The Whisky Priests debut album originally released in 1989 on Whippet Records on CD, Vinyl and Cassette (WPTCD4/WPTC4/WPT4). This download includes the original 15-track album (released on Vinyl and Cassette) plus the 5 bonus tracks from the same session which originally appeared on the 'Halcyon Days' EP (WPTC3) aswell as the original 20-track CD version of 'Nee Gud Luck'.


Original CD liner notes (1994 reissue):

Together, the two of us formed The Whisky Priests in August 1985, after our final year at Gilesgate Comprehensive School in Durham, playing our first gig on 4th October 1985 at Fowlers Yard, Durham City.
Our mutual interest in music and our native North East England formed the initial basic template for our ideas and, in the years since, we have had to battle against a variety of set-backs just to keep that basic idea alive and kicking. Constant line-up changes have led to over thirty different members along the way, which has made things far from easy for us, plus we make no secret of the endless recording and publishing agreement disputes and the overall music media and industry apathy towards our cause. This has only made us more determined in the pursuance of our vision to its ultimate conclusion, through good times or bad, for better or worse. Perhaps one of the largest obstacles we have had to overcome has been the fact that we have been somehow forced into the position of achieving our goals almost totally unaided. It would have seemed inconceivable at the start that all these years down the line we would be running the band as a self-managed, self-financed, self-motivated and self-contained business, making all our own decisions as well as running our own fan club and mailing list, plus much more. And yet, here we are! And in spite of everything, we firmly believe we have got to this stage with our integrity and self-esteem intact.
Now that our four-year term with Celtic Music is finally at an end and ownership of all our own material has reverted back to us, we are proud to be able to reissue our first three albums on our own Whippet Records label, in special new editions, with repackaged booklets and bonus tracks.
We have always prided ourselves in our independence, as well as the special relationship we seem to share with our following. It is difficult to imagine that we could have reached this far without the enthusiasm and sheer loyalty of those who have stuck with us through it all and helped drive us on through all the difficult times. You have left us with many truly wonderful memories and experiences – long may they continue!
This special reissue is dedicated to you…

