GUITAR
This video showcases Mark's music career up to 2008. The soundtrack is taken from the instrumental masters of Quench's 2008 EP "Reality Radio", mixed with an edited home demo, where Mark played guitar, bass and drums.
Quench exploded onto the UK scene with the release of their award winning debut album Afterglow in April 2003. With their unique brand of 21st Century rock, Quench fused blistering guitars, harmony-laden hook-lines and high-octane live performances to create a fresh and exciting audio experience. "No More Pretending" was taken from their final EP, "Reality Radio", produced by Joe Gibb (Funeral For A Friend, Jane's Addiction). Along with so many others in the UK scene, Quench called it a day in 2009. Reality Radio and Afterglow are still available through iTunes.
GALLERY
DOUG WALKER - "Shed A Little Light" - Live TV Perfomance
JOSH DOYLE
Mark has played guitar for Josh several times over the years. In 2006, he moved to Nashville TN to join Josh's new alternative rock outfit, also featuring Paul Evans (Delirious) and Jordan Hester (Tait). They went into the studio with producer Joe Baldridge (Beck, Family Force 5) and recorded "High School Soldier", which can be heard on Josh's album "Values and Virtues". Prior to this, Mark can be heard on the infamous "Barnroom Demos" by Entrace Thesis, Josh's first project following the split of Top 20 pop/punk pioneers - the Dum Dums. The video above doesn't feature Mark, but showcases "Solarstorms", one of the songs they played live together. This version was recorded after Josh won an American national songwriters' competition.
MARTYN LAYZELL - "Blessed Be Your Name" live on TV
Mark played live for Martyn Layzell (Survivor Records) at many of the UK's largest Christian festivals as well as playing guitar on the live album "Stand In Awe". This song was recorded live on TV at Clan Gathering, Scotland (2007).
Taken from a live TV session in April, 2008, this song was taken from Doug Walker's debut album "Fear Together" (Warner Music UK), produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay). Mark recorded the guitars for the album and toured with Doug Walker between 2007-2008, opening for artists as diverse as Seasick Steve, Amy Macdonald, Craig David, The Subways, The Wombats and The Sex Pistols.
This was a comedy side project Mark and a few of his muso mates put together. The ultimate 70s funk disco tribute! Mark featured on guitar as Jango Love!
THE MOJO COLLECTIVE - Comedy 70s funk disco
ENDORSEMENTS
During his music career, Mark has been endorsed by the following fine companies.
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Mesa/Boogie Amplification
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Picato Musicians Strings
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Line 6
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Pedal Train Cases
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Scott Dixon Cases
A huge thanks to all these fantastic companies for their support and service over the years.
DISCOGRAPHY
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Route 66 (live) by Vicky Beeching (Spring Harvest) (2011)
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High School Soldier (Values and Virtues) by Josh Doyle (2009)
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Fear Together by Doug Walker (2008) (release t.b.c.)
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Reality Radio by Quench (2008)
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High School Soldier by Josh Doyle (2007) (release t.b.c.)
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Stand In Awe (live) by Martyn Layzell and St Aldates (2006)
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One God (live) by Martyn Layzell (Spring Harvest) (2006)
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Heavenbound (live) by Martyn Layzell (New Wine) (2006)
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Dredd vs Death OST Playstation/X-Box/PC game (2003)
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Afterglow by Quench (2003)
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Mandora EP by Mandora (2003)
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Barnroom Demos by Entrace Thesis (Josh Doyle) (2002)
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Icons Be Bygones by Ripcord (2001)
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Number One Superguy by Numberone Superguy (2000)
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Rumpus Room by Ripcord (2000)
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What About Us by TVB (1997)
Plus guest appearances on recordings by Psalmistry, Bunkbed and Freeslave.
Mark Hamilton was best known as the lead guitarist in Quench, an award winning UK rock band signed to Elevation Records. He currently records session guitar from his home studio and performs live as his alter-ego 'C.C. Van Jovi' in 80s Hair Metal tribute band - King Awesome! Check out www.kingawesome.rocks. Mark can also be spotted burning through a set of rock anthems with Inner City Sumo!
As a session musician, Mark has also played lead electric and acoustic guitars for Warner Bros’ Top 40 pop artist Doug Walker, Martyn Layzell (Survivor Records), Vicky Beeching (EMI), Miriam Jones and Josh Doyle (Nashville based ex-frontman and chief songwriter of Top 20 punk/pop band The Dum Dums).
Mark has toured in over 20 countries and his credits include an MTV Live appearance with Italian superstar Elisa and performing on the same bills as a number of diverse high-profile artists including: The Sex Pistols, Fightstar, Destiny’s Child, Amy Macdonald, Ocean Colour Scene, The Subways, The Enemy, The Wombats, Seasick Steve, Ellie Goulding, Craig David, Idlewild, MXPX, Elliot Minor and Scouting For Girls... oh, and The Vengaboys.
Mark also recorded the industrial metal guitar parts for the Playstation game, "Dredd vs Death" which, for a kid who grew up reading 2000AD and loving Judge Dredd stories featuring the Dark Judges, was a dream come true!
Throughout his career, Mark appeared in several national newspapers and magazines, and on radio and TV (including performing at MTV Studios in London, on several live TV concert broadcasts and live in session on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio 2 show). He has also recorded at many prestigious studios including Townhouse (London) and has worked with a number of respected producers including Danton Supple (Coldplay, Starsailor), Joe Baldridge (Beck, Family Force 5) and Joe Gibb (Jane’s Addiction, Funeral For A Friend). Mark also taught guitar to a number of private students and has taught seminars, workshops and lectures at various schools and colleges in the UK and Europe.
IZZY SAVAGE - "Silent Night" - Christmas Number One.
Another comedy creation of Mark's, where he gets to live out his fantasy as an 80s 'Hair Band' shredder - part Slash, part Nigel Tufnel, part Aldous Snow, part Ozzy, this outrageous character can be spotted performing in Mark's home town of Oxford... as long as there's a brandy glass full of M&Ms with the red ones taken out, provided backstage! Check out YouTube for other Izzy videos.
King Awesome are the ultimate tribute to those explosive late 80s nights on L.A.'s Sunset Strip where big riffs and even bigger hair ruled the airwaves, where you rocked all night and partied all day, when your rallying cry was nothin' but a good time! Following hard in the footsteps of their 80s heroes, King Awesome fuse blistering riffs, anthemic choruses and an incendiary live show full of high kicks, fists pumps and tongue-in-cheek references to all your favourite 80s clichés! With an 'all killer: no filler' greatest hits set including Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Poison, Whitesnake and all their hard-rockin' amigos, King Awesome hold their crowds in the palm of their leather-gloved hands and party like it's 1989!