What Next For DARK?

Update April 2022

Sadly the pandemic prevented Steve, Clive, Phil and Rob getting together anymore.

This added to the fact that both Phil & Rob had moved to the South of England so, although they were managing to travel up once or twice a month before Covid hit in early 2020, March 9th 2020 was the last time that happened.

Also, although Steve is now fully retired, health concerns mean that gigging is less likely for the future, even if DARK do get back together with more new members.

If we could find any that were happy just to rehearse for fun, we would seriously consider this.

Steve, Ron and Clive still meet up occasionally to discuss the future of the two albums and also the possibility of a DVD release, as there is film available from each of the last three gigs.

There has also been some interest shown in using some never before released material, so Steve will have to find time to sift through any old tapes he can find, many of which would be rehearsal recordings.

Unfortunately, the 'Dark Round The Edges' line up will probably not perform together again.

As mentioned before, Martin now lives abroad and, although he comes back occasionally, that obviously makes rehearsing rather difficult.

Ron now has other interests, as does his brother Andy, who played rhythm guitar on the last few gigs, and so they are no longer available.

Steve and Clive, as stated above, had still been playing, with two new members. Phil Walding (Steve's best mate from their school days) on 2nd Guitar and Rob Chaundy on Bass.

The 'New DARK' was more of a laid back affair, just rehearsing on a fortnightly basis which is all Steve can manage now, working a full-time night shift. Consequently, regular gigs are not a possibility although not ruled out all together as their performance on 20th June 2015 at the Pucturedrome for the 'Have Guitars . . . Will Travel - LIVE!' gig testifies.

This was as part of the Northampton Music Festival weekend and they hope for a repeat performance in 2016.

News of any interest will probably find its way on to this website as well as the DARK facebook page.

2023

Dark Round The Edges - 50th Anniversary

Boxsets

Planned for this special anniversary of the recording of Dark Round The Edges in 1972.

A series of 13 LPs + 1 7" Long Play single will be produced,

plus a CD Boxset - of virtually all material recorded between 1969 and 1996.

These will include all recordings from the 'Teenage Angst' time including new material recorded 'Live' of DARK Mk 1 in 1969.

Also 'Artefacts From The Black Museum' to include the recorded backing tracks

of the DARK Mk 4 line-up recorded in October 1971.

'The Jam' recorded in late '75 will also be included.

A new Remix & Remaster of 'Anonymous Days' - especially for this project.

This will also include 3 bonus tracks.

2 of those are from rehearsals in 'The Cellar' whilst preparing for the recording sessions.

These were eventually rejected and so not included previously.

Also an earlier work of 'Miles and Miles Away' which couldn't be finished initially as the first studio closed down - and the second studio could not progress it as the tapes were recorded on a 16 track ½" tape machine while 'Far Heath Studios' used 24 track equipment needing 1" tape.

And - Of Course - Dark Round The Edges itself PLUS the backing and outtake tracks.

Especially for this Anniversary Edition, DRTE has been Remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London.

It was hoped that everything would be available for Summer 2022 to coincide

with the recording dates of 9th-13th July 1972.

Sadly, delays due to the pandemic, backed up orders at pressing plants and vinyl shortages

mean that the LPs will probably not now be available until early in 2023,

with the CD Boxsets following soon after.

In the meantime - check out the video of Steve & Ron's trip to Abbey Road for the remastering session.

2020

Zero Time - Back to a 3 piece

One of the last videos recorded before the pandemic lockdowns - which, sadly, have caused DARK to stop getting together, at least for the foreseeable future.

Recorded during a Rehearsal at Audio Works in Northampton, as a 3 piece. Back To Our Roots! https://www.audio-works.co.uk

Our 2nd guitarist couldn't make it so we decided to just do the Classic line-up.

This is the latest version we have recorded.

Obviously we're not doing much right now with the pandemic - but, as things stand, I'm not sure when we will again as I'm one of the 'Clinically, Extremely Vulnerable' people that is having to shield.

This video is a slight revamp on the video I posted a couple of years ago.

2019

Dark Cross The Ages

Double LP

This is now out of print and only available second hand.

However - it can still be obtained on CD-R from this website or eBay.

LP1 - Dark Round The Edges. A Different Remastered version of that iconic 1972 LP

LP2 - Those tracks performed Live for the last time by the DRTE Line-Up:

Steve Giles - guitar, vocals

Clive Thorneycroft - drums

Ron Johnson - bass

Martin Weaver - 2nd guitar

plus Andy Johnson - rhythm guitar, harmony vocals.

Live tracks recorded on October 19th 2011 at The Racehorse Inn, Abington Square, Northampton.

DARK had got together for the first time since the 1997 Beer Festival gig to perform at the 'Memories In Pink' event to raise funds for the children's ward at Northampton General Hospital in memory of Steve's daughter Carly who passed away at the tragically young age of 23 in February 2011.

Having performed that concert, Steve decided to arrange one final 'Farewell Concert' in order to obtain good quality video & audio before the DARK guys went their own separate ways for the last time.

'Dark Cross The Ages'

Double LP

promotional video

2014-2015

The 'Dark Round The Edges' line-up were back in the studio one last time during the summer of 2014, recording 3 tracks from 1971:

In The Sky,

Could Have Sworn,

Wasting Your Time.

These tracks have featured as bonus tracks on some re-issues of the Dark Round The Edges album, but had never been played by that line up until the sessions.

Steve, Ron & Clive were in the studio, with Martin supplying his contributions from Bulgaria to be mixed in at later dates.