The beginning of 1989 marked a rebuilding process for The Whisky Priests. Red Rhino, the distributors of our 1988 EP’s, had gone into receivership, leaving us with no distribution for our recordings. In addition, we were now down to only three members - mandolin/harmonica player, Bill Bulmer and ourselves - bassist Michael Stephenson and drummer Sticks having quit the band simultaneously in December 1988, thus effectively severing our first solid line-up and ending the first era of the band.
As fate would have it, an interview for BBC Radio Cleveland in January 1989, during which we announced that our bass player and drummer had recently walked out on us, led to a chance telephone call from Mick Tyas, from Newton Aycliffe, South Durham. A friend of Mick’s, while listening to the radio, heard of our plight and informed Mick, who immediately rang us up. We invited him over to our house for a meeting/audition and duly drafted him into Whisky Priests active service. At the time of compiling these sleeve notes, Mick is still with us, remaining the band’s longest serving member after ourselves, despite a couple of months ‘sabbatical’ in 1990.
In the meantime, our search for a drummer was going nowhere (we’d never had much luck with drummers!), so we went to a local junk shop, bought a marching snare drum for £10 (we already had a stand and some sticks), passed it on to an old school friend and then regular follower of the band, David ‘Bamber’ Simpson from Gilegate in Durham City, taught him how to keep time and hit a beat and within a week he was up on stage with us playing his first gig. The renaissance had begun!
Meanwhile, at a band meeting/rehearsal, a suggestion was raised to use a northumbrian smallpipes on a few songs. Through another twist of fate, Mick announced that he knew a northumbrian piper called Pete French, from Darlington, who also happened to play fiddle and with whom he had collaborated over the years in various folk bands as well as a long term duo playing local folk clubs, prior to his association with The Whisky Priests. Anyway, Mick brought Pete along to a rehearsal and we were suddenly up to a six-piece for the first time in the band’s history.
Then along came Mitch, from Tadcaster in Yorkshire. Mitch became a sort of casual manager and advisor. He was full of enthusiasm and in the brief period he was involved with us, he played an important role in the band’s development. We have fond memories of Mitch receiving telephone calls from E.M.I. and others at his ‘office’ in ‘The Angel And White Horse’ Sam Smiths Brewery public house, Tadcaster.
His first step was persuading us to replace Bamber with the young sixteen-year-old Steve Green, also from Tadcaster, who Mitch knew through a mutual friend, thus bringing together the final element of the line-up that recorded ‘Nee Gud Luck’. We had realised for some time that Bamber’s limited musical ability was proving something of a liability but didn’t have the heart or the ruthlessness to do anything about it until Steve turned up on the scene, via Mitch, and he has the unfortunate distinction of being the only member out of 30, to date, who we have ever asked to leave the band, rather than doing so of their own free will.
Mitch’s next move was to arrange a meeting with Celtic Music, in the hope of securing distribution for our EP’s and the album we were planning to record. Unfortunately, we were persuaded to sign a full-blown recording and publishing agreement, when all we had really wanted was a distribution deal for our own Whippet Records label. This led to four years of disagreements, legal wrangling, creative restrictions, etc.
Mitch’s final contribution to the band was securing our first agent for gigs outside the UK, when he answered an advert in the national music press from Liverpool based D.O.A. (Definite Option Agency). This resulted in our first tour abroad, to Germany at the end of 1989, shortly after the release of ‘Nee Gud Luck’, as well as a successful relationship with then co-partner of D.O.A., Bill Lavelle, who became our European Tour Manager, spiritual advisor and close friend for a number of years. Neither should we forget Bill’s good mate and merchandiser/roadie extraordinaire, Les McCoy!
Our first tour of Germany also included in its party current Whisky Priest Paul Carless on Harmonica, who appeared with us on a casual basis for a number of years, before replacing Kevin Wilson on a full-time basis in 1992.
The immediate outcome of our contract signing with Celtic Music was the recording of our debut album ‘Nee Gud Luck’ in August 1989. A few weeks prior to the recording session, however, Bill Bulmer announced his plans to leave the band, although he agreed to stay long enough to record the album and until we could find a suitable replacement. Already, this heralded the beginning of the end of another mini-era of the band, as it would not be too long before Pete French and Steve Green went their separate ways as well, although both would return later for another brief spell in 1990.
We financed the recording of ‘Nee Gud Luck’ ourselves and as a result our budget at the time was severely limited. We therefore worked very fast to record as much material as possible, with most of the instruments being laid down live in one take, and in fact we managed to record and mix a total of 23 songs over nine days at a total cost of £900. To say the album was rushed and ‘done on the cheap’ is something of an understatement! The album (15-track Vinyl LP and 15-track Cassette) and the accompanying ‘Halcyon Days’ Cassette EP were released simultaneously in November 1989. A 20-track CD version of the album, adding as bonus cuts the 5 additional tracks from the ‘Halcyon Days’ EP not on the original LP and Cassette versions was later released in May 1990.
An informal agreement between Celtic Music and ourselves ensured that although Celtic Music had become the band’s record company, the Whippet Records identity, which we had established with the release of our 1988 EP’s would be maintained. This would allow all Whisky Priests recordings released during our time with Celtic Music to be issued on the Whippet Records label.
When we visited the offices of Celtic Music to recover our master tapes, following our out of court legal settlement in November 1993, we discovered that the only remaining master tape of ‘Nee Gud Luck’ still in existence was the CD production master, which had been less than adequately transferred from the original studio master, resulting in a less than perfect reproduction on the original Celtic Music three format album pressings (WPT4/WPTC4/WPTCD4). All the other master tapes had been destroyed, including all the 24-track master tapes thus allowing no future possibility to ever remix any of the tracks, as well as the original studio master of the original mixes of all 23 tracks. These had been the only tapes in existence containing the three unused tracks from the session, namely rerecorded versions of ‘No Chance’, ‘Instrumental Medley’ and ‘The Row Between The Cages’ (all of which had been originally recorded and released in 1988 on the 12” EP’s ‘No Chance’ and ‘Grandfatha’s Fatha’). As a result of the loss of these tapes, we have been unable to reproduce the quality of the original recordings for this reissue, which was of course also lacking on the original releases, since we have had to re-master from the only remaining production source, the lesser quality original CD master. Hopefully this will not detract from the enjoyment of the listener in any way.
Although ‘Nee Gud Luck’ was well received in many quarters, being hailed as “the contemporary folk masterpiece” (‘Rock ‘N’ Reel’) and a “cracker of a debut” (‘Folk Roots’), the album was completely ignored by the so-called major music industry moguls, beginning a trend, which continues to this day. Although the album failed to make any impact with the so-called ‘right people’, it did sow the seeds for the band’s current high profile ‘cult’ status and is now regarded by many as a landmark in the band’s history. Anyone who missed it first time now has an opportunity to judge it second time round.

