Music
Press
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Last Man Standing are quite extraordinary. With a breadth of vision which encompasses the more ambitious end of glam (Aladdin Sane, Bolan's Zinc Alloy) and the cabaret splendor of Alex Harvey, even Tom Waits at his most theatrical. This blast of low-life pungency feels like a righteous breath of fresh air. ****Four stars. -Andrew Perry, MOJO Magazine - MOJO Magazine
"Max Vanderwolf’s band have the ingenuity of Bowie’s 1970 Floorshow and the wild spirit of Tom Waits which essentially means its rock theatre--but with attitude. This collection of bedraggled songs duly incorporates the angst of 70’s Lou Reed, dustbowl mariachi, and Steely Dan cynicism but their vision of wild-heart losers, misfits and a world in collapse somehow hold together."
-Gavin Martin - UNCUT Magazine
"In other words, they're a damn fine band... It's a strong claim to be 'London's Best Unsigned Band', but for now at least, we're not arguing with them." - The Londonist
Discography
False Starts & Broken Promises (Wildflower Records)
Track listing:
1. Variation
2. Queen Kong
3. Waiting So Long
4. The Dean Street Stumble
5. Everything Must Go
6. The Climb
7. Bar Room Floor
8. A Man Condemned
9. Go Home
10. Theme for the Last Man Standing
Photos
Bio
The twisted and treacherous tale of Last Man Standing began in 2002, when singer-songwriter Max Vanderwolf arrived on U.K. shores with the intention of leaving NYC, and the music business behind him after several near-misses and a successions of downward spirals. It wasn't long before a U.K. collector of various Vanderwolf tapes and guitar genius Chris Cordoba discovers Max stumbling about at an AA meeting daytrip at the Chelsea Flower show. After an initial period of hesitation lasting 6 minutes and 37 seconds, Vanderwolf and Cordoba dropped out of AA and began recording Vanderwolf's next collection of songs with the assistance a despicable assortment of cruisers, losers and substance abusers.
The result is the self-released album, False Starts & Broken Promises, received enthusiastically by press, including four stars in Mojo Magazine and Uncut who favorably compared the band to ''Aladin Sane-era Bowie and wild-heartedness of Tom Waits''. Wildflower Records, the New York City-based label owned by folk-legend Judy Collins seized the opportunity licensing False Starts & Broken Promises worldwide and re-releasing it in the U.K. and abroad. Strong reviews continue to come from Italy, Hungary, Germany, and The Netherlands, where the band played the London Calling Festival.
The band set out a strategic plan of attack, targeting the sleaziest and most audacious of London Underground burlesque clubs and soon built a strong reputation on their electrifying live shows. Since then Last Man Standing have toured with or supported Sparks, The Polyphonic Spree, Gallon Drunk, the Violent Femmes, Bobby Conn, George Clinton in NYC, and the White Stripes on their 02 Festival.
Last Man Standing are regularly invited to perform at key festivals such as Bestival, Glastonbury, Lovebox Weekender. At Glastonbury, they curate and promote their own tent called Last Man Standing Saloon. At Secret Garden Party the band famously gatecrashed and pirated a stage with PA, performing five times across the decadent summer festival weekend. The Guardian calls them ''London's Best Unsigned Band''.
Many extraordinary musicians have passed through Last Man Standing, including guest appearances by Robyn Hitchcock and Terry Edwards. Last Man Standing currently performs with Max Vanderwolf, Chris Cordoba, Herbacious Keys, Wylsie of Camberwell, Will Muldrew.
www.myspace.com/lastmanstandinggroup
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