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History
Black Bear Saloon started following the break-up of Larne band Throat. Two members of Throat, Willy Mundell and Russell Crookes, formed Dutch Schultz with ex-Pulszar drummer Darren Gallagher. Concurrently Crookes was also involved in a project known as The John Ford which featured Throat's Mike Barr on drums and Jeremy Smyth of Los Cabras and Lowend. The John Ford broke up in late 2006 after repeated attempts to find a singer, including an audition with future Black Bear Saloon vocalist Aaron Abernethy.
In early 2007 Barr and Crookes starting writing material with Mundell again, re-uniting three quarters of the Throat line-up. Ex-From Where I Stand vocalist Abernethy was asked to come and try out again for the position of vocalist and was subsequently invited to join.