(Gary Miller & Glenn Miller, August 1994)


Reviews (reissue 1994 version):

“‘Nee Gud Luck’ was the first album by The Whisky Priests, and was recorded in August 1989. Initially released by Celtic Music it has now been reissued on CD on the band’s own label Whippet Records, with extra tracks and sleeve notes. Using a mixture of instruments, including northumbrian pipes, bouzouki and fiddle as well as mandolins, acoustic 12-strings and accordion, The Whisky Priests have managed to capture the passion and fire of a pit community in a way that no others have managed to do. Some of the songs are traditional but most have been written by vocalist/guitarist Gary Miller, who sings them in his own distinctive manner.
Throughout the album, indeed throughout all of their records, The Whisky Priests give the impression of living and breathing what they are singing about. They prove time and again that electric guitars are not needed to give music a hard edge and emphasis, more an attitude. Lyrics are very important and given the fact that the songs are usually fairly short in length there is a lot crammed in. As a debut it is striking and full of variety.”
(From joint review of ‘Nee Gud Luck, ‘The First Few Drops’, ‘Timeless Street’, reissue 1994 versions), Kevin Rowland, ‘Feedback’, UK, Issue 29, 8th June 1995.


“‘Nee Gud Luck’ is actually a re-issue. It contains 15 tracks, plus a further five as bonus tracks. Another instrumental medley highlights the musical prowess as well as the superbly evocative ‘Streets Paved With Gold’, ‘The Oakey Strike Evictions’ and ‘The Durham Lockout’. This album, perhaps more than any, features some of the best historical glimpses into the true life of the shipyards and pits from the so-called halcyon days. Quite a lot of traditional material this time, although ol’ Gary’s done more than the odd song. As is often the case with all their albums, the lyrics are printed in the CD cover. Many of them can be read without the aid of the music, and as such, read well. Images, sympathies and genuine true life is painted with such a vast range of colours – why hasn’t Gary brought out a book of poetry?”
(From joint review of ‘Bloody Well Live!’, ‘The Power And The Glory’, ‘When The Wind Blows, Billy Boy’, ‘The First Few Drops’, Nee Gud Luck’, ‘Timeless Street’, reissue 1994 versions), Dave W. Hughes, ‘The Modern Dance’, UK.


“The Whisky Priests now have their entire catalogue under their own control and these re-issues are a confident celebration of 9 years of hard work and determination to keep Gary and Glenn Miller’s basic idea of an English Northeast band on the road. So far there have been over 30 different band members as line-ups have changed and changed again. Gary Miller has written 32 of the recorded tracks, plus 4 further collaborations with Glenn Miller and one with Mick Tyas, and Glenn has written a further two. Also included are well-known ‘Trad’ songs and tunes from the N.E., which have been part of their repertoire from the beginning. They have also written many more songs, which are as yet unrecorded – a prolific outpouring of energy and creativity, which also characterises their live performances. All 3 re-issues include a 16-page insert booklet with words for all the songs, the story of The Whisky Priests so far, in three instalments, and a selection of archive photographs.
The twin ‘likely lads’ from Durham with a schoolboy vision in 1985 are now independent businessmen without losing their integrity and self esteem. An inspiration to all of us who attempt to create our own contribution to the global ceilidh. Enjoy the fruits of their labour at a bargain price!”
(Joint review of ‘The First Few Drops’, ‘Nee Gud Luck’, ‘Timeless Street’, reissue 1994 versions), Jenny Coxon, ‘Folk Buzz’, UK, Spring 1995.


“Reading the sleeve-notes of these reissued early Priests albums, you find a tale of indie tenacity of the first order. To say that that tenacity and clarity of purpose fuels the music puts it mildly. Whether you like them or not, you have to admit that without the likes of this band, music would be a weaker-kneed constituency altogether.”
(Joint review of ‘The First Few Drops’, ‘Nee Gud Luck’, ‘Timeless Street’, reissue 1994 versions), Steve Morris, ‘Brumbeat’, UK, 1995.


“Passionate in your face from the start to the finish, these CD’s show the early development and unique Priest style taking form. All three feature bonus tracks, sleeve notes and lyrics, making each excellent value for money. Hard driven folk rock with rare verve, it’s honest, hard music and ideal for foot to the floor motorway driving.”
(Joint review of ‘The First Few Drops’, ‘Nee Gud Luck’, ‘Timeless Street’, reissue 1994 versions), Mark Hughes, ‘First Hearing’, UK, 1995.


