Band Line Up 2026
It was a hot summer night in June 2008 when Pete ‘Spider’ Spiby (vocals / guitar), Ozzy ‘Owl’ Lister (guitar) asked Mark ‘Dark Shark’ Thomas (guitar) Adam ‘the Fox’ Irwin (bass) and Tiger Si (drums) to come together for the first time as Black Spiders. Soon after they released debut single ‘St Peter’ and started making a name for themselves with some thrilling live shows. Metal Hammer Magazine said; ’The Black Spiders bring the party and they bring it hard - one of the finest live shows on the British circuit” and the band went on to play for audiences across the UK and mainland Europe, building a fiercely loyal and ever growing fanbase.
Headline shows followed, as well as opening for some good friends, and also some heroes of theirs, including; Ozzy Osbourne, Volbeat, Airbourne, Supersuckers, Dwarves and slaying crowds at festivals in the UK and overseas, including; Download, Bloodstock, ZwartCross, Sweden Rocks and the iTunes Festivals. The iTunes festival, of course was very special as they were chosen from 500+ bands by none other than Ozzy Osbourne himself to open for him at the iconic Roundhouse. Ozzy was so impressed he then offered the Spiders a slot on the UK leg of Ozzfest at the O2 Arena! They were then invited to play China, where they headlined a series of festival shows at the Olympic Stadium and came back to the UK to headline on the Jagermeister Stage at the Sonisphere Festival
It was at Sonisphere they filmed the now infamous Black Spiders The Movie, capturing the band in all their glory, live and dangerous in front of 10,000 baying fans:
F**K YOU BLACK SPIDERS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjou6eTez-w&hd=1
The band released two acclaimed EP’s preceding their debut album ‘SONS OF THE NORTH’ - released in February 2011. The album reached the Top 5 in the Official UK Rock Charts and spent 9 weeks on the German Rock chart. Riding the wave of acclaim ‘Sons’ received, they completed two sold out UK headline tours and were nominated for awards in Classic Rock Magazine’s ‘Album Of The Year’ and the Metal Hammer Golden Gods in the Best UK Band Category who said the album was; "A tireless masterpiece that rocks from front to back…9/10".
The bands second studio album ‘THIS SAVAGE LAND’ was released in 2013, chewing up influences ranging from AC/DC to Sabbath, ZZ Top, to The Stooges and spitting them out the other end in their own snarling mix. More headline touring and festival shows followed the release, including; Danzig, Monster Magnet, Airbourne, Turbonegro and slaying crowds at some of the biggest festivals in Rock, including; Hellfest, Wacken Open Air and Desertfest.
In June 2017, the Sheffield rock beasts, took a well thought out decision and went on hiatus, waving goodbye to an army of loyal fans with some sonically charged sold out shows at London’s House Of Vans and Sheffield’s Corporation, before retreating into the shadows to lick their wounds and shed their skins.
During the summer of 2019, the seeds of a Black Spiders return were planted, before they knew it, they had amassed the best part of 40 songs in a very short period of time which they honed and whittled down to album contenders, ready to hit the studio….. And then the CoVid pandemic hit. Shit.
Former drummer ‘Tiger’ Si Atkinson unavailable to rejoin the line up, so with a week or two of grooming, the band took a chance on Planet Rock DJ Wyatt Wendels to occupy the drum stool. Without having played with him, and in some cases, never having met him, they demoed some of the songs through the wonders of modern technology and booked the studio (Axis Studios in Doncaster) with producer and engineer Matt Elliss, who had recorded both previous Black Spiders albums. Everything was going to be ok. All they needed now was Wyatt’s power animal name…
The music came together thick and fast and before long the band had recorded enough songs for a new album and a new chapter in ‘BLACK SPIDERS’ was ready…..
In November 2020, with the world still in the grips of the Coronavirus pandemic and after a long year of very little fun and even less rocking, from out of the silhouettes the band returned with the release of ‘Fly In The Soup’, the first new Black Spiders music in six years. And it felt good. Just under four-minutes of prime riff-crammed rock action, a stadium filler waiting to happen, and exactly the feel-good shot in the arm the world needed, while we await that other vaccine.
A new dawn broke in Black Spiders world, with the release of the new record in March 2021, one where the sun never sets, the party vibe is set to ‘high’ and the drinks are on you……
Confidence has grown in the band, with a new album and some new blood, so it was time to try these new songs out in the rehearsal studio. Due to the pandemic the band were unable to follow this release with a tour only able to play a warm up show and Bloodstock festival in August 2021. The bands tour, later in November of that year was cut short, when singer Pete came down with the Plague and the dates were cancelled after 4 shows. Undeterred the band decided to plough on and finished off the harsh recording schedule they had set themselves.
Yet another new album followed in 2023. The highly acclaimed and aptly named ‘Can’t Die, Won’t Die’. This time released via SpineFarm, the band took a chance a rolled the dice on a (semi) major label, only to be underwhelmed.
Touring and merch sales were good and the chance to play proper tours again loomed, until founding member Ozzy decided to quit the music biz after the bands festival season was over and concentrate on family life.
Another new chapter was about to start, with even more confidence and cocky swagger, with the addition of James Evans on lead guitar and completing the line up Nate Digby on 2nd lead guitar, bringing the band back to full circle to a 3 guitar attack mode.. God have mercy on our souls they are reborn…. Play Loud. Black Spiders are back to full tilt!!!
Forever aware of the Ides of March and their own cursed luck, in mid March 2025, Black Spiders released their newest Opus (back on their own label Dark Riders), packed to the rafters with solid stadium anthems ‘CVRSES’.
This album was more venomous and punk rock driven than any of the previous outputs and some might say their best one yet.. Every song a banger ‘Cvrses is the band rediscovering their own early material and gorging themselves silly. And it’s delightful…’ CLASSIC ROCK
These fellas have every right to be proud of this new album. Against all of the odds, Black Spiders have crafted a record that features tracks of high-energy, feel-good rock n’roll, sounding like a band, firing on all cylinders, sweating it out in a dark and dank practice space with lyrics that perfectly document the insane times we are living through. ‘Never Enough’, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, ‘The Mofo Sauce’, ‘Obey’, ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Tom Pettys Lips’ all seemingly crafted in the Devils notebook and etched onto granite by a diamond needle…. The bar is raised well above the competition.
On Saturday 12th April 2025, they somehow managed to release another ltd edition, vinyl only version of another album via Record Store Day, which took the band back into the rock charts for a fourth time. Comprising of unreleased tracks, demos and digitally released tracks, it SOLD OUT. Champion.
After a successful headline tour to promote the album and some choice festival appearances, Black Spiders once again hooked up with their old convict mates from down under Airbourne to play some selective dates in Scotland, gaining new fans from the outer regions. Wanting to tour during the summer months is not an easy task and they recently took on a Seaside tour of the UK’s grassroots venues, during the hottest heatwave the UK has had in years. Brave. Every night was ice cream vs beer, making for some very messy, sweaty and packed shows. Just like it should be.
Black Spiders are:
Pete Spiby (vocals/guitar)
James Evans (guitar/vocals)
Nate Digby (guitar/ vocals)
Adam Irwin (bass)
Wyatt Wendels (drums/vocals)
