Undead Guitars (formerly Red Guitars)
"We've got sounds, can turn you inside out!"
We’ve got something in the pipeline, and we’re getting ready for the video shoot – getting the music mixed and ready, preparing the storyboard and gathering props. Hallam has booked his flight from Cape Town and will be here next week. This morning we’ve been on a recce of the location. Look where we are!
EDIT: T SHIRTS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT
You can get cool T Shirts and Good Technology album CDs
T Shirts come in two groovy styles and five sizes, prices include UK postage and packaging, sent directly from us.
Slow to Fade Tour Tee: based on the sleeve design of the May 1984 re-issue of Good Technology with the April 2022 Slow To Fade Tour shows on the back – £20 Sale Price NOW £15
Three Red Guitars: based on the Good Technology (1982-1984) CD sleeve design. Printed on Gildan Heavy T-Shirts using water-based ink, which is PVC and solvent free to help reduce plastic pollution – £16
The Slow To Fade album plus Good Technology, Fact, Steeltown and Jamaican Homecoming. £9.50 inclusive of UK P&P
Our new Instagram account is shaping up. We set it up because we need an account for something else we’ve got up our sleeve – news coming soon! But in the meantime it would be cool if you would like to follow us there, and we’ll follow you back: https://instagram.com/redguitars_uk/
A massive thank you to everyone who came to our Slow to Fade 2022 tour. It’s been a joyous adventure, and the response has been unexpectedly amazing for us. Our show at the legendary 100 Club in London’s Oxford Street was sold out and crammed with people dancing and singing along, teeming with friends old and new.
Thanks to the team at the venue and a special thanks to sound engineer Pascal who did a superb job for us, we had a great sound which made for a great atmosphere for us on stage.
So, here we are, all the original band back together for our Slow to Fade tour, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Richard Duffy-Howard, have a look:
Thanks to Rob Telford for his great shots:
Thank you to our special guests Fragile Creatures for a terrific set to open the show they’re here sound-checking together with Rich’s other photos of the day:
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media and reviews here’s a few:
“So much joy in the room for @RedGuitars at the @100clubLondon last night. Uplifting to see brilliant musicians playing together again after 38 years. Slow to fade, as the song says.” John Pullman
“Friday evening with the fabulous Red Guitars at The 100 Club. I had waited 35 years for this tour and they did not disappoint!” Rob Telford
“I’m at a gig – a real live gig with Red Guitars and they are rocking!” Liz Treacher
“What an extraordinary bunch of musicians @RedGuitars. I will need my jaw rewiring after watching that. Utterly joyous. I am 17 again.” Steve M
“You were absolutely brilliant. Overwhelmingly so. (I NEARLY plucked up the courage to speak to you in the audience during the support but didn’t want to intrude). Thank you so much. Seeing you again 38! years after Coventry Poly meant a lot. Heartbeat Go!!” PeteM.
“Wonderful to see Red Guitars in London last night. Absolutely loved it! I was 17 when I first saw them and I felt 17 again. Hoping to see them in 2060, if not (preferably) before!” Andrew Hook
“Last night was one of those ‘moments’. A band that clearly meant a lot to people, sonically and politically. And the lyrics are so fresh still. Shaken not Stirred, Good Technology, Sting in the Tale, chillingly spot on. Am still buzzing.” Steve Morgan
“Wow guys what an extra special treat to see you at the 100 club last night I had the best fun, thank you best wishes to all from David”
“I knew you were good. I didn’t realise after 38 years away it could still be THAT good. Such an intricate sound, yet so accessible. Great onstage chemistry, too.”