Reviews (original 1989 version):

“The long-awaited first album from County Durham’s finest ‘punk-thrash-folk’ outfit won’t disappoint those who have their 12” EP’s, and will win over others more traditionally-inclined and not previously attuned to The Whisky Priests’ loud and fast renderings of Durham mining songs and dance tunes.
The fifteen tracks on ‘Nee Gud Luck’ come from the same sources as before – old songs of Tommy Armstrong sit side by side with contemporary, locally and topically-based compositions from lead singer Gary Miller with help from brother Glenn. Since the brothers formed the band they have garnered a wide reputation for their raw Pogues-like treatment of ‘trad.’ material, but the recent addition of Northumbrian pipes and fiddle, alongside mandolin, harmonica and spoons has broadened the band’s scope and has resulted in a remarkable mature work of variety and vitality, rewarding attentive listening and inviting frenetic dancing.
Side one’s attractions include a new arrangement of the Priests’ first single ‘The Colliery’, complete with brass band, and a vibrant reworking of ‘Dol-Li-A’, an old Newcastle street song that contrasts with the haunting melody of ‘Jenny Grey’, accentuated by the pipes, accordion and mandolin – very Northumbrian-sounding but a Miller Brothers’ original. The second side finds the Priests in full flow. Glenn’s ‘Death of The Shipyards’, featuring his accordion with appropriate percussive clanks as background, suggests a Wearside equivalent of a Phil Cunningham air, and is followed by a raucous ‘Oakey Strike Evictions’ and a lively set of Pressgang songs and tunes.
It was their arrangement of Tommy Armstrong’s poem ‘The Durham Lockout’ which made the greatest impact on this listener’s ears. Gary’s rough vocal, backed initially by solo pipes, and gradually by the group ensemble with accordion to the fore, emphasises the bitterness and harshness of the old colliery life.
In short, ‘Nee Gud Luck’ is a cracker of a debut – a splendidly successful fusion of old and new in which The Whisky Priests simultaneously reveal a healthy respect for their own cultural past and considerable musical promise for the future.”
(Original 1989 version), Neil Hedgeland, ‘Folk Roots’, UK.


“The Whisky Priests on their early EP’s lead a ferocious punk thrash slam dance through traditional and original North-East music. Described then by Sounds as “compulsive dementia” and “accordions on acid”, with the energy and anger of Crass or The Exploited, with frantic tales from their very roots, of 200 years of toil and struggle by their own people. Slamming the exploitation of the colliery workers and tales of young Durham lads being butchered and slaughtered at war, mining accidents, old age and nostalgia and a scathing attack on the lager lout.
With their long-awaited debut album ‘Nee Gud Luck’ they have surpassed ‘Rum, Sodomy and The Lash’ and produced the contemporary folk masterpiece as if they’ve ripped up their earlier vinyl and started again. Thankfully the thrash elements are still there but they have laid down some startling sad epitaphs for the death of the collieries and shipyards. ‘The Colliery’ bustles along with some great brass from the Bearpark & Esh Colliery Band’: “We laughed and cried, we prayed and died down at the colliery”! ‘The Durham Lockout is a poem by the pit poet Tommy Armstrong set to music and features some exceptional work on the Northumberland small pipes. Gary Miller has pushed himself up with Bragg and MacGowan as a classic contemporary folk songwriter and in ‘Jenny Grey’ he has penned the most extraordinarily beautiful lament:
“The factory gates have all closed down before me
And the lights are dimming on the edge of the town
And they’re singing a sad hymn in the church in our village
And your face looks so sad as the tears flow down
When they are drying the blood from my body
And the flowers and grieving are all for me
And when I am gone into Hell or to Heaven
Oh Jenny, Jenny Grey, cry for me”
(Original 1989 version), Gillfish, ‘Rock ‘N’ Reel’, UK, Spring 1990.


“Almost a century after it was written, the classic miners’ song ‘The Durham Lockout’ has been brought back to life. The famous Tommy Armstrong song has been given the 1990’s treatment by the excellent Durham band The Whisky Priests. These six lads have been described as the North East’s answer to The Pogues.
But what they’ve really done is made popular the songs and struggles of the mining community – long after more trendy artists from the region have ditched their own culture.
‘The Durham Lockout’ appears on the Priests’ first album ‘Nee Gud Luck’, along with that other Armstrong classic ‘The Oakey Strike Evictions’.
Most of the album is original material, but steeped in the tradition of the coalfield songwriters.
The Priests upbeat, punk-folk sets both traditional and contemporary songs alight.
All the feel of the region is here, played by serious young men with a mission.
They are supported by Bearpark and Esh brass band on an excellent Gary Miller song, ‘The Colliery’.
The Whisky Priests have taken the best of North East mining culture and brought it to a new audience.
If you ever get the chance to see them live you will see what a fearsome following they have gathered.
Every miner should have this record in their collection.
We should wish the Priests well in their efforts to convince the rest of the world that the North East has more going for it than property development and Cathedrals to the consumer.”
(Original 1989 version), ‘The North East Miner’ magazine, UK, April 1990.


