BIOGRAPHY

BIG STICK BIOGRAPHY

John Gill and Yanna Trance met in art school. They formed Big Stick when realizing their mutual taste in music. In '86 they had their first indie top 10 record in the UK titled "DRAG RACING." The release was selected by BBC disc jockey John Peel for his "special box," a collection of 100 records that were his all-time favorites, and it was also featured in the "John Peel's Record Box" BBC-TV production in conjunction with the UK Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. "DRAG RACING" was also picked by artist extraordinaire Robert Williams for his "Chrome, Smoke & Fire" Hot Rod Music Picture Disc Compilation. Big Stick experienced success in the UK during this period, as well as significant airplay and notoriety in the States with charting tracks like "JESUS WAS BORN ON AN INDIAN RESERVATION," "I LOOK LIKE SHIT," and "BILLY JACK PADDY WACK". Domestic and foreign gigs with Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and other Blast First/Mute labelmates ensued. Both back then and now, Big Stick's recordings prove to resonate among a wide cross section of so-called "alternative," rock, punk, and industrial music enthusiasts, and to this day, many believe that it's still difficult to pigeonhole or categorize Big Stick down to one particular genre of the various music scenes.

John and Yanna penned the title track for "The Devil's Jukebox," a popular 7" box-set including tracks from Big Stick and other bands on the Blast First/Mute roster. A real "Devil's Jukebox," complete with horns, tail and added devilish accessories was fabricated and stocked with the records of the box set. It was subsequently used as a prize in a contest held by a UK music publication. Throughout the 1990's Big Stick continued to put out a slew of successful "alternative" (for lack of a better word) releases. Tracks such as "HOOCHIE KOO TIME," "CRACK ATTACK," "HOKEY POKEY GIRL," "SUMMERDAY," and "PANTHER" were frequently played over the liberal airwaves, both domestic and abroad. Moving to the here, now and present day, 2019 is the year Big Stick struck up a deal with Forte Music Distribution UK to establish their very own label Drag Racing Underground Records. 2019 releases include (in order of preliminary scheduling), a special reissue and remastering of the original "DRAG RACING" 7" for April's Record Store Day, a "Much Of The Best Of Big Stick" vinyl album featuring a long playing collection of stimulating selections for May, and then, the long awaited, multiple years in the making, brand new Big Stick album simply titled "LP" scheduled for June, featuring 15 new songs and special guest appearances from some of the duo's musician friends-- this release will be available on vinyl and CD formats, and it also includes a bonus "Some Of The Best Of Big Stick" CD EP. Of course all the aforementioned releases will be available for download.

Some sidebar stuff... John Gill and Yanna Trance are active with their own respective art pursuits. Gill draws and paints. Trance sculpts and paints... Many moons ago Big Stick released an album under the Drag Racing Underground moniker (now the name of their record label)... Gill appeared in Holly Hardman's SEASCHELL BEACH film, where he played the abstract role of being the "confused conscience" of the movie's leading lady. Gill and Trance did the music score for Hardman's BESOTTED... Big Stick's "JESUS WAS BORN ON AN INDIAN RESERVATION" has become a standard for classical and jazz musicians to play... Bubblegum-goth-synth-pop female duo Electrocute, performed Big Stick's "HOOCHIE KOO TIME" live in European film director Oskar Roehler's classic GIERIG... Poison Idea's "JUST TO GET AWAY" track was heavily influenced by Big Stick's "JOE TURNER BLUES"-- a song that appeared on a split 7" with Sebadoh on the Sonic Life label... Yanna scribes an alter-ego drag racing blog on the Drag Racing Underground web site.