Big Linda is 22 year old Rob Alder (born in Bishop Stortford, “a singer who genuinely looks like a young Jim Morrison” – Sunday Times), Patrick Murdoch (born on the Wirral, grew up occasionally in Hong Kong, a guitarist who shreds his strings by playing them with a drumstick), Vezio Bacci (born in Rome, epicurean and bass sophisticate) and Geoff Holroyde (born in Peterborough, hair by Rock Manes Inc, a ringer for the Muppet’s Animal) and their story goes like this: Holroyde bumped into Murdoch at Metropolis Studios where they decided to jam together.
Producer Andy Wright subsequently introduced the pair to a mystery man who offered to fly them both to Antigua to record some songs at the island’s palatial Pelican Lodge Studios. Blithely, brilliantly they agreed, thereby necessitating a course of events that would see them bump into Bacci at Antigua’s main airport terminal.
They recorded nine songs in the hills, came up with an amazingly “ludicrous” name (after hearing that their mysterious benefactor occasionally, ahem, corresponded with a Madame with just such a name) and then came home.
Back home and some time after this, Holroyde noticed the quiet, unassuming Alder locked in his own thoughts in a corner of Townhouse Studios. He looked like a young Jim Morrison and something about him made Holroyde wonder whether he sounded like him too.
And when Holroyde heard him sing, Big Linda knew they had their man.For the record, Alder has a voice that can effortlessly blow a room apart and Big Linda are a band with tunes and choruses that are set to mark a generation.
Naturally, this has already been noted – the Guardian commented that Big Linda are “a rock band whose hi-NRG raunch’n’roll is crying out for stacks of Marshall amps and a sweaty audience that craves base R’n’R thrills,” further, that they capture “the very caterwauling essence of rock’n’roll” and should be “filed next to Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes.
” Interestingly, The Black Crowes have been cited before – unsurprisingly, since sometime Crowes member/Oasis producer Paul Stacey produced I Loved You – as have ACDC (Classic Rock), Aerosmith (Sunday Times) and Free, Bad Company and, yes (not YES!), Led Zeppelin again (Q magazine).
Indeed, whilst we’re on the subject (of being interesting) we should point out that both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have attended Big Linda gigs in recent weeks and that Classic Rock has just hailed I Loved You as “the debut album of the year.
” Big Linda’s debut single ‘I Don’t Even Like You’ was inspired by a real-life incident when the wrong girl proposes on February 29th, 2008, unleashing the answer “Marry you? I don’t even like you!” Hailed by the Sunday Times as “a boisterous, joyful blast of howl-along rock,” it also spawned an extraordinary YouTube video hit featuring a Muppet having sex, driving badly and enjoying intravenous drugs (though not all at the same time, that would be crazy).
The band’s next single, Golden Girl, a jaunty yet manic example of prime-time power pop that has ‘hit’ written all over it, is was released on March 31st 2008.“INSPIRED, URGENT, HEADY” - THE INDEPENDENT“BIG LINDA MIGHT JUST MAKE HARD ROCK HIP AGAIN – THE SUNDAY TIMES“a rock band whose hi-NRG raunch’n’roll is crying out for stacks of Marshall amps and a sweaty audience that craves base R’n’R thrills.
The very caterwauling essence of rock’n’roll – file next to Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes.” THE GUARDIAN“We have no hesitation in proclaiming I Loved You the debut album of the year” 9/10 CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINEFresh from their tour supporting Stone Gods and a sheer revelation of a performance at the Download Festival Big Linda are preparing to release new single ‘Jenny Don’t’ unto the world on August 11th.
With their album ‘I Loved You’ already hailed by Classic Rock Magazine as “the debut album of the year” and with their star in huge ascendance over in the US (they were asked to do a monthly stint at LA’s Viper Rooms where they were praised by none other than Slash who dropped by specially) things are really happening.
They have also drawn praise from Robert Plant and Jimmy Page who caught the band at a more intimate show at London’s Metro Club.
