News Archives

Julian Pransky-Poole announced yesterday that he had been asked to leave Witness. It is unclear what the reasoning behind this was, or whether the band will replace him or continue as a four-piece.

Julian joined the band as keyboardist and extra guitarist in 1998 around the time Before the Calm was released. He ran the Official Witness site and was regularly in contact with fans via the messageboards, entertaining us all with his 'unique' sense of humour! Aside from Witness he ran/runs his own website design company and has had several high profile commissions. He also wrote his own solo music, and it is likely that he will concentrate on this along with his website designing in the future. I am sure I echo all Witness fans sentiments when I wish him all the best for the future and thank him for the help he has give me with my website, and for keeping in contact with fans via the messageboard.

Witness are currently in the studio demoing songs for their third album. They'll be taking a short break in mid-January to play a couple of dates in Birmingham and London. See tour section for more details.

I can also exclusively reveal that Witness will be playing the Royal Albert Hall on the 1st February as support to Embrace.

My Boat lyrics (if anyone knows the first line, please let me know!)
Total Guitar Interview
Tour details
Under A Sun review (Total Guitar)

2 reviews of the recent Scala gig
Review of King Tuts gig
In Miniatuare Lyrics up (thanks to Greig for transcribing them)
Gigography and releases updated

Here's One For You was released on Monday, but lack of availability means that you are probably better off ordering it online (HMV stock it for £1.99)

Here's One For You finally gets released tomorrow. B sides include "Pendulum" and "In Miniature"

Thanks for everyone who has sent me reviews of recent gigs, check the site later this week, when hopefully they will be up.

Here's One For You features on the soundtrack to "American Pie 2". The soundtrack was released yesterday, and the track features at the end of the film.

Heres One for You single due out today. However, after the chopping and changing of the last single release date, don't hold your breath for the shops to have it in stock!

Two more dates added to Witness's forthcoming tour; Glasgow and London. See tour section for more details.

Under A Sun is released in the US this coming Tuesday. Click the above image to pre-order/buy it.

I have added 4 excellent photos of the recent ULU gig to the ULU review and to the photos section. Thanks to Hayley Madden for pictures.

dotmusic.co.uk ULU review
Full Closing Up lyrics (thanks to Rachel Taylor for deciphering the chorus!)

Witness will play a showcase gig for "Fresh new songwriting" next Monday before possibly setting off on a UK tour with Grand Drive. For more details see Tour page.

The US Release of Under A Sun can now be bought by clicking the image at the top of the page.

For those of you asking about the chat room - the usual times to find people in there are between 7 and 8.30 during the week.

Apologies for the lack of updates recently, but I've been away to festivals etc.

- The next single is confirmed as being Heres One For You. There is a possiblitly that it may be a rerecorded version, but this isn't confirmed as of yet.

- Lyrics added: Mines, Pushchair, Avalanche, So Here Be Well Again, Closing Up, My Time Alone, Under A Sun and This Sober (some of them have missing lines - if anyone can fill in the gaps, please email me!)

Thanks to everyone who has sent in reviews, lyrics and tab over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully, while there is a lull in Witness related news, I can continue to fill in the gaps on the website. All reviews, lyrics, tab, pictures, contributions etc will be gratefully received.

Also, as mentioned on the messageboard, I will soon be doing an interivew with gerard, so forward any questions you'd like me to ask him to dylan@witness.fsnet.co.uk

I will also be redesigning the entry page to the site shortly so please bear with the messy navigation bar for the time being!

Not a brilliant week for Witness, what with missing out on the Mercury Music Prize shortlist and only reaching number 61 in the album charts with "Under A Sun", but we all know how good the album is so we keep our hopes lifted for it to gradually perform better over the coming months!

- Just added to the reviews section - an excellent exclusive review of the new album by journalist, and site regular, Simon Rutter.

- Witness play the Manchester Academy, Oxford Road tomorrow, with the Chameleons and Puressence.

Album released today - by the looks of it, it has made it into all the shops, unlike the recent single release!

As of 9.30pm today, I have 3 tickets to give away for the Manchester gig and 5 for the Liverpool gig. anyone interested should contact me on dylan@witness.fsnet.co.uk asap.

Witness are to play two secret free gigs later this week in both Manchester and Liverpool. The first gig takes place in Manchester on Wednesday 18th July, at the Band On The Wall, Swan Street (Northern Quarter).

The second gig takes place at the famous Cavern Club, Matthew Street, Liverpool, the following day, Thursday 19th July.

Check back here tomorrow for details on how to obtain free tickets for both these gigs.

Further changes to the upcoming release schedule - Under A Sun release date has been put back 2 weeks. So as it stands they will now be released as:

1. You Are All My Own Invention

2. Don't Suffer Fools

3. This Sober

Available on CD & 7"

Anyone wishing to access Julians excellent Flash site, can download this attachment and view it (with your browser) when online.

Release date for the single "You Are All My Own Invention" has been put back a week to the 9th July.

