John Hassall (musician)

John Cory Hassall (born 17 February 1981 in Westminster, London) is an English musician and bassist for The Libertines.[1] He now performs with his own band The April Rainers.[2] Previously, he formed the band Yeti.[3][4]

For the similarly named trumpet player and composer, see Jon Hassell.

John Hassall
Background information
Birth nameJohn Cory Hassall
Born (1981-02-17) 17 February 1981
Westminster, London, England
GenresIndie rock, punk rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, bass guitar, guitar
Years active1999–present
Associated actsThe Libertines, Yeti

Early life

He has said that when he discovered The Beatles at age 13 was the first time he fell in love.[5] He went on to buy their entire discography in chronological order.

The Libertines

Hassall attended Highgate School, where he was classmates with Johnny Borrell of Razorlight, and then Camden School for Girls at sixth form.[6] It is reported Borrell was actually part of the band's line up as bass player before Hassall; another band member was quoted saying he left because he could not keep up with a song they were practising (allegedly 'Horrorshow', a song from the band's Up The Bracket – their first album). Hassall joined a band and ended up playing bass. He played in various bands for a few years, but none of them worked out until he met Pete Doherty. Doherty and Carl Barât had already founded the Libertines, but were in need of a bassist and drummer.[7] It is said that Doherty was intrigued by Hassall not only for his talent but because he had 'proper' equipment.[8] To play the drums on their first recording session, the trio hired Paul Dufour. Hassall was hired to rejoin them on bass when they were signed by Rough Trade in late 2001. He continued to play with the band until they disbanded at the end of 2004.[9] The band has since reformed and was a "Special Guest" at the Reading/Leeds Festival on 28 August 2010. According to both Barât and Doherty, The Libertines plan to play live at Hyde Park in London on 5 July 2014 probably with some new material which they may possibly record in the future.

From 2015 to 2020, John Hassall toured with the Libertines, promoting their third LP: Anthems for Doomed Youth. In the deluxe version of the album, there's a song called Over It Again where Hassall acts as the lead singer.

Hassall has also formed a new band, The April Rainers in Aarhus Denmark, where he lives with his Danish wife Line Hassall Thomsen.[10] After a number of Scandinavian gigs and support slots on Pete Doherty's Eudaimonia tour, the Rainers played a series of headlining gigs in England. The band's much delayed debut album Wheels to Idyll was released in March 2017, following single releases and videos for "Given Time","Intercity 125", "Whether Girl" and "Mosey Through Your Mind", the latter being directed by Libertines collaborator Roger Sargent.[11]

References
  1. Dowling, Stephen (10 June 2004), Britain's brightest rock hopes?, BBC News, retrieved 12 September 2007
  2. Band Facebook site, retrieved 20 October 2015
  3. Interview with John Hassall, retrieved 12 September 2007
  4. Raftery, Liam, Yeti @ Joseph's Well, retrieved 12 September 2007
  5. The Libertines interview, retrieved 12 September 2007
  6. Galton, Bridget. "Best of the fest: London's summer parties in the park". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  7. Dowling, Stephen (3 March 2006), Saluting the Libertines' legend, BBC News, retrieved 12 September 2007
  8. Despres, Shawn, Interview with the Libertines, retrieved 12 September 2007
  9. The Libertines, archived from the original on 25 October 2007, retrieved 12 September 2007
  10. Wrede Hansen, Jonas (1 August 2017), "Danish interview with John Hassall", Århus Onsdag, retrieved 3 January 2018
  11. John Hassall & The April Rainers, John Hassall & The April Rainers – Mosey Through My Mind, retrieved 29 January 2019
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