Plus Special Guests THRAA

Formed in mid-1980’s Portsmouth by the brother and sister duo of Jim Shaw (drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, programmer) and Alison Shaw (vocalist, guitarist, bassist), Cranes first appeared in 1986 with ‘Fuse’ (released on Bite Back!), the now highly sought-after cassette album.  Their debut album ‘Self-Non-Self’ (Bite Back!) followed in 1989, and, with the addition of Mark Francombe (guitarist, keyboardist, bassist) & Matt Cope (guitarist) caught the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who invited them to record two sessions for his show in 1989 and 1990.  

This line-up would go on to record multiple albums for Dedicated including the epic ‘Wings of Joy’ and the much-loved, ‘Forever’. Notably, Robert Smith from The Cure is a fan, remixing the single ‘Jewel’ from Forever after inviting Cranes to join him on the 1992 Wish tour.

After Francombe and Cope left the band in the late nineties, the Shaws set about creating their own `dadaphonic´ label, releasing three well received albums that led them into more ambient and electronic territory, and touring with a new selection of additional musicians.

After a well earned break, the classic line-up are back together again to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Forever album, administering the release of some archival recordings including the first ever release of the John Peel sessions, and carefully considering what this renewed partnership might bring.