Gerard and Dylan have now been confirmed to play the T in the Park festival - see Tour section for more details.

Witness will also play a support slot with Puressence and the Chameleons at Manchester Academy on the 3rd August.

A good interview with Witness can be found at Manchester Music. The website also contains a review of the new album and a review of the recent Manchester gig (with pictures).

Photos - photos added to misc. and live sections from 1997. Also 2 new pictures added to Publicity section.

Also in the pipeline but not confirmed yet is an acoustic set at T in the Park, weekend of July 7-8.

The new album, I am informed, has just received a glowing review in this months "Uncut" magazine. I'll try and put it up on the site in the next week or two for those of you who don't buy the magazine.

Immediately after Witness finish their present tour, they head back out on the road with Tom McRae for a short acoustic tour. Expected dates are as follows, but check the official site which will print finalised dates within the next week:

The present tour has been hailed a success by all those who have been lucky enough to see any of the gigs and the new material has been given the thumbs up by virtually everyone.

Check out the reviews section for a fantastic review (cheers Timbob) of the first gig of the tour in Southampton. Also an article from the Metro North west newspaper is added to the articles section. I have more stuff to add, buts its taking forever to type it all up!

Quite a few updates to report today. Wigan Reporter article added to articles section. Quite an interesting piece. Dylan explains that they were ready for releasing the second album in late 1999, but Island were not happy with the songs.

Discography and Gigography have also been updated along with that long awaited link for the "Swap Shop" added to the bottom of the menu bar!

Thanks for the offers of gig reviews, and keep them coming in..the more the better!

Finally, I'll be at both the Manchester and Liverpool gigs, so if anyone fancies a pre-gig pint, then get in touch!

Full details of the upcoming tour can now be found on the Tour section. Support had originally planned to be Manchester's Haven, but a tour of their own has caused them to pull out. For anyone interested, Haven will play at the Night and Day in Manchester, in early May, whilst their website can be found at www.haven-online.com (proper link this time!)

Any one planning to go to any of the gigs on the forthcoming tour, should email me if they fancy reviewing the show for this site. I hope to get reviews of every gig on the tour, so I need your help!

The new single "You Are all My Own invention is out on the 18th June on CD and 7". B sides include "Don't Suffer Fools" and "Sober"

Finally, the ameded setlsit for the new album (Under a Sun: released 2/7/01) is as follows:

Here's One For You
You Are All My Own Invention
Dividing Line
Under a Sun
Till the Morning
Closing Up
My Time Alone
Warning
Mines
So Here Be Well Again
Avalanche
My Boat
Pushchair

Witness at last kick off their long awaited tour in Exeter next month. The gig, which is their first in the UK for almost a year is pencilled in for either the 3rd or 13th May. It is likely to take place at the Cavern Club. The band then continue with an extensive UK tour. Confirmed venues are Manchester Roadhouse and Liverpool Lomax. Other likely venues include; Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach, Bristol Louisiana, Leicester Princess Charlotte, Glasgow Kind Tuts, Northampton Roadmenders and Sheffield Leadmill and more... Further details will appear here as soon as they are confirmed.

Support on the tour comes from Haven. Reports suggest they sound like Witness, but after listening to one of their tracks on http://www.mp3.com/haven I'd say they sound more like cheesy 80's rock!

The album, "Under a Sun" is to be released on the 3rd July. Tracklisting is as follows:

Here's One For You
You Are All My Own Invention
Dividing Line
Under a Sun
Till the Morning
Closing Up
My Time Alone
Warning
Mines
So Here Be Well Again
Avalanche
My Boat

The band will this week shoot a video for their forthcoming single, which should be released around the time of the tour. The only details available for the video is that it will feature Gerard in a cave!

Also to feature within the next week or two are exclusive pictures from 1997 during rehearsals for Before the Calm. Also an interview with a former band member.

The album is now complete and set for release in the coming months. Gerard and Dylan recently returned from a series of low key gigs in Ireland with Tom McCrae.

Julian meanwhile is still busy with his webwork. He recently won a Macromedia Flash site of the day award for his Fun Loving Criminals site (which can be found at http://www.fun-lovin-criminals.co.uk )

Witness are currently getting together plans to play a series of acoustic gigs in Dublin / Ireland in the near future. Anyone with ideas of prime places for Dylan and Gerard to play should contact Rob via the official website.

Further to the news below on what the boys got up to over the Christmas period, heres the latest installment! John went camping whilst Julian spent his time working on his various web designing / building projects. His biggest commission so far is the official Fun Loving Criminals website that he is still currently working on. He has also been commissioned with the Channel Four site tie with the TV series about Gurus and the Greatest Show on Earth. It can be viewed at www.channel4.com/kumbhmela/home.html

Finally, early reports on the new album look very good. Someone who is lucky enough to have heard it already tells me that it is "even better than the first one". Whether this is true or not, we shall have to wait and see!