{{Short description|Canadian rock band}} {{about|the 1980s Canadian rock band|the London borough|Colney Hatch}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Coney Hatch | image = <!--Coneyhatch.jpg--> | image_size = | landscape = | birth_name = | alias = | origin = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | genre = Hard rock | years_active = 1982–present | associated_acts = Soho 69 }}
'''Coney Hatch''' is a Canadian hard rock band who released three albums in the 1980s and released their album ''Four'' in 2013 and a live double album on vinyl, ''Postcard From Germany'' in 2023. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Carl Dixon, vocalist and bassist Andy Curran, guitarist Steve Shelski and drummer Dave 'Thumper' Ketchum. The band was known for its loud live shows.<ref name="Mersereau2007">{{cite book|first=Bob|last=Mersereau|title=The Top 100 Canadian Albums|url=https://archive.org/details/top100canadianal0000mers|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=Goose Lane Editions|isbn=978-0-86492-500-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/top100canadianal0000mers/page/43 43]}}</ref> In 2023, the band played Sweden Rock Festival to positive reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cgcmrockradio.com/sweden-rock-2023-coney-hatch-spotlight-blog/|title=SWEDEN ROCK 2023 - Coney Hatch (Spotlight Blog)|website=Cgcmrockradio.com|date=June 17, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2025}}</ref> The band tours on a limited basis with three original members. Sean Kelly joined the lineup in 2014 replacing Steve Shelski.
==History== Coney Hatch formed in 1981,<ref name="Larkin1995">"Coney Hatch". {{cite book|first=Colin|last=Larkin|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JdGAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Guinness Pub.|isbn=978-1-56159-176-3|page=913}}</ref> and began performing and developing original material. The band was named after the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (1851–1993) in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadianbands.com/Coney%20Hatch.html |title=CanConRox - Coney Hatch |website=Canadianbands.com |access-date=2008-01-31 |archive-date=2012-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717001618/http://www.canadianbands.com/Coney%20Hatch.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The band's first album was produced by Kim Mitchell of Max Webster and released in 1982.<ref name=soo>[https://www.sootoday.com/local-entertainment/its-a-miracle-i-survived-and-lived-long-enough-to-get-to-the-hospital-5-photos-427791 "'It's a miracle I survived and lived long enough to get to the hospital'"]. ''Soo Today'', September 30, 2016; Donna Hopper</ref> Ketchum left the band in 1983, and was replaced by Barry Connors, who formerly drummed with the band Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cashboxcanada.ca/5052/proudly-canadian-toronto |title=Proudly Canadian: Toronto | Cashbox Magazine Canada |access-date=2017-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116193334/http://cashboxcanada.ca/5052/proudly-canadian-toronto |archive-date=2017-01-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1983, Coney Hatch opened for Iron Maiden at forty concerts on their World Piece Tour.<ref>[https://loudwire.com/iron-maiden-piece-of-mind-anniversary/ "33 Years Ago: Iron Maiden Release ‘Piece of Mind’"]. ''Loudwire'', By Jon Wiederhorn May 16, 2016.</ref><ref name="Trunk2013">{{cite book|first=Eddie|last=Trunk|title=Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcbwAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT608|date=24 September 2013|publisher=Abrams|isbn=978-1-61312-553-3|page=608}}</ref>
The band performed at the Hollywood Palladium in 1985 with Rough Cutt and Accept.<ref name="Inc.1985">{{cite magazine|title=Box Score Top Grossing Concerts|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT48|date=1 June 1985|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=48–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref>
In April 2008, Carl Dixon was very seriously injured in a car accident in Australia,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sunonlinemedia.ca/2023/10/19/carl-dixon-the-story-so-far/,%20https://sunonlinemedia.ca/2023/10/19/carl-dixon-the-story-so-far/|title=Carl Dixon: The Story So Far |website=Sunonlinemedia.ca|date=October 19, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2025}}</ref> leaving him with traumatic brain injury and extensive titanium implants and a glass eye. On August 5, 2010, the original Coney Hatch line up including the injured Carl Dixon played a reunion show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. It was the first performance from the original line up since 1993.<ref name="Sharp2014">{{cite book|first=Keith|last=Sharp|title=Music Express: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Canada's Music Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTmSAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT81|date=14 April 2014|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-4597-2196-8|pages=81–}}</ref> Two days later they played in Hamilton, Ontario, at The Festival of Friends. They were the second to last act on the main stage. The final act of the night was Gord Downie.
