GARY TWINN
BIO
The International Swingers are a rock and roll group of the most electric individuals (Clem Burke-Blondie, Glen Matlock-Sex Pistols, James Stevenson-Generation X and Gary Twinn-Twenty Flight Rockers) to ever share the same stage.
Proprietors of rock and roll battlefield scars, The International Swingers are warriors of the punk/new wave/glam era who led onslaughts upon the pop charts with hit songs (despite being infamously banned from the radio).
Clem Burke is the legendary drummer for Blondie. Clem remained with Blondie since its inception and later returned for its reunion and extensive 2009 - 2011 tour. While Blondie was on hiatus in the 80s and 90s, Clem performed with folk icon Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, country star Wanda Jackson, Nancy Sinatra, The Romantics, Pete Townshend,Dramarama, and The Fleshtones, amongst others.
Clem’s signature beats have been ingrained in pretty much every vein of rock and roll history. He even had a short gig as drummer for The Ramones, as “Elvis Ramone.” Clem was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 along with his other Blondie bandmates.
Glen Matlock is best known for his indelible contributions to rock and roll history as the original Sex Pistols bass player and songwriter. Glen has worked with the Godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, The Damned, and rock-a-billy’s Robert Gordon. While pursuing his own distinctive direction where melodic and inventive rock music thrives, Glen toured with the resurrected Sex Pistols and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, along with Blondie. In 2010 Glen released “Born Running,” arguably his finest, and also joined the reformed Faces as bassist.
James Stevenson got his first taste of playing guitar professionally when he joined punk band Chelsea in March 1977 whilst still at school. While gigging only a few weeks in England, this baptism of fire stood him in good stead for a lifelong career as a guitarist. James has brought his distinctive rock n’ roll guitar sound to the rescue and revival of many, including Billy Idol’s Generation X, The Cult, The Alarm and Gene Loves Jezebel becoming a permanent GLJ member and co-writer of hit songs such as 'Jealous'.
In the 80’s - thanks to MTV - James was somewhat of a heart throb with his wild guitar wielding on Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” video which made the Gibson Les Paul his trade mark. In 2014 he released his solo album ‘Everything’s Getting Closer To Being Over’ featuring an array of guest musicians.Most recently, he has been a member of Woody Woodmansey’s Holy Holy along with Tony Visconti, Glenn Gregory and Marc Almond.
Gary Twinn spent his teenage years in Australia where he was singer for glam/punk rockers Supernaut. After making a mark with chart topping songs, such as "I Like It Both Ways", a gold album and several TV awards for best new band and video performance, Gary returned to the UK and formed Twenty Flight Rockers with Mark Laff of Generation X. Gary hit the Californiarockabilly scene with Honeydippers and later, among other escapades, teamed up with Ratt Scabies, Glen Matlock and
Derwood Andrews forming the group Dead Horse. Gary and Derwood also wrote and recorded together as the criticallyacclaimed Speedtwinn.
Invited to tour Australia in 2012, Gary Twinn asked three of his best friends if they “fancied forming a band for a bit of a holiday down-under” and The International Swingers was conceived.The name coming from what we musically are.
Taking a hand-full of songs from each players respective back catalogue, and performing them all as “stripped down barebones” rock and roll, The International Swingers performed a secret warm up show in Los Angeles, and then left the next day for a sold out Australian tour.
New songs were then written and gigs in the USA and UK took place. Demos of the songs were played extensively by Rodney Bingenheimer on KROQ and the song FBI was used in Sylvester Stallone’s action flick ‘Homefront' starring James Franco, Jason Statham and Winona Ryder, it’s on the juke box during the bar scene with Ms. Ryder!
In 2014 it was decided the time had come to record an album, and so the deed was done at Foofighters legendary Studio 606 in LA and the album is now recorded and mixed all financed by our Pledge campaign.
VIDEOS
DISCOGRAPHY
