Coney Hatch

Coney Hatch
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenreHard rock
Years active1982–present

Coney Hatch is a Canadian hard rock band who released three albums in the 1980s and released their album Four in 2013 and a live double album on vinyl, Postcard From Germany in 2023. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the band in its early days, consisted of bassist Andy Curran, guitarist Steve Shelski and drummer Dave 'Thumper' Ketchum and in February 1981 brought vocalist and guitarist Carl Dixon. Soon after Dixon joined the band on lead vocals they were signed to a record deal with Anthem (Canada), and Polygram Mercury. The band was known for its loud live shows. In 2023, the band played Sweden Rock Festival to positive reviews. The band tours on a limited basis. Sean Kelly joined the lineup in 2014 replacing Steve Shelski.

History

Coney Hatch formed in 1981, and began performing and developing original material. The band was named after the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (1851–1993) in London.

The band's first album was produced by Kim Mitchell of Max Webster and released in 1982. That album went gold featuring Devil's Deck and Hey Operator. Ketchum left the band in 1983, and was replaced by Barry Connors, for the Friction album. Connors formerly drummed with the band Toronto.

In 1982 the band opened for Judas Priests screaming for Vengeance tour. In 1983, Coney Hatch opened for Iron Maiden for 42 shows on the North American Piece of Mind Tour.

The band performed at the Hollywood Palladium in 1985 with Rough Cutt and Accept.

In April 2008, Carl Dixon was very seriously injured in a car accident in Australia, leaving him with traumatic brain injury and extensive titanium implants and a glass eye. On August 5, 2010, the original Coney Hatch line up including the injured Carl Dixon played a reunion show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. It was the first performance from the original line up since 1993. Two days later they played in Hamilton, Ontario, at The Festival of Friends. They were the second to last act on the main stage. The final act of the night was Gord Downie.

A further live date was scheduled for the Firefest rock festival in Nottingham, England, on October 23, 2011. Coney Hatch performed at the Rock n' Roar weekend event in August 2013, in Spanish, Ontario. Coney Hatch again featured at Firefest, Nottingham in October 2014. In 2018, Coney Hatch announced an eight dates tour from October to December, with Sean Kelly on lead guitar in place of Steve Shelski. Coney Hatch toured to packed venues with Steve Harris's British Lion in Ontario and Quebec. and went on to favourable reviews playing H.E.A.T. Festival Ludwigsburg, Germany. Sweden Rock Festival and Hamburg Summer Festival in 2023.

In November 2023, Coney Hatch performed at Firefest Festival (10 Years After) in the UK at Manchester Academy on October 11–13, 2024. The band preceded headline act Heavy Pettin on the Friday night.

Membership

Current members are:

Former members:

Discography

Albums

  • Coney Hatch (1982), released internationally by Mercury-PolyGram Records and Casablanca Records (Japan)
  • Outa Hand (1983)
  • Friction (1985)
  • Best of Three (1992)
  • Four (2013)
  • Live at the El Mocambo (2021)
  • Postcard from Germany (Live) (2023)

Singles

  • 1982: "Devil's Deck" [music video]
  • 1982: "Hey Operator" (No. 19 Canada)
  • 1983: "Don't Say Make Me"
  • 1983: "First Time for Everything" [music video]
  • 1983: "Shake It" [music video]
  • 1985: "Fantasy" [music video]
  • 1985: "Girl from Last Night's Dream"
  • 1985: "She's Gone"
  • 1985: "This Ain't Love" (U.K.)

References

  1. ↑ Mersereau, Bob (2007). The Top 100 Canadian Albums. Goose Lane Editions. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-86492-500-8.
  2. ↑ "SWEDEN ROCK 2023 - Coney Hatch (Spotlight Blog)". Cgcmrockradio.com. June 17, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Coney Hatch". Larkin, Colin (1995). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Pub. p. 913. ISBN 978-1-56159-176-3.
  4. ↑ "CanConRox - Coney Hatch". Canadianbands.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. 1 2 "'It's a miracle I survived and lived long enough to get to the hospital'". Soo Today, September 30, 2016; Donna Hopper
  6. ↑ "Proudly Canadian: Toronto | Cashbox Magazine Canada". Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  7. ↑ "33 Years Ago: Iron Maiden Release ‘Piece of Mind’". Loudwire, By Jon Wiederhorn May 16, 2016.
  8. ↑ Trunk, Eddie (24 September 2013). Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Abrams. p. 608. ISBN 978-1-61312-553-3.
  9. ↑ "Box Score Top Grossing Concerts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1 June 1985. pp. 48–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. ↑ "Carl Dixon: The Story So Far". Sunonlinemedia.ca. October 19, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ Sharp, Keith (14 April 2014). Music Express: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Canada's Music Magazine. Dundurn. pp. 81–. ISBN 978-1-4597-2196-8.
  12. ↑ "Nottingham Firefest 2011 official website". Archived from the original on 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  13. ↑ "Come Rock ‘n’ Roar Spanish 2013 what a bash" Archived 2017-01-16 at the Wayback Machine. Kevin McSheffrey and Jessica Brousseau, The Elliot Lake Standard, August 21, 2013
  14. ↑ "IRON MAIDEN Bassist's BRITISH LION Announces Canadian Tour Dates". Blabbermouth.net. May 28, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Home". Breakoutmagazine.de.
  16. ↑ "Fireworks Magazine - FaceAche". Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Firefest Festival". FireFest-Festival. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Publishing Briefs: Raleigh Signs Elvis Presley Deal, Imagem and Cutcraft, Downtown to Represent Edizioni Curci". Billboard, 3/3/2016 by Ed Christman