“Red Guitars on top form at The 100 Club last night. I described Brighton as brilliant, and this was better than Brighton.“ Roger Millington
“Two absolutely stunning gigs – last week in Manchester and last night in London. Please don’t leave it another 38 years until your next tour… ‘cos I might be getting on a bit by then.” David Gibson
“Amazing night at @100clubLondon with stellar sets by @RedGuitars @FragileCreatures. Great to meet the amazing Lou @LoudhailerUK in person & what a bass guitarist she is. Lovely to see Adam & Neville again & what a great audience.” Neil March
Another full house and belting show for @RedGuitars this time at the 100 Club in London.” Phil Ascough
“I’ve waited 40 years! And I was not disappointed… such a brilliant show full of energy and just the best music!” Tia K Iqbal
“Magnificent gig in London last night.” Keith Phillips
“A stunning evening and nearly forty years after I first saw you live you’ve just got even better. Oh and I even got to replace the t-shirt I lost many years ago.” Simon Maurice
“Fantastic night. Looked like the band were all having a great night too playing a superb set. Thanks.” Darren Lewis
“Thank you for last night, I really enjoyed it. I never thought I’d get the chance to see you live. I’ve loved your music for 35 years and I still play your albums now. Thanks again.” Peter Lane
“It’s not an exaggeration to say I have waited nearly forty years to see you play live. And I was not disappointed.” Gary Couzens
“An iconic band playing an iconic venue, it was pure magic.” Simon Higgins
“… to the unbridled joy of a packed venue, they surge into a scintillating rendition of Marimba Jive, Hallam’s South African inspired guitar figures playing off against Lou’s sumptuous sliding fretless bassline. It takes seconds to establish that Jerry has lost nothing of the power and distinctive character in his voice and the band have lost nothing of their interlocking groove-making chemistry… ” Trust the Doc
Here’s Transistor Bassman’s video of Good Technology at The 100 Club. Keep watching for more clips of the set:
A big thanks to Steve Homer at AEG Presents for inviting us to reform for this tour. The AEG reps at every gig have been brilliant. We have truly had an absolute ball! Here’s to what comes next…
Next up have a look at the photos from our gig at Birmingham’s O2 Institute here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/05/04/red-guitars-at-birmingham-o2-institute-2022/
Read Phil Ascough’s review in The Hull Story: https://www.thehullstory.com/allarticles/red-guitars-tour-wrap
A massive thank you to everyone who came to our Slow to Fade 2022 tour. It’s been a joyous adventure, and the response has been unexpectedly amazing for us. We had a terrific time at Brighton’s Green Door Store. Big thanks to Sweeval for a great job on the sound.
So, here we are, all the original band back together for our Slow to Fade tour, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Richard Duffy-Howard, have a look:
Thank you to our guests Fragile Creatures for a terrific set in their home town to open the show. Fantastic to see you guys play, making it a special night.
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media, here’s a few:
“There was always one band I wish I had seen live but never got the chance. Tonight my wish came true and after almost 40 years, I finally saw the amazing @RedGuitars live. It was the best gig ever and there are not enough words to say how incredible the band were live.” Skylla
“Thank you, never thought I would get the chance to see you live again and it was even better than I hoped.” David Ealey
“Fantastic gig! I hope you enjoyed it as much as the audience seemed to.” Nigel Herron
“What an impact you’ve made up and down the country – well done all!” Rachel
“I was 16 when I saw you steal the show from The Smiths and have had those images of you stamped in my memory ever since. So it was great to see your parents on stage last night playing that excellent set!!” Steve Atkinson (🤣🤣haha very good Steve!)
“An evening spent with one of my oldest friends, @MrRober16070170, singing along to one of my favourite bands, with the biggest smile on my face. Thank you @RedGuitars, that was brilliant. See you at the 100 Club.” Roger Millington
A big thanks to Steve Homer at AEG Presents for inviting us to reform for this tour. The AEG reps at every gig have been excellent. We have truly had an absolute ball!
Next up have a look at the photos from our gig at The 100 Club London here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/05/02/red-guitars-at-the-100-club-2022/
Thanks to everyone who came to our full house hometown show at Hull Adelphi on our first Red Guitars tour in 38 years. We have had a fantastic time on the northern leg of the tour, it’s all been brilliant fun and a real heart warming experience. Thanks to our friends special guests Terra Fin, Steve Homer and the team at AEG. We’re excited to head south later this week.
So, here we are, all the original band back together, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Sydpix and Richard Duffy-Howard show the fun and energy of the gig and the brilliant home town crowd.
