Francis Dunnery's It Bites to Release Live From The Black Country on Blu-ray and CD in October
Key Highlights :
Legendary British rock band Francis Dunnery’s It Bites will release Live From The Black Country on Blu-ray and CD through Tigermoth Records on October 6th. The release captures the band’s incredible live performance from their 2018 tour, and includes a full-length concert film, as well as a CD of the complete show.
The release also features a live clip of the band performing “Midnight”, originally from the band’s 1988 album The Big Lad in the Windmill. Fans can watch the clip below.
The new-look It Bites features guitarist Luke Machin, keyboardist Peter Jones, drummer Bjorn Fryklund, bassist Paul Brown and Quint Starkie on triggers and backing vocals.
Speaking about the origin of the song, Dunnery recalls, “The first recollection I have of the opening riff of ‘Midnight’ is in my old girlfriend’s parlour on a Juno 106 that the band had bought me to write songs. I cannot remember the present but it sounded like a gong or steel drums. I was just peddling 8th notes on the left hand for the bass and the chord shapes were shown to me years ago by my brother Baz who showed me how to play by Pharoah Sanders. Obviously it’s very different from the Sanders tune but the chord shapes were very similar. I hear the same chord shapes being used on Joe Jackson’s ‘Steppin’ Out’. I would put money on that he got those same chord shapes from Pharaoh Sanders although Steppin’ Out isn’t the same riff.”
Dunnery goes on to explain that the rest of the song and all the intricate pieces came from rehearsals with the band. “My keyboard parts were always very basic and John had a great way of making them sound proper. I think we all just thrashed out the rest of the tune. We used to love seeing how far we could push the complexity of the rhythms. I remember the very end section that sounds insane. We loved putting that together. It was full on dedication and integrity. I always think that’s what It Bites stood for. Dedication and integrity.”
The song’s lyrics came from a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the same name that Dunnery read when he was stoned, and it got him thinking about the end of his life. “It reminded me of our last days on earth. When we finally sit on the edge of the precipice between one world and the next.”
Dunnery is currently working on a new studio album with the new line-up. “With a new studio album about to be recorded in December,” he confirms. “I believe this is a fantastic representation of the band and the 2023 live show that we all worked so hard to achieve.”
Live From The Black Country is released on Blu-ray and CD through Tigermoth Records on October 6th. Fans can sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to their inbox!
