers were exceptional. Releases and Local Success In 1991, Karrallon released the CD Let The Love Lie.The launch night pulled 1000 people into a venue on a Thursday night, which shows the loyalty and excitement behind the band. During its first week of release, Let The Love Lie became the most purchased single in Virgin Records Plymouth, outselling national chart acts locally. In July 1992, we released The Demos on cassette.In 1993, we released Unsung Heroes, also on cassette.Both tapes became key parts of the band’s catalogue and are still traded by fans today. Rock War Winners and BBC Recognition Karrallon won the Tommy Vance Radio One Rock Wars Competition, one of the biggest breaks any unsigned British band could get at the time. Winning Rock War led to: A full BBC recording session at Maida Vale Studios Two days recording three original tracks All three tracks broadcast on the Friday Rock Show on two consecutive weeks That level of national recognition pushed the band far beyond the local circuit. Studio Work and Early Craft We also recorded at Press House Studios, owned by Martin Barre from Jethro Tull. Martin’s wife looked after the band every day and the experience was first class. Those sessions were creative, focused and set the standard for how a professional recording environment should feel. Where the Craft Started Karrallon eventually wrapped, as many bands from that era did, but what we built and learned stayed with me permanently. Playing, writing and engineering at that level taught me that sound sits right between art and science. It has to feel right and it has to be technically right. That balance is still at the heart of everything we deliver through Concertsound today. The Final Chapter Karrallon went our separate ways in July 1995, after more than five and a half years of absolute mayhem, creativity, achievement and pure pleasure. Those years were packed with chaos, breakthroughs, late night writing sessions, massive crowds, big risks, big wins and a level of momentum most unsigned bands never see. It was loud. It was ambitious. It was raw. And it was one of the most exciting chapters of my life. Still Part of the DNA Karrallon may belong to the nineties, but the discipline, energy and passion for live sound from those years still drive what we do. The band started the journey and its influence can still be heard in every system we install and every event we run.