Here’s Sydpix’ gallery from the front
Here’s Richard’s from the back
Big thanks to our special guests Terra Fin, who played an awesome set and went down a storm with our crowd. Great to see the full band with Chris on drums, that’s my son Corey there on bass, and our youngest son Dexter joined them on violin for this gig. Charismatic singer/guitarist Jonas flew over from his home in Lithuania for the tour.
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media, here’s a few:
“You guys absolutely smashed it, what an atmosphere.” Dylan Price, Hull Adelphi Club
“I’ve been to hundreds of gigs over the years, but @RedGuitars at @TheAdelphiClub tonight was one of the best. Amazing songs and musicians who seem to be loving being back on the stage playing them.” Mark Powell
“Wow! Songs still very relevant and poignant 30+ years on. Amazing tunes. Thanks @RedGuitars @TheAdelphiClub” Tiger Sue
“A sold out @TheAdelphiClub with the imperious @RedGuitars Amazing gig. The love in the room was palpable.” The Gold Needles
“Well @RedGuitars – I hope you enjoyed that gig at Adelphi Hull as much as we did!!!! Not danced so much in ages!!! Glad Lou still plays the fretless guitar! I feel 18 again!!! Come back soon!!!” Pauline Thornton
“Great gig. Top 5 @TheAdelphiClub for me.” Andy Currie
“Seems like all of Hull was crammed in! It was fab.” Sue Leighton
“It was unbelievable. Everybody I spoke to had a fantastic time. The collective and individual performances were stunning.” PA
“Great night with the Red Guitars at the New Adelphi. Stupendous set and atmosphere.” Rupert Creed
“Absolutely fantastic gig. Hallam is a brilliantly inventive guitarist.” Stephen Roe
“Turns out the @RedGuitars are still the best band from Hull. Fantastic gig at the Adelphi tonight.” Stephen Roe
“Great gig tonight by @RedGuitars at @TheAdelphiClub.Amazingly tight considering they haven’t played together since Thatcher was a lad. They were properly enjoying themselves as well. Cracking stuff.” Dave Lee
“Red Guitars – Great gig, tremendous sound, nostalgic for us old folks, but also great music and message… when’s the new album out! Steve Morantz
Next up have a look at the photos from our gig at Brighton’s Green Door Store here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/05/03/red-guitars-at-brighton-green-door-store-2022/
Read Russ Litten’s review in The Hull Story: https://www.thehullstory.com/allarticles/red-guitars-adelphi-review
Thanks to everyone who came to our Glasgow show of our first tour in 38 years, a lovely audience to play to. We have had a fantastic time. Thanks to AEG, to the venue team, and to Chelsea for a great sound.
Here we are, all the original band back together, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Richard Duffy-Howard tell the story, have a look:
Thanks to our guests The Mind Sweepers and Ian Stacey for the memorabilia.
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media, here’s a few:
“The wonderful return of Red Guitars in Glasgow last night. I’ll be grinning for weeks – all of Slow To Fade, and the early singles played with pride, skill, and love to an audience who loved them back. Slow To Fade means a lot to me, remembering a lost friend – I was so moved.” @IRobStacey1
“This is theeeeee red guitar. It sung last night, all the way from Cape Town. Small stage Big band, Huge noise, Tre-bloody-men-dous” @pegdeg
“Well, thank you very much @RedGuitars that was smashing. Just heard about gig the other night on Gideon Coe @gidcoe, so glad I went. All filled up with emulsion (as my old malaproping auntie used to say).” JM
“Thank you guys so much for a wonderful gig last night in Glasgow, so good to finally see you live.” Scott McLuckie
“Yep! I was excited as soon as the re-union was announced, and the gig I went to in Glasgow was a lovely celebration of great songs, by a band who clearly were enjoying being back together and performing again. So many highlights – Cloak and Dagger being one of mine.” SR
“The set also reinforced my view on the strength of the band’s catalogue. They played pretty much everything they ever released and three of the four singles were played in the first half dozen songs, yet that didn’t affect the show’s momentum one bit. Album tracks like ‘Remote Control’ and ‘Dive’ were spectacular yet B-sides ‘Within Four Walls’ and an extended ‘Heartbeat Go!’ (used to introduce the band) were every bit their equal. All of this built the set nicely for a sensational (and complete!) ‘Good Technology’ which provided a singalong finale to the main set.” Manic Pop Thrills
