Today is the birthday of Rob Dickinson, the lead singer with Catherine Wheel, an updated heavy metal outfit named after an ancient implement of torture, much like Iron Maiden--a band that featured Rob's cousin Bruce on vocals. Consisting of Dickinson, guitarist Brian Futter, bassist Dave Hawes, and drummer Neil Sims, Catherine Wheel was formed in the seaside town of Yarmouth England in 1990, The gruesome torture device that they named themselves after dates back to the fourth century St. Catherine--but that's all they'll say on the matter. They are one of the few bands that have garnered American success in the post-grunge eras, and recently released their third album, inexplicably titled Happy Days. They come with impeccable credentials (notwithstanding the Bruce Dickinson connection) having hired Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo & The Bunnymen) to produce their last outing. Like a number of albums released in '94 and '95, Catherine Wheel also stuck a tribute to Cobain on the record. It's titled "Hole." The story behind the track is that they were in the seventh day of pre-production, and that was the day Kurt took his life. The song chronicles the band's reaction to the tragedy. It's also the birthday of Tim Kellitt (Simply Red), Martin Gore(Depeche Mode) and Sam Walters (Color Me Badd).