“The Whisky Priests have struggled up from the post-industrial wastelands of North-East England. They have now brought their unique culture to a whole new audience by singing about the workers and their families who have formed the traditions of the North-East. They have brought some pride back to us up here. It is not just around Britain but in West Germany too they have been building up a big reputation for themselves. The subjects The Whisky Priests sing about might be born out of the struggles with the heavy industries of coalmining and shipbuilding but poverty, greedy landlords and the human carnage of war are themes that we can all readily understand, they have no geographical boundaries. The very music itself, played on accordion, violin, pipes, mandolin, guitars and marching snare is irresistible. Dance, jig, reel, clap, tap or just listen thoughtfully but it is pretty damned difficult to ignore The Whisky Priests.
On their debut album, ‘Nee Gud Luck’, traditional folk songs like ‘The Collier’s Rant’ and ‘Dol-Li-A’ are successfully interspersed between singer Gary Miller’s own works. ‘Death of The Shipyards’ is a moving instrumental with a spice of High Noon / Spaghetti Western gunfight tension. First the River Tees then the River Wear have been devastated by the ‘death of the shipyards’. ‘Coal-Digger’s Grave’ always gets the audience up dancing to the hilarious story of the miner who jumps up from his coffin to shout “Give Us Whisky!”. ‘Pressgang Medley’ contrasts the vocal styles of Gary and giant bass player Mick. Gary sings of the man desperately fleeing the navy pressgang that hunts for young men through the coastal towns and villages to fill their crews. The medley suddenly bursts into a lively instrumental called ‘Proudlock’s Hornpipe’ (I would like to believe that this is dedicated to ex-Middlesbrough Football Club striker Paul Proudlock, but then I am obviously wrong!).
This is a great LP so go and buy it at once. The Whisky Priests have also released a 6-track cassette tape called ‘Halcyon Days’ featuring the riotous ‘Geordie Black’ and ‘Adam Buckham’. Some of the songs have an old-fashioned mono feel to them, which gives this tape an unusual and nostalgic atmosphere.
The Whisky Priests completed an exceptionally successful tour of West Germany in December 1989. They will be returning for a much bigger tour in autumn so look out for them wherever you live, they will be appearing near you soon…”
(Original 1989 version), Rob Nichols, ‘Ket’, UK, 1989.


“After establishing themselves so emphatically on the live music circuit, both locally and internationally, The Whisky Priests were always likely to face the problem of reproducing the frenetic power and energy to which most listeners have become accustomed. However, on ‘Nee Gud Luck’ their first LP, though it may lack some of the raw appeal of their live performances, they more than compensate for this with a collection of songs full of variety and offering plenty of promise for the future.
The LP opens, in typical Whisky Priests style, with ‘The Colliery’, a song which builds up to a fast and furious pace, complemented by thoughtful lyrics which never trivialise the plight of the collier whilst, at the same time, painting a graphic picture of life underground. On top of this, the inclusion of the Bearpark and Esh Colliery Band is a nice touch to an already accomplished song.
Other highlights include live favourite, ‘Streets Paved With Gold’, an indictment of the myth that there is fortune to be made in a certain capital city, including some excellent harmonica work from Bill Bulmer, ‘Shut Doon The Waggon Works’, a rousing tune on the effects of factory closures in a community with some fine accordion work from Glenn Miller, and my personal favourite, ‘Jenny Grey’ a touching lament on the eternal subject of unrequited love, allowing Pete French to use, to full effect, the hauntingly enchanting sound of the Northumbrian small pipes to convey the full poignancy of the lyrics.
‘Death of The Shipyards’ will be new to the ears of anyone who has only ever heard the band live, and is a most evocative instrumental on the closure of the yards in Sunderland just over a year ago, whilst the other slower, more reflective track, ‘The Durham Lockout’, is another song, written by Tommy Armstrong, on the struggle of the working man in the industrial North-East in the face of oppressive colliery owners.
You might be forgiven for getting the impression that ‘Nee Gud Luck’ is full of songs of doom and gloom, however, nothing could be further from the truth, the majority of the tracks being highly entertaining dance tunes like ‘The Rising of The North’, ‘Dol-Li-A’, and ‘Spring-Heeled Jacks’, whilst the anti-war number, ‘The Durham Light Infantry’, provides a stirring finish to an accomplished collection of songs, full of energy and variation, which promises much for the future, both live and on record.”
(Original 1989 version), Steve Taylor, ‘S.R.T.’, UK, 1990.


