Bands 1982 - Onwards

PLEASE REFER TO THE DISCOGRAPHY SECTION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON MANY BANDS NOT LISTED IN THIS SECTION

Admiral Justice

Described by Venue magazine as a cross between Guns n Roses and Metallica, Admiral Justice was formed in 1988 by guitarist Martin Vickery and drummer Paul Shellard, both based in Bristol. Bassist Rich Bateman and singer Mark Clark completed the first line up soon after.Some rough demos were produced, one of which went to Aidan Harvey-Craig who moved to Bristol to join the band as Lead Guitarist.

The band played local venues including the Bristol Bridge, Fleece and Bierkeller, along with a tour of the North of England supporting The Heartbreak Angels. They recorded their first studio demo in Luton, but around a year later Mark left the band and was replaced by Jon Hoon. Rich Bateman also left and was replaced by Matt Ackerman on bass.

With this line-up the band recorded a second demo which got airplay on local radio due to their increasing profile. This was fuelled by appearances at the Ashton Court Festival, regular headliners at the Fleece and the Bierkeller, gigs across the South West and London, and support slots with nationally touring bands such as Kiss of the Gypsy, Mama's Boys and Gunfire Dance.

This, in turn, led to label interest from Island and Virgin. Although no deal came through, Admiral Justice continued to knock out original hard rock until their break up in the mid 1990s.

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