Abel Ganz

ABEL GANZ http://www.abelganz.com was formed in 1980 by keyboard player Hew Montgomery and multi-instrumentalist Hugh Carter. Although both had played in various bands together over the years, it was a shared interest in progressive rock and a need for a songwriting platform that brought about the birth of Abel Ganz. The line up was completed with the addition of guitarist Malky McNiven and drummer Ken Weir. Rehearsing in the back of Hugh's music shop the band went on to record the "Cottage Label" tape which received favourable reviews in several "prog" fanzines.

The band was now playing regularly in the Glasgow area and decided to recruit a vocalist as their popularity grew. Diminutive singer Alan Reed came on board from Stirling band Trance Macabre and Abel Ganz recorded their first album "Gratuitous Flash" in 1983. With regular gigs and airplay on Scottish radio, Abel Ganz were building up a solid following which was re-enforced with an appearance at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Festival which had long been the gig that launched the careers of many Scottish bands. Alan's performance that day brought him to the attention of Pallas who were searching for a replacement for the recently departed Euan Laurson. One audition later Alan was off on a free transfer to Aberdeen and Pallas, where he remained for over 20 years! Malky meanwhile had left to pursue his horticultural career to be replaced by Paul Kelly on guitar and vocals swiftly followed by Gordon Mackie on bass as Hugh Carter stepped down to manage the band.

This line up of Abel Ganz proved to be the busiest playing gigs throughout Scotland and the north of England and recording a second album "Gullibles Travels". However, after a couple of years things fell away again as first Gordon left the band, with Hugh rejoining, followed by Ken who was replaced by Alan Quinn and finally Paul and Alan both left. Hew and Hugh then went back to writing new material in Hew's attic studio. The resulting collaboration saw the release of the 3rd album "The Dangers of Strangers" with Malky making a return to provide guitar and new boy Denis Smith joining on drums in the studio. With guest appearances from former "Ganzers" Alan Reed and Paul Kelly the bands popularity was now spreading to Europe thanks to a contract with French label M.S.I. Once again Abel Ganz was out on the road with new guitarist Robert Wilson, drummer Colin Johnson and a succession of vocalists in Billy Duff, Gordon Strachan and Chris Forsyth. The writing was on the wall however when co-founder Hew Montgomery, the creator of the "wall of Ganz" keyboard sound left to be replaced by Stuart Clyde. By this time the band was slipping into the murky waters of AOR rock and a 4th album "The Deafening Silence" coupled with bad management saw Hugh Carter split the band rather than let Abel Ganz turn into the monster it was threatening to become.

A brief return a year later with guitarist Stuart Glasgow, vocalist Pat Biggins and Colin still on drums saw Hew and Hugh re-united to play a gig at the CRS in Rotherham with some new songs. There then followed more years of inactivity as Hew went to ground and Hugh continued to write and record in his studio The Practice Pad in Glasgow.

However, a chance meeting with Hew in 2001 saw Abel Ganz back on track again. With Hugh very firmly at the helm and Dangers of Strangers drummer Denis Smith back on board and joined by his long term collaborator Davie Mitchell on guitar the band now has a settled line up, which although working at a painfully methodical pace has the creativity and desire to be around for a long time to come.

A new contract with F2 Records, an acclaimed gig at the CRS, a compilation CD "Back from The Zone" and a new studio album in the pipeline. (As of april 2008 you can buy their new album called "Shooting Albatross" at their website.)