In celebration of this book being released on the 21st (It’s about a wizard or something; can’t see it ever being popular) I feel duty bound to write a short feature on a band inspired by the “boy who lived.’ Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Harry and the Potters.
Brothers Joe DeGeorge and Paul DeGeorge of Norwood, Massachusetts formed Harry and the Potters in 2002 after problems involving a concert in their backyard. (All the bands cancelled, that’s got to hurt!) To make up for this travesty, the brothers frantically wrote 7 songs about Harry Potter and performed them to a sell out crowd of….um….6.
Scarily, both band members dress like and claim to be the main man himself (Joe is Harry from year 4, and Paul is Harry from year 7). Their music is unashamedly twee to the max. It’s essentially extremely catchy pop music (or ‘wizard rock’) that in some respects sounds very simple; but is quite intricate due to the various instruments both band members use to create their ramshackle sound.
The lyrics of course, deal with the turbulent life of the Mr Potter and various references to items and incidents within the books; such as saving Ginny from the basilisk, playing wizard chess, Rita Skeeter, invisibility cloaks and of course, kissing Cho Chang, aww.
The band have toured all over America, and appear quite popular with the indie and book loving kids out there. They’ve also played on our fair shores (most notably last May, but I forgot about the gig, d’oh!) Whilst they mainly prefer to play in libraries (and I’m guessing, book stores) they will play practically anyway (travel permitting)
With over four albums of Potter-related shenanigans released plus a U.S. summer tour, it doesn’t look like anyone will be stopping the rock, you hear that Voldermort?
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FAST FACTS
Personnel
Paul DeGeorge – vocals, guitar, baritone saxo-ma-phone, melodica
Joe DeGeorge – vocals, keyboard, tenor saxo-ma-phone, melodica, glockenspiel, tubular bells, theremin
Disc
Harry and the Potters – CD (2003)
Voldermort Can’t Stop The Rock! – CD (2004)
A Magical Christmas of Magic – CD (2005)
Power of Love – CD (2006)
Scarred For Life – CD (2006)
Harry and the Potters’ split 7″ with the Zambonis (2006)
Online
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Status
The band plan to tour the U.S. in August 2007, and read the 7th book.
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Sounds
Listen to “The Human Hosepipe‘ taken from the album “Voldermort Can’t Stop The Rock!‘ (Also, try not to cry, you big Nancy!)
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Contemporaries
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Lizard Hips
Junior Vice President of Keep It Fast. In other news: I work in social media, talk about dinosaurs, run a book club and have amazing facial hair. I am also a male man who is still not dead.
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