“I’d been following Lou and her band on Twitter for a while, and when it was announced that the original line up of the Red Guitars was going to get back together and tour, I had to keep checking that it wasn’t some elaborate joke being played on me. It was truly a “dream come true” for me, as I’d loved the band in both line ups, and collected their back catalogue in record form over the years. A ticket was purchased as soon as they became available, and on Friday 22 April, I travelled across to Glasgow to attend the gig in The Attic, at the Garage on Sauciehall Street. It was lovely to recognise all the band as they mingled with us in the venue, and I reverted to being a gawky, diffident, teenage fan, asking for a 7″ single of Good Technology (The bands first single) to be signed, and offering a old Red Rhino Records bag as a bribe. The shop was based in York, and was where you bought the records that were outside the top 40, and released on independent labels, before “indie” became a musical genre. The gig was just a total joy – I have to admit that I’d shared my love of the band with a friend who lived in Belfast, on a road-trip to watch motorbike racing a few years ago, and it turned out he’d seen them when they supported The Smiths, and loved the title track of their first album, “Slow To Fade”. He’d had his demons, and died suddenly in 2006, and as soon as the opening guitar riffs chimed out, beautifully played by Hallam, and the superb John Rowley, my eyes welled up at the memory. I’m afraid to say that I was a bit of a mess during the whole song, but eventually composed myself – it was such a moving moment. The band encored with Paris France, and we all sang along, not wanting the night to end. A band that managed to combine brilliant lyrics, with music that was as uplifting as it was complicated, The Red Guitars remain my favourite band, and I just wanted to say “Thank You” to the band, and everyone associated with them for making me, and many other fans, so happy. With much love x” IRS
Next up have a look at the photos from our Hull Adelphi gig here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/04/24/red-guitars-at-hull-adelphi-club-2022/
Thanks to everyone who came to our Manchester gig, our first tour in 38 years. We had a fantastic night, a brilliant crowd – an amazing experience. Thanks to our special guests Terra Fin who opened up the show with an awesome set, to The Night & Day team, and to Greg for a great sound.
So, here we are, all the original band back together for our Slow to Fade tour, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Richard Duffy-Howard, have a look:
High five to our special guests Terra Fin who went down a storm with our crowd.
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media and reviews, here’s a few:
“They were magnificent, Red Guitars, even better than I’d hoped for.” Rob Sim
“Wow! We jived & survived. They stand alone. “ Jonathan Wood
“Thought you lot were absolutely brilliant last night. Fantastic energy and the songs haven’t lost their power over the years. In fact Steeltown, Good Tech and Fact (in particular) sounded eerily modern. Thanks so much for getting the band back together. Brilliant. Enjoy every second. There’s a lovely energy coming from that stage. Just don’t leave it so long til you do it all over again!
Thought your lad’s band did a great job too, and will be following their progress. Onwards” Tom
“Best described as joyous. As for you not only are you a fabulous bass player but you exude such joy yourself. You were positively beaming, clearly enjoying yourself and that transmits to the audience, it’s infectious. It was also really good to speak with the other band members who are lovely people too. Wishing you the best for the rest of the tour. I’d love to know your fitness regime, you were bouncing around that stage like a spring lamb.” AM
“Had a great night watching @RedGuitars again last night at @nightanddaycafe Manchester. My main impression is that Lou @LoudhailerUK is having the time of her life on that stage and weirdly doesn’t seem to age.” Nick
“@RedGuitars Thank you so much. 38 years worth waiting for” MCFC PRAHA
“What’s immediately apparent is how unnoticeable is their near 40-year hiatus. Duffy-Howard and Lewis in particular take an almost telepathic delight in playing off one another. Their enthusiasm radiates into the throng, provoking outbursts of introspective skanking as jackets are removed and shirts are further loosened.” Northern Soul
“This gig was magical on every level. TRG’s we’re both tight and loose as good live acts should be. Hallam Lewis played sparkling lead guitar, seldom did his fingers hit the usual pentatonic scale his musical mode being more that of clever semi toned dorian mode scales with that of mixolydian. His fingers ran across the fretboard like a rats up a drain pipe and he played both with guts and imagination throughout, reaching the pinnacle of experience that surpassed all expectation. It was a team effort on vocals, harmonies ticked every box that any audience could have wished for. At times it felt like a CBGBs reunion with elements of Television and Talking Heads as well as high-life, jazz fusion elements far beyond the male-strum of Punk or new wave. TRG’s are closer to Captain Beefheart at times than any 1980 type parallels such as Joy Division.” Mr Bolton’s Propelling Pencil
Next up have a look at our gig photos from Glasgow Garage here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/04/25/red-guitars-glasgow-garage-2022/
Thanks to everyone who came to the first show of our first Red Guitars tour in 38 years – we had an absolute blast! It couldn’t have been a better way to kick off the tour. The Old Woollen, Farsley is a superb venue with a terrific vibe, stage, sound and lights. We had such a fantastic time. Special thanks to our guests Terra Fin and our friend Choque & the team for making our opening show a night to remember.
