STRAY

The Story of Stray

Formed in West London in the late 1960s, STRAY made their mark early, not just for their music, but for their ambition. While most teenage bands were happy to just plug in and play, STRAY owned their own lighting rigs, pyrotechnics, and transport. They built not just a sound, but a show, a live experience that would define them for decades to come. STRAY began life at Christopher Wren School, where vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham, bassist Gary Giles, and drummer Steve Crutchley came together, all around 14 years old at the time. Crutchley later left to pursue jazz and was replaced by Richie Cole, solidifying the lineup that would conquer the London club circuit, lighting up stages at Shepherd’s Bush Goldhawk Club, Covent Garden’s Middle Earth, and beyond. Their momentum caught fire. In 1969 they supported The Groundhogs at the Fickle Pickle Club, leading to a record deal with Transatlantic Records in January 1970. By 1971, STRAY were playing The Reading Festival, sharing the bill with legends like Rory Gallagher, Medicine Head, and Van der Graaf Generator, and making their TV debut on the BBC’s Disco 2. True to form, even their gigs came with drama, a fiery show at the Weeley Festival saw their stage flares mistaken for distress signals by the coastguard.

That same year, STRAY set out on their first UK headline tour, supported by Red Dirt and Steve Tilston, before touring Europe with Ten Years After, and later joining Status Quo and The Groundhogs on the road. By 1972, STRAY had returned to the Reading stage once more, this time alongside Wizzard, Ten Years After, and Status Quo, cementing their reputation as one of Britain’s most exciting live acts. In 1973 they shared the stage with Black Sabbath at Alexandra Palace, expanding their sound with extra musicians, backing singers, and even brass. The lineup remained solid until 1974, when guitarist Pete Dyer joined. During the recording of Stand Up and Be Counted, Steve Gadd departed, leaving Bromham and Dyer to take on lead vocals. STRAY crossed the Atlantic in 1975, performing with Spirit and Canned Heat, and in 1976 supported KISS on their debut UK tour. They went on to open for Rush on their first British run, and even found themselves briefly managed by Charlie Kray, brother of the infamous Kray twins. Despite success on stage and in the studio, financial and managerial struggles led to the band’s breakup in December 1977.

But STRAY’s story was far from over. Guitarist Del Bromham continued to tour under his own name, releasing Who Do You Love in 1978, and by the early ’80s, various lineups of STRAY re-emerged, touring with Saga, Barón Rojo, and more. Through the decades, members came and went, but the spirit and sound of STRAY never faded. In the years that followed, Bromham and the band continued to record, perform, and inspire a new generation of musicians. In 1993, the classic lineup of Bromham, Gadd, Giles, and Cole reunited for a series of shows, reigniting that original spark. A live album followed in 1996, and New Dawn in 1997 reminded fans that STRAY’s fire was still burning strong. By the early 2000s, STRAY were celebrating 35 years as a recording band with Dangerous Games, a mix of studio and live recordings that earned glowing reviews. Even Iron Maiden paid tribute, covering STRAY’s All in Your Mind as the B-side to their single Holy Smoke.

In 2003, Stray were the support band to Iron Maiden on several of their European dates on the Dance of Death World Tour 2003-2004. These included dates in Spain, Portugal, Poland and France. There are two other Iron Maiden connections to Stray. "All in Your Mind" from Stray's 1970 debut album was covered by Iron Maiden and was included on the 1995 reissue of No Prayer for the Dying, and Maiden bassist Steve Harris's daughter Lauren has covered "Come On Over".

From late 2006 until early 2007, the band's back catalogue of eight studio albums issued originally during the 1970s, were re-released by the UK based Sanctuary Records in compact disc format. The new releases were remastered and had bonus tracks culled from single B-sides, studio outtakes and BBC broadcast sessions.

By the 2010s the band had a settled lineup again, as well as Del Bromham, Pete Dyer returned and Stuart Uren (bass) and Karl Randall (drums) were regularly gigging as Stray. In November 2016, the band hosted a 50th Anniversary celebration concert (featuring all original members) at a sold-out London Borderline.

The next lineup change saw the addition of Simon Rinaldo on Keyboards and In 2019, Colin Kempster replaced Stuart Uren as permanent bassist . After successful concerts in late 2019 and an acclaimed set at the annual Giants of Rock Festival in Minehead, Stray set out on a full joint headlining tour with Ken Pustelnik’s Groundhogs in February and March in 2020.

in Autumn 2023 this line-up released a new studio album ‘About Time.’ The album features Stray’s classic hard rock sound together with the rounding benefit of Rinaldo’s keyboards. The songs focus on some of Bromham’s observations of the COVID experience together with his usual social commentary. The band toured the U.K. extensively in 2024 to promote the album together with European Festival dates.

In 2025 the band was touring the U.K. again, with the culmination being a November tour as special guests to British Lion.

Today, STRAY remains a band born of energy, grit, and heart, the kind that turns stories into songs and stages into memories. From smoky London clubs to festival fields, from teenage dreams to rock legend status, STRAY are still living loud, still telling their story, one gig at a time.