The Flood are an Australian roots music band formed by Kevin Bennett and James Gillard, with Mark Collins and Doug Bligh. The group won the Tamworth 2006 Golden Guitar Award for Vocal Group of the Year with their track, "Hello Blue Sky". In 2008 the line-up was Bennett and Gillard with Tim Wedde on keyboards, accordion, vibraphone and talent manager; and Scott Hills on drums. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006 the Flood were nominated for The Late Late Show in the Best Blues and Roots Album category.
History
The Flood's founders Kevin Bennett and James Gillard had performed as an acoustic duo and issued two albums on ABC Records,'Two of Everything in the Carpark'and 'Two'. Soon after they formed the Flood in Sydney with Bennett on lead vocals and electric guitar; Gillard on bass guitar and vocals, Mark Collins on guitar, banjo and vocals with Doug Bligh on drums and percussion. This line-up recorded 'The Ballad Of KB' in 1998, which was included in Iain Sheddon's Top Twenty Australian Country/Roots Albums.The subsequent line-up included Steve Fearnley on drums and percussion; Gillard on guitar and vocals, Wayne 'Killer' Kellett on bass and vocals and Tim Wedde on keyboards, accordion vocals, and vibraphone. The Flood won the 2006 Gold Guitar for Best Group.The current Flood members are Kevin Bennett, Glen Hannah, Wayne Kellett, Mik McCartin and Gary Carruthers. Bennett had previously been a member of rock music group, Moving Pictures ; while Gillard had been a member of Mondo Rock and of Fargone Beauties. Back in 1991 Bennett and Gillard were both members of Six Amigos alongside Doug Bligh, Marc Collins, James Cox and Kirk Lorange. The Flood's debut album, The Ballad of K.B. appeared in 1999. Tim Badrick of Lost Treasures felt that it was "jammed packed full of The Flood's unique amalgam of country, rock, blues and even a dash of boogie piano, be that unintentional or not." The tracks were mostly written by Bennett with some co-written by Bennett, Gillard, Bligh and Collins. The lead track was released as the title track on an extended play, Don't Look Back at Me. During 2002 the Flood had also supported a tour by United States alternative country music artist, Kevin Welch, with a performance at Sydney's Basement recorded for a joint-release live album, Live Down Here on Earth, and a DVD, Plenty of Time. According to Amazon.com's editor the CD is an "Aussie exclusive album from one of Nashville's most acclaimed songwriter's & Australia's greatest country/roots outfit." Dave Dawson of Nu Country caught a gig by Welch and the Flood on a subsequent tour at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, in November 2003, "The Flood proved a perfect pairing with Welch on an energetic show that belied the late nights and gruelling road miles of their east coast foray. It was a credit that both acts remained energised... The Welch-Flood double bill was good in theory but an imbalance in practice with Welch having less stage time than The Flood." In 2003 the Flood issued their self-titled second album, which includes the track, "Paul Kelly's Blues" – written by Bennett. The track was nominated for APRASong of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia in 2004. During that year they issued another EP, Australian for Broken Heart, and promoted it with an east coast tour from October to December. According to Christie Eliezer of In Music & Media they provide "strong narratives, backwater blues and meandering ballads." The EP's title track was nominated for APRA-AMCOS Independent Country MusicSingle of the Year. The group's next album, The Late Late Show, was nominated for the Best Blues and Roots Album category at the ARIA Music Awards of 2006. Later albums included Everybody's Favourite and Skin. Bennett teamed with fellow country musicians, Lyn Bowtell and Felicity Urquhart, in a trio, which issued Bennett Bowtell Urquhart on 16 January 2016. It reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 100. The trio also picked up 2 Golden Guitars for Alternative Album of the year and Group or Duo of the year at the 2016 Awards.
