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Big John Bates
Big John Bates is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cofounded and performed in Annihilator writing the first and highest selling album, Alison Hell. As the creator of Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz (the first touring rock'n'roll burlesque show in the world) he put out four critically acclaimed full-length LPs and two DVDs on various labels. Following that were three albums he released with a string section, the Noirchestra, where he delved into a Gothic Americana sound. Bates has also had long-term sponsorships with Jagermeister, Gretsch (guitars) and Hofner (basses) through his 25-year career.
Bates was born in Vancouver. His adopted father Bill "Hank" Bates was an amateur ice hockey goalie in Toronto and was drafted by the New York Rangers. Before he learned of their interest Bill had registered with the RAF and went to London as a mechanic and pilot in WW2. When informed of the draft decision Bill's father Harry told the Rangers "Hank's joined a bigger team". John initially wanted to be a professional ice hockey goalie, practicing with the Nepean Raiders until his attention turned to guitar at age 15. John's birth father was a self-taught musician in the style of Buddy Holly who wrote songs with the Beau-Marks from Montreal. Bates' early guitar bodies were made by his brother in high-school shop with electric parts and necks scavenged from old Silvertone guitars. He has publicly stated that the nickname, Big John Bates, was given to him in his early 20's by close friends and was "re-purposed" by a Vancouver promoter before announcing the band's first show at the Piccadilly Pub.
John grew up listening to his parents' swing albums and Bill Haley until he eventually discovered hard rock through a guitarist friend from Syracuse, New York. He then took a few lessons at a local music shop in order to meet Exciter guitarist John Ricci. Bates' first real guitar was a Gibson Marauder that was stolen when his parents' house was burgled during a party. While saving for a replacement he focused on lyrics and vocals which led to the formation of his first band Annihilator with Jeff Waters.
The original Big John Bates sound came from his interpretations of 1960s surf, garage, exotica and psychobilly. After forming the band Noirchestra in 2012 with Brandy Bones, Bates and Bones partnered with various musicians to release both the "Headless Fowl" EP and the Battered Bones LP (2012), the From the Bestiary LP (2015) and the Skinners Cage LP (2019).
John Bates first band was as a founding member of Annihilator, a thrash metal band. His meeting Jeff Waters was through mutual neighbourhood friends with the intention to cover AC/DC songs. After meeting, they decided to instead write original songs together and the two of them formed Annihilator. Bates recruited bassist Dave Scott while Waters brought in drummer Paul Malek. The band rehearsed daily in the basement of a women's fashion shop under Bank Street in Ottawa for a two-year period before settling in Val-d'Or after a residency there. During this time, Waters and Bates co-wrote most of the tracks from the albums Alison Hell and Never, Neverland before the first incarnation of the band dissolved.
Bates and Scott quit the group to form Ligeia, notably recording a version of Alison Hell in 1987 that was pre-dated the Annihilator release (on cassette only).
Following that, Bates went to business school in Nepean, Ontario while he started Bates Motel. After graduation, he moved to Vancouver, where Bates Motel recorded a FACTOR-funded LP produced by Jeff Waters in 1996. The CD was released by Tomcat Records, owned by Doug Bennett from Doug and the Slugs and sold out all four pressings. During the recording of the follow-up, Bates's songwriting had developed into more of a rockabilly style and the record was scrapped with four songs surviving as the first "Big John Bates" seven inch, which was released on red vinyl in 1999.
Bates later co-wrote songs on King of the Kill, engineered the demos for the record deal, and subsequently wrote songs included on the three following albums. Bates also contributed a guitar track to "Remains".
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Big John Bates
Big John Bates is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cofounded and performed in Annihilator writing the first and highest selling album, Alison Hell. As the creator of Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz (the first touring rock'n'roll burlesque show in the world) he put out four critically acclaimed full-length LPs and two DVDs on various labels. Following that were three albums he released with a string section, the Noirchestra, where he delved into a Gothic Americana sound. Bates has also had long-term sponsorships with Jagermeister, Gretsch (guitars) and Hofner (basses) through his 25-year career.
Bates was born in Vancouver. His adopted father Bill "Hank" Bates was an amateur ice hockey goalie in Toronto and was drafted by the New York Rangers. Before he learned of their interest Bill had registered with the RAF and went to London as a mechanic and pilot in WW2. When informed of the draft decision Bill's father Harry told the Rangers "Hank's joined a bigger team". John initially wanted to be a professional ice hockey goalie, practicing with the Nepean Raiders until his attention turned to guitar at age 15. John's birth father was a self-taught musician in the style of Buddy Holly who wrote songs with the Beau-Marks from Montreal. Bates' early guitar bodies were made by his brother in high-school shop with electric parts and necks scavenged from old Silvertone guitars. He has publicly stated that the nickname, Big John Bates, was given to him in his early 20's by close friends and was "re-purposed" by a Vancouver promoter before announcing the band's first show at the Piccadilly Pub.
John grew up listening to his parents' swing albums and Bill Haley until he eventually discovered hard rock through a guitarist friend from Syracuse, New York. He then took a few lessons at a local music shop in order to meet Exciter guitarist John Ricci. Bates' first real guitar was a Gibson Marauder that was stolen when his parents' house was burgled during a party. While saving for a replacement he focused on lyrics and vocals which led to the formation of his first band Annihilator with Jeff Waters.
The original Big John Bates sound came from his interpretations of 1960s surf, garage, exotica and psychobilly. After forming the band Noirchestra in 2012 with Brandy Bones, Bates and Bones partnered with various musicians to release both the "Headless Fowl" EP and the Battered Bones LP (2012), the From the Bestiary LP (2015) and the Skinners Cage LP (2019).
John Bates first band was as a founding member of Annihilator, a thrash metal band. His meeting Jeff Waters was through mutual neighbourhood friends with the intention to cover AC/DC songs. After meeting, they decided to instead write original songs together and the two of them formed Annihilator. Bates recruited bassist Dave Scott while Waters brought in drummer Paul Malek. The band rehearsed daily in the basement of a women's fashion shop under Bank Street in Ottawa for a two-year period before settling in Val-d'Or after a residency there. During this time, Waters and Bates co-wrote most of the tracks from the albums Alison Hell and Never, Neverland before the first incarnation of the band dissolved.
Bates and Scott quit the group to form Ligeia, notably recording a version of Alison Hell in 1987 that was pre-dated the Annihilator release (on cassette only).
Following that, Bates went to business school in Nepean, Ontario while he started Bates Motel. After graduation, he moved to Vancouver, where Bates Motel recorded a FACTOR-funded LP produced by Jeff Waters in 1996. The CD was released by Tomcat Records, owned by Doug Bennett from Doug and the Slugs and sold out all four pressings. During the recording of the follow-up, Bates's songwriting had developed into more of a rockabilly style and the record was scrapped with four songs surviving as the first "Big John Bates" seven inch, which was released on red vinyl in 1999.
Bates later co-wrote songs on King of the Kill, engineered the demos for the record deal, and subsequently wrote songs included on the three following albums. Bates also contributed a guitar track to "Remains".