Breed 77
BREED 77 WAS FORMED IN LATE APRIL OF 1996 IN LONDON, ORIGINALLY CALLED "BREED" , THE BAND CAME TOGETHER IN THE FORM OF DANNY FELICE , PAUL ISOLA , STUART CAVILLA AND LAWRENCE BAUTISTA . DANNY AND STUART WERE FORMERLY OF THE THRASH METAL BAND,"WINTER OF TORMENT". DISILLUSIONED WITH THE STATE OF THE SCENE , THEY SET ABOUT FORMING A BAND COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF MEMBERS FROM THEIR NATIVE GIBRALTAR. FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY , PLAYING LIVE , WAS A PRIORITY ; THAT IS WHY BREED SET ABOUT PLAYING THEIR FIRST GIG ONLY A MONTH AFTER FORMING , THERE'S BEEN NO LOOKING BACK SINCE . IN THE NEXT YEAR THEY TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO CONQUER THE LONDON UNDERGROUND , PLAYING NUMEROUS SUPPORT SLOTS WITH THE LIKES OF ONE MINUTE SILENCE ( THEN CALLED NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE ) . LITTLE AFTER THAT THEY BEGAN TO HEADLINE THEIR OWN GIGS AND ATTRACT SOME PRESS ATTENTION. THE YEAR IS 1997 , BREED IS BARELY A YEAR OLD , NEW DRUMMER IN THE RANKS ( IN THE FORM OF NICK BEEFLY ) AND ALREADY BREED ARE SNAPPING UP SUPPORT SLOTS WITH PIST.ON AND NAPALM DEATH AND TO ROUND OF THE YEAR THEY ARE VOTED TO HEADLINE KERRANG's " X-FEST " CHRISTMAS BASH AT THE SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE . THE NIGHT GOES OFF A STORM AND BREED PERFORM THEIR FIRST BIG SHOW TO TWO THOUSAND FRENZIED FANS. 1998 MARKED A STEP UP , WITH THEIR FIRST TOURS IN THE U.K. , PORTUGAL , ITALY AND SPAIN . REMEMBER ALL THESE STINTS ARE SELF-FINANCED AND BREED 77 BEGIN TO MAKE WAVES AS THE UNSIGNED BAND PLAYING EVERYWHERE . SOON THE BAND ARE ON TOURS WITH BANDS LIKE TRIBUTE TO NOTHING AND MISERY LOVES CO. THE YEAR ENDS WITH THE DEPARTURE OF NICK " THE CURTAIN " BEEFLY ......ENTER PETE " DE BEAT " CHICHONE . IN 1999 BREED 77 ROSE FURTHER , LOST A BASS PLAYER AND GAINED CHARLIE GOMEZ ( A CATALAN ) , VOTED IN THE VIEWERS POLL IN BOTH METAL HAMMER AND KERRANG! FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR , NOMINATED FOR A KERRANG! AWARD AND PLAYING ON MAJOR TOURS THROUGHOUT THE U.K. WITH THE LIKES OF O.M.S , MY RUIN , KILL II THIS AND HEADLINING THEIR OWN SHOWS .....THINGS WERE O.K. BUT TO TOP IT ALL OFF , BREED 77 ARE SELECTED BY BLACK SABBATH TO BE THE SOLE SUPPORT ACT AT THE LEGENDARY GODFATHERS OF METAL'S FAREWELL LONDON SHOW AT THE CHARING CROSS ASTORIA THEATRE . THE 2000 TICKETS SELL OUT IN SIX MINUTES , THEN ON DECEMBER 5TH BREED 77 TAKE THE STAGE SUPPORTING THEIR HEROES , AND , THROUGH ADVERSITY ,PULL OFF A STORMING SHOW TO THE ACCLAIM OF THE DIE-HARD SABBATH FANS THAT NIGHT . THIS DREAM COME TRUE BECOMES BREED 77's LAST SHOW OF THE MILLENNIUM ....AND WHAT A WAY TO GO !! THE NEW YEAR STARTS OFF SLOW , BUT BREED 77 DON'T GO ABOUT THINGS IN A SMALL WAY . THE DEBUT ALBUM PRE-PRODUCTION TAKES ALMOST A YEAR AND DURING THAT YEAR THE BAND AND CHARLIE GOMEZ HAVE PARTED COMPANY , THE SPLIT WAS AMICABLE AND CHARLIE IS INVOLVED IN VARIOUS PROJECTS . DAN WILKINSON HANDLED BASS DUTIES FOR A WHILE ,BUT WAS LATER REPLACED BY ORIGINAL BASSIST STUART CAVILLA WHO RETURNED TO THE FOLD TO COMPLETE THE ALL SMOKIN' , ALL SPITTING , ALL GIBRALTARIAN LINEUP THAT EXISTS TODAY.