“Some may have read my previous reviews of the Durham-based Whisky Priests’ earlier 12” singles. If you liked those, you would certainly not be disappointed with ‘Nee Gud Luck’, which for all the polish in the production, helped along by the experienced Mickey Sweeney, still retains the basic loud raucousness of their earlier recordings and their live performances. At the same time it is enhanced immeasurably by the variety of material and change of pace throughout, which has come about from the addition of Pete French on Northumbrian pipes, fiddle, spoons and mandolin, and Bill Bulmer on mandolin, harmonicas, bouzouki and jaw harp. A new drummer, Steve Green, has joined the original trio of the two Miller brothers – Gary on vocals, Glenn on accordion, and Mick Tyas, on bass.
The marathon value for money 15 tracks contain, as before, a mix of vamped-up versions of old Durham mining songs and tunes and new compositions, mostly by Gary Miller, influenced by aspects of social and political life in the North East of England today. Of those on the first side, the opening ‘The Colliery’ is a reworking of the group’s now deleted first single with the additional appearance of a local colliery brass band, and ‘Streets Paved With Gold’ is particularly adept in its depiction of a Northerner’s false hopes on leaving for London. ‘Shut Doon The Waggon Works’ confirms the usefulness of the enclosed lyric sheet for those having difficulty with the dialect. ‘Jenny Grey’ is one of my favourites – its haunting melody accentuated by the addition of pipes and fiddle makes this sound like a traditional song, but it is in fact a joint composition by Gary and Glenn.
There are in fact too many riches in the collection to do everything justice in this review, but it is on the second side of the album that the true range of the Priests’ writing and arrangements are revealed. It opens with ‘Death of The Shipyards’, a lament composed by Glenn for the Wearside dockyards played on the squeezebox with clanking percussion backing, leading straight into a fast and furious rendering of Tommy Armstrong’s ‘The Oakey Strike Evictions’. A medley of pressgang songs and tunes follows – a firm live favourite set, which transposes well to vinyl, including the well-known ‘Here’s The Tender Coming’ and culminating in a hectic romping ‘Harvest Home’. The pace changes sharply for a stunning six-minute interpretation of Tommy Armstrong’s ‘The Durham Lockout’ – the brutality of the treatment of the miners being evoked by Gary’s vocals. Definitely one of the major high spots for these ears, but the feet are once more urged to get moving on ‘Spring-Heeled Jacks’, a self-penned instrumental, before the traditional ‘Collier’s Rant’ is cantered through at breakneck speed, and the album is completed with another of Gary’s songs ‘Durham Light Infantry’, conveying the futility of the First World War to the irresistible backing once more of accordion, drums and ensemble, signing off with a snatch from a popular First World War song. ‘Nee Gud Luck’ came out just before Christmas, too late to get into any critics’ top ten of 1989. There’s no doubt it would have a very high placing in this writer’s list, and certainly marks the arrival of The Whisky Priests as a name to reckon with.”
(Original 1989 version), ‘Broadbeat’, Scotland, UK, April 1990.


“The Whisky Priests have finally released their debut LP, ‘Nee Gud Luck’. They have been threatening it for a year but now it is finally here.
Coupled with a six-track cassingle, ‘Halcyon Days’, it is certainly worth the wait.
The Priests have a rare ability to conjure up images of a couple of generations ago when men were miners and whippets were common. Such is the quality of their original material it is impossible to distinguish it from their arrangements of traditional folk songs.
The new compositions are much more listenable than previous releases. They have concentrated on better production and mixing and the lyrics are no longer shouted. Yet they still conjure up a raw, dirty and enthusiastic feel.
Glenn Miller’s beautiful instrumental, ‘Death of The Shipyards’, illustrates this more reasoned approach. ‘The Colliery’ adds a new dimension with a brass band and the Priests step out of the Beamish-style sawdust-floored pubs into the market place.
‘Halcyon Days’ incongruously includes a verse from ‘The Likely Lads’ theme.
The Whisky Priests are the North-East’s music. They are the community spirit of the pit villages, and the social history behind them. But more than that, they are damned good fun.”
(Original 1989 version), Chris Lloyd, ‘Northern Echo’, UK.


