Dempsey

There are at least 3 artists named Dempsey. One is NYC and London artist Geoff McIntire whose single "Odb on the Run" appeared on Rough Trade's "Counter Culture" collection a while ago. His current incrnation is with Dempsey and The DC9'S. Another is the first incarnation of indie rock band Marshal Plan from Milford Haven, Wales, and the other is an indie/british rock band from Essex Junction, Vermont

1) Dempsey is.Geoff McIntire - an American artist residing in London and elsewhere.
Update: DEMPSEY 'SUNRISE/SUNSET'. Produced by KIEREN HEBDEN{FOUR-TET/FRIDGE} and Trevor Jackson,{PLAYGROUP} Available on ITUNES. See the video of "Eight Days Of Rain" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK7QS45HMq0. Check out the new tracks at http://www.myspace.com/dempseyuk .

In his own words: "I came to London from NYC in 2000, met Trevor Jackson and was introduced to his Output lablemates, Fridge was my backing band and we recorded album at Edwin Collins Westheath Yard. The whole process was a gas. Recording with Kieran is always entertaining as he is up for any ideas. Beats are turned on their heads. Adem played bass, moog, and various instruments he found on studio floor, Sam held down a rock steady beat and I played guitars and vox.

Stayed/Strayed in a crazy pub called Filthy MacNasties. While I was there worked with Pete, Carl, Gary and John, aka The Libertines. We all started playing shows and holding songwriter nights that included some of the current music scene in the UK. I remember Jonny Burrell trying his best to be Dylan, Peter Wolf doing crushing numbers of songs he would later record, Tim from Ash passing me guitars, and Carl and Chris Martin in a way late night lock in... These were days when no one had yet broke big, but you could feel it in the general craziness and malarkey.

I got signed to Output/Universal. The boys got locked with Rough Trade and other assorted labels. There's a great Tom Waits tune that goes, "Never saw the sunrise till I stayed up all night," and oh yeah brother ain't that the truth.

We all still hang out together. Well, some of us. The road goes on forever and the party never ends. I've been mixing, touring and recording in the States and Europe. I had previously taken some time off to deliver yachts from northeast coast of the US to the Carribean, writing music and sailing, standing on the bowline singing that melody, as all tough sailors do when their far away at sea.

Currently I'm in London recording the follow up to the first record that holds a lot of promise. I just returned from a whacked, crazy fun tour of Nicaragua. I played gigs all over the country and in crazy bars and clubs. I did alot of surfing as well, Popoyo/Santanas, and feel pretty juiced about this year!

Make music and live it to the max ya'll, no fear 'cause life ain't an audition."

2) Dempsey was founded in 2007 by Ben Trendle (vocals, guitar), Aymeric Claude (guitar), Greg Tyler (bass), and Jason Miller (drums) in their suburban Essex Junction neighborhood. With the intention of shamelessly mashing together parts of every Arctic Monkeys, Kooks, and all other brit-indie bands' songs and then trying to call it original, the band started off. While Tyler's incredible bass lines genuinely lay down great groundwork for a young band to get to work, the other members really fail to live up to his contributions, especially frontman Trendle, whose trite lyrics, ridiculous stage ego, and lack of musicianship distract and detract from the band's sound. One would hope with the time he'd move past this, but given his personality, it is highly doubtful that the band will evolve past his poor attempt to get inside girls' Hollister jeans. Look for Tyler to go on to do big things though.

3) Dempsey were the first incarnation of Welsh indie rock band Marshal Plan formed in Milford Haven, Wales offcially in 2003, after years of deliberation by its members and moving through various incarnations to arrive at the current existence now in 2008. In 2000, whilst studying at Milford Haven comprehensive, school-mates Thom James and Daniel McCaffrey always talked of forming bands and making music. Between them, they had a bulk of songs written by 2001, but as both of them could only play drums, the idea remained on hold. However, since then, the band has been through several transitions since it's proper conception just a few short years ago.

