Dr. Feelgood

Formed in 1971 on Canvey Island in Essex, England, Dr. Feelgood became part of the British pub rock scene by playing a direct rhythm and blues rooted in rock and roll and electric blues. Around singer Lee Brilleaux and guitarist Wilko Johnson, the band’s original lineup developed a dry, nervous sound driven by minimalist riffs, a tight rhythm section and an energy that reflected the clubs where they regularly performed. The group recorded its first studio album, Down by the Jetty, in 1975, followed the same year by Malpractice and the live album Stupidity in 1976, which captured the intensity of Dr. Feelgood’s concerts and helped establish them beyond the pub circuit. After Wilko Johnson left in 1977 the lineup evolved but remained faithful to short, groove-focused songs, covers of rhythm and blues classics and original compositions in the same vein. The death of Lee Brilleaux in 1994 marked a rupture, but Dr. Feelgood resumed activity from 1995 with a renewed lineup, still oriented toward a frontal RnB-rock aesthetic, performing in clubs, halls and festivals, and over the decades building a repertoire that mixes 1970s material with more recent songs.