One of the favorite bands of the Greek community is alive and is preparing to give a big concert to our country again.
Puresence are from Manchester, but Greece is their second home and that will be evident at the Floyd on December 14th.
The announcement says
The band, especially loved by the Greek public, is expected to give one of the best concerts of its career in the glorious 90s for all those who love their music and connect with their songs from their first album.
Songs sung with passion, songs expressing true feelings, sometimes beautiful, sometimes difficult, like life itself, so many memories are stuck in them that…
Loved for their lyrics and uplifting lyrics, timeless songs such as I Suppose, Casting Lazy Shadows, This Feeling, Don’t Know Anytter, All I Want, It Doesn’t Matter Now and India are now a new series of glorious life with the return of the band. is about to write.
Band reunions and nostalgic returns to the glory of past decades may be on the rise lately, but the return of Puresence goes far beyond this nostalgic quest, as it holds a special emotional weight and special value for the Greek public.
35 years later, Puresence is still here, stronger than ever!
Purity are the real children of the 90s, the decade that changed the world, the decade where no year is the same as the last, the decade where every new year is truly new, the decade when the new “breaks” them with the old once and for all. the decade we all love to go back to.
So, according to urban legend, James Mudriczki, Kevin Matthews, Neil McDonald and Anthony Szuminski from Failsworth, Manchester met on a bus to the legendary Stone Roses gig at Spike Island in May 1990. Kevin Matthews was watching bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield play, decided to pick up the bass and started learning… And that’s how Puresence was born.
The band name is a “gift” from their city itself – you can see the paper letters ‘P’-‘U’-‘R’-‘E’-‘S’-‘S’-‘E’ – then – ‘N’-‘ C’-‘E’, various derelict buildings and bridges in central Manchester (as well as the railway bridge opposite the legendary Hachienda club).
Whether or not this version of events is true, the story fits perfectly with the style, atmosphere and purity of Puresence’s music.
The band’s first recordings on independent labels and the release of their first 3 EPs caught the interest of Island Records and signed them. In 1995, they released their first single, “I Suppose”, which heralded a 1996 album.
The band’s self-titled debut album, Puresence, was hailed years later by NME as “a magnificent debut album that still ranks very high among the melancholy masterpieces” that first established Bridges’ strong connection with Greek listeners. In particular, songs such as I Suppose, India and Casting Lazy Shadows, which dominated Greek airwaves in 1996 and 1997, created an almost metaphysical love in the public, who warmly embraced their intricate melodic pieces. The album contains ten tracks, 5 of which were released as singles. Of course, this was followed by a European tour.
A second album, Only Forever, was released in 1998 and reached number 36 in the UK Top 40 with a more positive, lighter mood. Well-crafted production, complex compositions, fast-paced melodies. It was clear: Puresence was a band that knew how to write elegant lyrics and also had a knack for creating addictive choruses. The chart hit was This Feeling, which on the one hand opened the door to television appearances, and on the other hand was lucky enough to be BBC Radio 1 song of the week and aired on MTV.
As expected, Planet Helpless, the follow-up to 2002’s Planet Helpless, which was also a huge success in Greece and reached number 4 in the charts, is dominated by an eerie atmosphere and excellent production. The Walking Dead video features Mani (The Stone Roses/Primal Scream) and Bez (Happy Monday). Puresence toured with this album that year
in our country, along with Suede and Iggy Pop.
Neil McDonald left the band in 2003 and was replaced by Lowell Killen, who remains the band’s lead guitarist to this day.
It took five years to release the fourth in a row, Don’t Forget to Remember (2007), on a new label and with a new guitarist. Here, too, purity is aesthetic, emotionally honest, and always sharp and true. The album entered the Top 30 upon its release in America, and thus Puresence played their first concerts in New York.
In autumn 2009 they released their ‘best of’ compilation Sharpen Up The Knives and played their biggest UK gig at the Apollo in Manchester.
Solid State Recital (2011) was the band’s fifth album – one song even featured legendary American singer Judy Collins. Their deeply melancholic and redemptive melodies combined with journeying performances offered another emotional climax to even the most demanding listeners.
It was November 2013 when the band disbanded after more than 20 years of success.
10 years later, in 2023, a video suddenly appeared on the Internet with the announcement “PÜRESSENCE 29.06.24”. On Saturday 29 June 2024, all roads led to a packed Albert Hall in Manchester. Friends of the group have been waiting for this moment for eleven years. Puresence once again warmed the hearts of the audience with their unpretentious, honest, pulse and musical live performance in this triumphant live performance that sold out in minutes, proving that… Nothing is forgotten. … everything is here! Glorious and passionate.
Manchester to Athens!
Puresence returns to Greece in December 2024!
Friends in Greece are counting down the days until their big concert live!