Comedy of Errors

Comedy of Errors

Comedy of Errors are a progressive rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, formed in January 1984. They are active from 1984 to the present and are identified with neo-progressive rock.

Formation and early line-up

The first line-up features Jim Johnson on keyboards and vocals, Joe Cairney on vocals, John McPhee on drums, Mark Spalding on bass and Mike Barnard on guitar. The band records its first demo cassette, Ever Be the Prize, at a studio in Blanefield, Scotland in 1985.

Early releases

In 1986, the band issues a mini-album and also contributes Time There Was, a track from that release, to Exposure, a compilation of new progressive rock bands compiled by Steven Wilson. After the mini-album appears, Mike Barnard leaves, Mark Spalding moves from bass to guitar, and Barry Henderson joins on bass.

Following performances in the UK and Europe, the band records the demo tape 24 Hours in 1987. In 1988, this is combined with the mini-album for the band’s only CD release on the French MSI label, although the pressing has an error and replaces The Student Price Part 1 with another version of Behold The Knight.

The final recordings from this early period appear in 1989 on the three-track cassette Hold On. By then, the band has shifted away from progressive rock towards hard rock, Joe Cairney has left, and John Cowden has joined.

Later activity

After a long break, Disobey appears in 2011. During the intervening years, Jim Johnson continues writing music and later records those songs with a mixture of old and new members of Comedy of Errors. The line-up listed at that point includes Joe Cairney, Jim Johnson, Mark Spalding, Bruce Levick and John Fitzgerald.

The band’s follow-up, Fanfare and Fantasy, is completed with final mixing at Aubitt Studios in Southampton. The group also uses the label COE Music.