Lovely to meet Steve Homer CEO of AEG Presents at the show. Steve started this whole thing by asking if we might reform for a tour with AEG. We were lucky to open the tour at such a great venue.
Here we are, all the original band back together, Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, John Rowley, Matt Higgins and Lou Duffy-Howard, joined in 2022 by Jos Allen and Doug Swallow.
Fab set of photographs by Richard Duffy-Howard show the fun and energy of the gig. Spot the one where I’m levitating during Hal’s solo.
Doug was behind a curtain all night hence the lack of appearance on the photos but here he is with John at the dress rehearsal. And here’s our old Red Guitars buddy Choque who hosts a superb venue and team at The Old Woollen, with Hal and Lou after the gig.
Big thanks to our special guests Terra Fin, who played a storming set to open the tour for us.
Richard also took some out take photographs documenting the tour:
Thank you to everyone who sent us lovely messages on social media, here’s a few:
“Wow! @RedGuitars were absolutely brilliant tonight. 38 years since their last live show? Still got some amazing energy and a great bunch of songs. And what a great venue @OldWoollen is. Definitely be paying it another visit.” @jonnygarcon
“A triumphant return for @RedGuitars with a wonderful gig at @OldWoollen on the first date of their ‘Slow To Fade’ reunion tour. Stand out songs were ‘Slow To Fade’, ‘Fact’, ‘Steeltown’ and ‘Good Technology’. @TerraFinMusic opened proceedings with a very enjoyable set … excellent evening of uplifting music.” Across the Universal Soundscape
“A great night at Old Woollen last night watching @RedGuitars, a cracking venue. Roll on Manchester on Thursday” @Thebubblegunman
“Great venue, great beer, great band, great tunes, great gig. To sum up, it wer’great!” @StephenBatley2
“Last night was brilliant. See you at the 100 Club!”
“Fantastic opening gig last night! Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow at Night & Day Cafe Manchester 
“
“I waited the best part of 40 years for last night’s Red Guitars gig. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m still smiling. Same again next week!”rogytds
“Great gig, great venue. We enjoyed every minute, and it looked like you all did too ! Wish we could come to one of the others, another tour please ?”
“Fantastic gig, it’s like you’ve never been away!”
“A wonderful gig, a real privilege to be there and just so much warmth, energy and fun from the band.”
“Tremendous night! Couldn’t stop smiling. You were freakin’ awesome”
Next up look at our gig photos from Manchester Night and Day Cafe here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/04/26/red-guitars-at-manchester-night-day-2022/
I was delighted to be invited to take photographs of the Red Guitars Slow to Fade reunion tour dress rehearsal at O’Rileys live music venue, Hull. Looked and sounded great!
Richard Duffy-Howard
Next up have a look at our gig at Leeds Old Woollen here: https://loudhailer.net/2022/04/20/red-guitars-at-leeds-old-woollen-2022/
Marking 40 years since their totemic first single “Good Technology”, the Red Guitars original line up of Hallam Lewis, Jeremy Kidd, Lou Duffy-Howard, John Rowley and Matt Higgins, plus guest guitarist Jos Allen, will be hitting the road again with a set featuring the early singles and songs from the “Slow To Fade” album.