A further live date was scheduled for the Firefest rock festival in Nottingham, England, on October 23, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thefirefest.com/ |title=Nottingham Firefest 2011 official website |access-date=2011-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613195340/http://www.thefirefest.com/ |archive-date=2019-06-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Coney Hatch performed at the Rock n' Roar weekend event in August 2013, in Spanish, Ontario.<ref>[http://www.elliotlakestandard.ca/2013/08/21/come-rock-n-roar-spanish-2013-what-a-bash-2 "Come Rock ‘n’ Roar Spanish 2013 what a bash"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116185209/http://www.elliotlakestandard.ca/2013/08/21/come-rock-n-roar-spanish-2013-what-a-bash-2 |date=2017-01-16 }}. Kevin McSheffrey and Jessica Brousseau, ''The Elliot Lake Standard'', August 21, 2013</ref> Coney Hatch again featured at Firefest, Nottingham in October 2014. In 2018, Coney Hatch announced an eight dates tour from October to December, with Sean Kelly on lead guitar in place of Steve Shelski. Coney Hatch toured to packed venues with Steve Harris's British Lion in Ontario and Quebec.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iron-maiden-bassists-british-lion-announces-canadian-tour-dates/|title=IRON MAIDEN Bassist's BRITISH LION Announces Canadian Tour Dates|date=May 28, 2018|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> and went on to favourable reviews playing H.E.A.T. Festival Ludwigsburg, Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://breakoutmagazin.de/|title=Home|website=Breakoutmagazine.de}}</ref> Sweden Rock Festival and Hamburg Summer Festival in 2023.
In November 2023, Coney Hatch performed at Firefest Festival (10 Years After) in the UK at Manchester Academy on October 11–13, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fireworks Magazine - FaceAche|url=https://www.facebook.com/FireworksMagazine/posts/857742879686561/|access-date=September 26, 2024}}</ref> The band preceded headline act Heavy Pettin on the Friday night.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Firefest Festival |url=https://www.firefest-festival.com/|access-date=September 11, 2024 |website=FireFest-Festival}}</ref>
==Members' other activities== Dixon later played with April Wine and was lead singer of Guess Who for eight years in total, until his near-fatal car accident in 2008 in Australia. Coney Hatch bandmate, Curran spoke to Dixon via phone while Dixon was still in his coma. Curran told Dixon that he must survive because "Coney Hatch had more rocking to do". Dixon survived with multiple injuries and years in rehab.
He tours full time as a musician in various incarnations: solo, duo (with Coney Hatch band mate Sean Kelly); with a five-piece band and Coney Hatch. He has released seven solo albums. In 2016, he fulfilled his ambition post-accident returned to The Guess Who for two sold-out shows in the US.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sflinsider.com/2016/01/21/the-guess-who/|title=The Guess Who ·|first=Ian|last=Charles|website=Sflinsider.com|date=January 22, 2016}}</ref> In 2017, Dixon released his debut country album ''Whole 'Nother Thing''. Dixon's survival from the automobile accident saw him become an inspirational speaker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsb.com/speakers/carl-dixon/|title=Carl Dixon | Speaker | Former Frontman, The Guess Who & Catastrophic Car Accident Survivor|website=Nsb.com|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref>
He is listed with Canada's National Speaker's Bureau.<ref name="soo" /> In 2015, his first book was published by Dundurn Press titled ''A Strange Way to Live'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dundurn.com/authors/Carl-Dixon|title=Carl Dixon|website=Dundurn.com|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> and includes, among other things, his experience playing as part of Coney Hatch. Dixon has written instrumentals for television series including ''Tornado Hunters'' (Netflix), his songs have featured on ''Degrassi High'', ''Baywatch'' ("Taste of Love" co-written with Brett Walker) and ''The Saddle Club'' television series.
Curran also released a solo album and two hit singles, was nominated for two Juno Awards and awarded one for "Most Promising Vocalist" in 1991.
==Membership== Current members are: *Carl Dixon *Andy Curran *Dave Ketchum *Sean Kelly
Former members: *Paul Van Remortel *Eddy Godlewski *Paul Marangoni *Phil Naro *Barry Connors *Steve Shelski *Kevin James LaBrie
==Discography== ===Albums=== * ''Coney Hatch'' (1982), released internationally by Mercury-PolyGram Records and Casablanca Records (Japan) * ''Outa Hand'' (1983) * ''Friction'' (1985)<ref name=soo /> * ''Best of Three'' (1992) * ''Four'' (2013)<ref> [https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6897494/publishing-briefs-raleigh-elvis-presley-downtown-ole-imagem "Publishing Briefs: Raleigh Signs Elvis Presley Deal, Imagem and Cutcraft, Downtown to Represent Edizioni Curci"]. ''Billboard'', 3/3/2016 by Ed Christman</ref> * ''Live at the El Mocambo'' (2021) * ''Postcard from Germany (Live)'' (2023)
===Singles=== * 1982: "Devil's Deck" [music video] * 1982: "Hey Operator" (No. 19 Canada) * 1982: "Monkey Bars" * 1983: "Don't Say Make Me" * 1983: "First Time for Everything" [music video] * 1983: "Shake It" [music video] * 1985: "Fantasy" [music video] * 1985: "Girl from Last Night's Dream" * 1985: "She's Gone" * 1985: "This Ain't Love"
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.officialconeyhatch.ca/] (Official band site) * [http://www.CanadianBands.com/Coney%20Hatch.html CanConRox entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717001618/http://www.canadianbands.com/Coney%20Hatch.html |date=2012-07-17 }} * [http://hollywoodsandtoronto.com/ Barry Connors]
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Category:Anthem Records artists Category:Canadian heavy metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1982 Category:Rock music groups from Toronto Category:1982 establishments in Ontario