Formed by singer-guitarist James O’Hara (b. 1970, Yorkshire, England) in 1992, this fiery band began attracting attention on the UK blues circuit, especially in the north of England. Blending blues with funk and swirling into the mix R&B from all strands of its spectrum, the Detonators soon built a reputation for exhilarating sets. Their appearance at the 1995 Alexis Korner Memorial Concert brought them to the attention of Indigo Records and their reputation was spread throughout Europe thanks to many club and festival gigs. Playing and singing with verve and skill, O’Hara effortlessly avoids the expected, finding new aspects and angles to his music while clearly respecting the great tradition of the blues. With O’Hara in the late 90s line-up of his band were Richard Ormrod (tenor saxophone), Mike Jackson (keyboards), Ian Hawkins (bass) and Gideon Marcus (drums).