Biography
Tobruk originated in 1980 as a melodic hard rock outfit launched in Bedfordshire, England, when guitarist Mick Newman assembled the initial lineup before shifting operations to Birmingham, the Midlands’ de facto rock hub. There he completed the roster with vocalist Stuart “Snake” Neil, guitarist Nigel Evans, keyboardist Jem Davis, bassist Steven Woodward, and drummer Alan Vallance. The group soon recorded demos that secured a 1982 appearance on the BBC’s Friday Rock Show, which prompted a solitary 45 for Neat Records, 1983’s “Wild on the Run.” Two years later, after replacing the rhythm section with drummer Eddie Fincher and bassist Mike Brown, the band signed to EMI’s Parlophone imprint.
That deal yielded the 1985 album Wild on the Run, a glossy commercial effort whose sound echoed Heavy Pettin’ or Def Leppard at their most polished and occasionally veered into straightforward AOR territory. Tobruk supported New Wave of British Heavy Metal holdovers Tokyo Blade on the road and played scattered European festival shows, while Parlophone issued two singles from the record. Tension mounted, however, during attempts to complete a second album; endless remixes, rewrites, and postponements culminated in the 1987 departure of Snake and Newman, leaving the prospective follow-up in limbo.
Independent label FM Records later acquired the tapes and released Pleasure & Pain in 1988, yet the finished product suffered from excessive dilution after years of interference, stripping away most of Tobruk’s former hard-rock bite. With no working band remaining, Newman and Snake moved on to form Idol Rich, and Snake later spent a short spell with the Wildhearts.
That deal yielded the 1985 album Wild on the Run, a glossy commercial effort whose sound echoed Heavy Pettin’ or Def Leppard at their most polished and occasionally veered into straightforward AOR territory. Tobruk supported New Wave of British Heavy Metal holdovers Tokyo Blade on the road and played scattered European festival shows, while Parlophone issued two singles from the record. Tension mounted, however, during attempts to complete a second album; endless remixes, rewrites, and postponements culminated in the 1987 departure of Snake and Newman, leaving the prospective follow-up in limbo.
Independent label FM Records later acquired the tapes and released Pleasure & Pain in 1988, yet the finished product suffered from excessive dilution after years of interference, stripping away most of Tobruk’s former hard-rock bite. With no working band remaining, Newman and Snake moved on to form Idol Rich, and Snake later spent a short spell with the Wildhearts.
Albums