“The utterly brilliant Whisky Priests, formed back in the mid ’80’s in Durham, have developed a big following for their raw and passionate folk/thrash tunes, which have also brought them richly deserved critical acclaim.
The music is powerful foot-tapping stuff, from the heart of the Durham coalfields, which has drawn parallels with The Pogues – but they definitely have their own sound.
From their early days playing the Queen’s Head at Sherburn Road Ends, the group have gone on to national tours (including one supporting ‘The Bhundu Boys’ way back when) and being the “unequivocal stars” of this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival. Their LP ‘Nee Gud Luck’ stormed the folk charts, and got songwriter Gary Miller the title: ‘classic contemporary folk songwriter’.
Gary Miller has proved himself an excellent songwriter – evidence borne out by listening to ‘Nee Gud Luck’. I would rank him along with the MacGowans and MacColls of this world and it is surely only a matter of time before they are as big as The Pogues and The Men They Couldn’t Hang – they certainly deserve to be.”
(Original 1989 version), Richard Lewis, ‘The Bury Times’, UK, December 1990.


“Six-piece folk rockers with more bite than a coal-miner’s whippet. The Whisky Priests are not just being noticed for their flat caps, pit boots, braces and severe haircuts.
Although The Whisky Priests have existed for a number of years through many changes of line-up, it was in 1990 that the band’s profile suddenly increased dramatically. With the success of their debut LP ‘Nee Gud Luck they have built up a massive following and have played over 100 gigs this year – including 4 tours to Europe.
Gary Miller has been described as a ‘classic contemporary folk songwriter’ who is up there with the much-revered Bragg and MacGowan. An acoustic roots ensemble of the most fervent northern traditions, they are proud and pragmatic in their outlook on life, in their music and about their origins.
They sing rousing songs gritted with ingrained coal dust, about real people, two centuries of sweat and tears of the struggle of their kinfolk in the troubled North-East. And after the social history lesson The Whisky Priests are an excellent dance band, whether or not your native clogs lay in County Durham or Dewsbury.”
(Original 1989 version), Rosy O’Sullivan, ‘Leeds Other Paper’, UK, December 1990.


“Someone once told me that The Whisky Priests are: (1) a folk-thrash band, (2) similar to The Pogues and The Men They Couldn’t Hang’, (3) a one-dimensional group. After listening to these recordings, my response is: (1) Yes indeed! (2) in spirit more than in sound, and (3) if they ever were, they’re not anymore!
The Whisky Priests are a sextet: Gary Miller (vocals, 12 & 6 string guitars), his twin brother Glenn (accordion), Bill Bulmer (mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica), Mick Tyas (bass, vocals), Pete French (Northumbrian pipes, fiddle), and Steve Green (drums). They hail from Durham County in the northeast of England. Much of Durham County’s industry was based on coalmining and shipbuilding, both of which have greatly declined in the past decades. This historical background is important, for it plays a vital role in the Priests’ music.
After ‘Grandfatha’s Fatha’ was recorded, a couple of guys dropped out, the two Millers and Bulmer carried on as a trio for a time, and then they ordained three new Priests to reach the current roster. This line-up is the best yet and the inclusion of Pete French’s Northumbrian pipes and fiddle is a great move for the band. The addition of French fills out and enhances the Priests’ sound and makes it a bit more traditional in nature, but the band still keeps its wildness and raucousness intact. The new chemistry could draw more fans to the band, while enabling the Priests to keep their original followers.
The six-track cassette ‘Halcyon Days’ is the initial release with the new line-up, and it’s the best of the three EP’s. They re-recorded ‘Grandfatha’s Fatha’ with pipes in the mix, and include a speedy, powerful instrumental ‘Bill Hartnell’ that demonstrates the whisky hasn’t been diluted at all! The title track, written by Gary Miller and included on ‘Nee Gud Luck’, is a song about the lost days of youth that everyone can relate to – the theme is universal but the ‘action’ is in Durham County.
This type of ‘local but universal’ song appears a few times on ‘Nee Gud Luck’, the Priests’ impressive first full-length LP. Anyone who listens to this album and still calls The Whisky Priests a one-dimensional folk-thrash band just isn’t paying attention. Sure, they still crank it up a lot – and when they do they’re great – but that’s not all they can do. There’s ‘Jenny Grey’ (penned by Gary and Glenn), a superb traditional-type song of lost love performed with a slow and even tempo, and Glenn’s soothing instrumental ‘Death of The Shipyards’ featuring acoustic guitar and accordion. On the other hand they operate at full throttle on a pair of no-holds-barred instrumentals and the rousing ‘Coal-Digger’s Grave’ with some gruff, shouting vocals. Two more outstanding tracks are the rocking ‘Streets Paved With Gold’ (a 1990’s Durham County emigree meets ‘The Grapes of Wrath’), and ‘Durham Lockout’, about a lengthy lockout of coal miners. This track begins with just Northumbrian pipes and vocals, and gradually builds as more instruments are added with each verse. Lead vocalist Gary Miller’s voice is rough-hewn – more like rough-chiselled – but it works nicely within the Priests’ format. The songs are sung in a sometimes impenetrable regional dialect, but ‘Nee Gud Luck’ has a lyric sheet, which is essential reading.
The Whisky Priests have come a long way from ‘No Chance’ to ‘Nee Gud Luck’; they sound better and are more versatile, yet have a firm grasp of their regional, traditional, and folk-thrash roots. For those of you who like ‘progression’ in bands, The Whisky Priests have taken a solid first step forward.”
(From joint review of ‘No Chance’, ‘Grandfatha’s Fatha’, ‘Halcyon Days’, Nee Gud Luck’ original 1989 version), Al Reiss, ‘Dirty Linen’, U.S.A., Issue 30, October/November 1990.


