# Tony Friel
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Friel
> Source revision: 1279887030
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Tony Friel
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|5|4|df=y}}
| death_date =
| origin = [Birkenhead](/source/Birkenhead), England
| instrument = Bass guitar, guitar
| genre = [Punk rock](/source/Punk_rock), [new wave](/source/New_wave_music), [post-punk](/source/post-punk), [synth-pop](/source/synth-pop)
| occupation = Musician
| years_active = 1976–present
| label =
| associated_acts = [The Fall](/source/The_Fall_(band)), Contact, [the Passage](/source/The_Passage_(band)), [the Teardrops](/source/The_Teardrops_(band)), Woodband Streetband
}}
'''Tony Friel''' (born 4 May 1958)[[http://www.visi.com/fall/bio/biography.html The Fall online – Previous band members & producers (A–Z), Tony Friel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205052605/http://www.visi.com/fall/bio/biography.html |date=5 February 2009 }}] is an English bass guitarist, known for his role in different [new wave](/source/New_wave_music) bands.
He attended Heys Boys Secondary School, where he met [Martin Bramah](/source/Martin_Bramah) and attained an art [O-Level](/source/O-Level). He and Bramah shared many interests. In the mid-1970s, they were introduced by their friend Barbara Smith to her brother [Mark E. Smith](/source/Mark_E._Smith) and his friend [Una Baines](/source/Una_Baines). Smith, Baines, Bramah and Friel shared interests in music, and formed their first band, [the Fall](/source/The_Fall_(band)).[{{Cite book|last1=Middles |first1=Mick |last2=Smith |first2=Mark E. |title=The Fall| page=64 |publisher=Omnibus Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-7119-9762-4 }}] Friel remained until December 1977, then he left.
After the Fall, Friel formed a project called Contact and a band called [the Passage](/source/The_Passage_(band)). In late 1978, he and his former Fall bandmate [Karl Burns](/source/Karl_Burns) joined [the Teardrops](/source/The_Teardrops_(band)), a group which included [Buzzcocks](/source/Buzzcocks) bassist [Steve Garvey](/source/Steve_Garvey_(musician)). They released the ''Leave Me No Choice'' EP, and in 1980, the ''Final Vinyl'' album, before breaking up.
In subsequent years Friel played with R&B bands. Later he was member of the Woodbank Streetband.