Originally, a covers band, after three years of threats and assembly, the first incarnation got together to jam in Daniel's back shed, now the infamous 'Den' to anyone who ever went to a party there, and played one house party under the name Dempsey. The line-up aside from James (Vocals) and McCaffrey (Drums), included Will Searle (Guitar), Sean Pinnington (Guitar) and Xen Onisiforou (Bass). Whilst the band hadn't officially split up, practicing took a backseat to teenage life and leaving, and shortly after, in the autumn, the band went their separate ways to college and university. During a summer school in Aberystwyth, Will Searle and Dan McCaffrey entertained at a leaving party with a few covers and a few months later were booked to play at a birthday party in early 2004, by a friend who was at the party. Although Xen, who was also in Aberystwyth university, he was absent from the band for a short period of time. In November 2003, Dan called Thom, who was in Swansea, to ask if he and Will could have use of the name Dempsey which Thom had come up with whilst on a trip to Cardiff's 'Dempsies Bar'. In the three months since they'd parted company, Thom had taught himself to play guitar, to channel his writing into music whilst away from his friends, so rather than giving up the name, Thom asked if he could rejoin the pair for the gig. They agreed and the three reconviened before Christmas 2003, practising cover songs, and after scrapping their original previous writing attempts, they wrote their first song, She's Breaking Down.

In January 2004, Dempsey packed up a car, gathered some friends and headed off to Aberystwyth. Not having a bass player was a concern so, with one day before they were to play the show, they stopped off at a shared house in Aberystwyth to meet a guy called Joe, whose last name they never found out. They gave him a setlist and the next day picked him up and took him to the gig to practice and that night they played their first show as a 4-piece. The set was littered with nerves and broken strings, but they were well recieved for the most part and everyone was good and drunk enough not to care too much. That night, in an adjoining woodland to the venue, 16 friends including a young Peter 'Peg' Hill crammed into a 4-person villa, to sleep off the alcohol and rest up for a long journey home.

Even though for long periods of the year the boys were in different parts of the country, the band refused to discuss logistics and carried on talking about the band as an ongoing thing. They were asked by a friend to play at his birthday party and although things were slow, they were becoming fun and whenever they were asked to play, that gave them goals to work towards.

After the first year of respective studies over, the band joined up at 'The Den' in the late spring to pracitse and refine their sound. Thom turned up to the first practice session, delighted to see an old friend, Xen Onisiforou, who had quit uni, back on bass duties and with Xen there, things progressed very quickly. The line-up for the next fre years was complete and this was probably the most prolific time for the band. Will and Thom shared both writing and singing duties, both offering something different but always back up by a reliable rythym section. Xen and Dan just seemed to click and make it all work, even when Thom was off-key and Will went into one of his lengthy guitar solos. The influences of the time were bands like Brand New, Kings of Leon and Muse although the band had always taken influences from early musical loves like Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Ash, Oasis and No Doubt, and these are the sounds that the band then strivved for, being equally interested in acoustic-based music as well as Rock. These sessions also yielded the introduction of brand new songs Tony's Place (James), Red Room (James/McCaffrey/Searle), Wedding Gown (Searle/James), You Can't Make Me Fly (McCaffrey/Searle), Thank You (Searle) and the instrumental track Don't Tell Her We're Here ((McCaffrey/Onisiforou/Searle). Writing continued, with McCaffrey contributing a small - but significant - part of the process, penning the foundations of Red Room and later on others.

In September that year, after a good summer of practice and tired of work, Dempsey headed to Porth, Rhondda to play a gig in the Porth Social Club. A good mix of people who were either dancing or too drunk to stand up was in order, and the ages ranged from 14 upwards. A 19-song set was performed on the night, having only practised 14 songs, the band included some of their own songs in between classic covers. The band once again said their goodbyes as another academic year rolled on by. 7 months passed by before the band played together again, and frustrations with the situation started to form. However, in April 2005, Dempsey managed t get themselves and a room full of friends into the Cooper's Arms in Aberystwyth. Reluctant at the amount of time since they played together, the band decided they would use the day to practise; a day that was full of spanners in the works. They weren't permitted onto the premises until the afternoon of the gig, then having to set up their equipment around an alien PA system, Will's guitar failed and a friend's had to be picked up in its place. Despite this, the band were determined to give a good show, and in 7 months, new songs had been written and heard. The track Nothing To You (McCaffrey/Onisiforou/Searle) appeared in the setlist, as well as the twice practiced Dakota. With stellar support from Elgan Davies, a one-man, piano love misson, the band played their best show, surprising themselves in the process but tension about the situation of the band was beginning to show. All four members retreated to different regions to persue their education and work.

Whilst Xen remains in Aberystwyth contributing bass duties to local band The Spells, Thom, Dan and Will continue to play together in Marshal Plan.