“My friends, Rob and Julie, tell me that a member of Fairport Convention says that this is the band that ‘makes the Pogues sound like Weather Report.’
Hmm, pretty strong stuff. Normally, I’d answer that sort of blather with a gruff, obscene retort. Like ‘piss off!’ But I’ll restrain myself… maybe because the guy could be half right.
Okay, enough of the preliminaries. The Whisky Priests are a sextet from Durham who unleash a torrent of thrash folk that, well, reminds one of The Pogues. Except that where The Pogues show definite rock ‘n’ roll tendencies, The Whisky Priests toe a more traditional line. Then again, don’t make the mistake of equating ‘traditional’ with staid or conventional.
Led by the brothers Miller, Gary on lead vocals and guitar / bouzouki / mandolin, and Glenn, accordion and backing vocals, the Priests employ traditional instruments such as fiddles and pipes, as well as an electric bass and drums to provide the band with that extra ‘oomph’, which really makes their songs kick ass.
Just listen to songs like the rousing instrumentals ‘Rising of The North’ and ‘Spring-Heeled Jacks’ or ‘Streets Paved With Gold’, ‘Collier’s Rant’, ‘Dol-Li-A’, ‘Halcyon Days’ and ‘The Durham Light Infantry’. And ‘Jenny Grey’ is the best song Shane MacGowan never wrote.
Songs about the mines, shipyards, pressgangs, soldiers that never came back and pining for a woman’s love. Gary Miller’s voice is appropriately rough-hewn, sounding like he spent a lifetime in the coalmines of Blighty.
The only complaint has to do with the production, it’s a bit tinny and Miller’s vocals could have been turned up a bit. But those are the only complaints. The playing’s hot, tight and the songs are delivered with great élan.
The Whisky Priests have all the earmarks of being ‘The Next Big Thing’ folk/rock-wise. They deserve to be heard by millions.”
(Original 1989 version), Brian Greenlee, ‘B-Side’ U.S.A., August/September 1991.


“This band of Celtic rogues from the North of England takes a raw, acoustic approach to pub rock. Their album, ‘Nee Gud Luck’, has no rural pretences – in fact, no pretence at all. Both original songs and traditional tunes are given the same thrashing with bagpipes, strings of every description, harmonica, guitars and drums. More fun than a barrel of colliers!”
(Original 1989 version), ‘CMJ New Music Report’, U.S.A., 25th May 1990.


‘Halcyon Days’ cassette EP Reviews

“The Whisky Priests 6-track cassette EP sees the band in magnificent form, the production is A1 with the mix giving equal importance to each instrument, big Mick on bass creates a rock solid back rhythm that the layers of accordion, guitar, fiddle and spoons fit onto with such ease, to create a riotously enjoyable sound that never diminishes or loses one drop of its appeal throughout this tape! The ingenuity of the band is demonstrated on their reworking of ‘Grandfatha’s Fatha’, where they utilise the Northumbrian pipes as lead instrument and the result is startlingly effective. Pete on fiddle gives an indication of why he’s such an asset to the band with his unquestionable power and skill on the instrument, most notable on ‘The Clog Dancer’. Stirring, stylish rock with its roots firmly in the north-East tradition. Can’t recommend it enough.”
(‘Halcyon Days’ Cassette EP), Sean McGhee, ‘Rock ‘N’ Reel’, UK, Spring 1990.