Over the years, there have been several musicians who studied at Hymers College, with some going on to release albums.  One such band to have album success is a five-piece band called The Odds who, with a sharp pop character, have been classified as Hull's "top band".

The band was formed in December 1978, initially as a punk group but soon changed to a "poppy" sound.  The final spice to the group's sound came in July 1979 when Old Hymerian, Stuart Matthewman on saxophone was incorporated into the band.  A year later, Jonathan Leafe, OH 1971-79 joined the band as guitarist and backing vocals.  The lead singer Keiran Moses is also connected to Hymers College through his son Rory Moses, who was at Hymers College from 2003 until 2013.

The group's first single "Saturday Night" reached No. 10 on the N.M.E. Independent chart and their second single "Yesterday Man" also achieved some success when Radio One had it on their B-list.  The Odds have been a support act for groups such as The Skids, The Selector, The Tourists and Sector 27 and on their own, the group has completed a tour of Scandinavia.  There have also been a few recordings over the period at Fairview Studio, BBC Humberside and Hornsea Floral Hall.

Most of the songs were written by Stuart Matthewman and Keiran Moses.  They toured extensively over two years, including over 70 concerts in the UK and Europe, before Stuart left the band and went on to form SADE.

Members of the group:

• Keiran Moses - lead vocals and additional guitar/piano
• Bill McKeown - bass guitar and backing vocals
• Stuart Matthewman - saxophone and lead guitar
• Johnny “Twig” Leafe - rhythm guitar and backing vocals
• Colin Brockwell - drums and percussion

Decades after their split in the Autumn of 1981, they are proudly celebrating the music of The Odds and remember the impact they had on the grass-roots UK music scene.  Their energy and passion were contagious and can still be heard and felt in their vinyl release, Foolish Men.  The album includes all three of their singles and B-sides along with a collection of previously unreleased studio and live recordings, all carefully remixed (where possible) and remastered.

The Odds embodied the spirit of punk, pop and rock mashed in a mix with 60s covers and original songs

Guitarist, Jonathan Leafe with a copy of The Odds latest album

To hear The Odds please click on the links below:

Facebook: The Odds

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