about

Gena Dry is the daughter of a Hungarian aristocratic mother who fled to Britain after the Hungarian Revolution. Gena was raised and lived in London UK and studied Jazz and Popular Musicianship at Goldsmiths College.

The Colour Noise were critically acclaimed in the British press, Melody Maker, NME and numerous fanzines and magazines. Gena’s vocals were compared to artists such as, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, Bjork, Sinaed O’Connor, Liz Frazer of the Cocteau Twins, PJ Harvey. The band to The Sundays, Throwing Muses, The Pixes, The Sugarcubes and Echobelly. They were Jonathan King’s tip of the week and a John Peel favourite.

Along with radio plays, television appearances, constant gigs, festivals and touring with other Indie circuit successes, Die Cheerleader, Daisy Chainsaw and Senseless Things they shared stages with well known mainstream artists such as Roger Taylor from Queen and Midge Ure, and the Colour Noise built themselves an impressive fanbase.

The band broke up before they had the opportunity to realise their full potential, and Gena was sort after by managers as high ranking as Jim Beech (Queen) although she declined the offers.

Gena Dry went on to set up the XX Club, a club held at The Spot in Covent Garden, London which brought female artists to the front of the music scene in the UK, and similar clubs were set up in other countries based on her idea.

Gena Dry continued to play festivals in Europe and came to America in 2001, where music industry experts agreed that she had a hit song. Sinaed O’Connors lawyer played Gena’s song to Sinaed with view to her recording the song and she loved it, but 9/11 happened, and other events became more important than music. Gena had been in New York for three weeks in the May of 2001 and met a manager at a phone box (as you do) He got a band together for Gena and booked a gig at the legendary CBGB’s. Gena was also booked to play at the Antifolk Festival and the CMJ festival that year. One moment Gena was playing at top New York venues with her New York band, the next moment she  found herself serving food to policemen as a voluteer, while ‘We’re at war’ was the latest head line on the news. The CMJ festival was postponed until October and Gena stayed to play at the festival and then flew to Europe to play the a2a festival in Amsterdam. She then returned to London.

Gena Dry has been in demand in the UK working on vocals, writing and performing with the Psychedelic Furs, Andy Miller (Dodgy) Merlin Rhys-Jones (Ian Dury and The Blockheads) Chris Constantinou (Adam Ant) and Glenn Skinner (George Michael, Boy George, Curiosity and Debbie Harry) Paul Moody (Regular Fries) Vi Subversa (The Poison Girls) the Mediaeval Baebes, Baxter Dury (Ian Dury and The Blockheads) Dodgy, Georg Kajanus (Sailor) for the Sailor Musical project, and many more.

The credentials of being in top Indie band the Colour Noise, gave Gena the opportunity to judge others works. In 1996 she was asked to be on the judging panel for the Brit Awards. Gena was also a guest tutor at the renowned London Music School and set up her highly successful Yes! You Can Sing! business teaching signed recording artists as well as people who think they can’t sing and as a result appeared on BBC and Carlton TV.

Gena Dry is the author of a How-to sing book entitled ‘Bathtub Singing – How To Sing If You Think You Can’t’ and a children’s story about the voice called ‘The Voice Box Genie’.

In 2004 Gena Dry was offered a record contract and distribution deal in the USA and moved to New York to promote her music career there. Unfortunately the company went bust and at the end of 2008 Gena returned to London. Gena Dry was instantly in demand by top music professionals. Gena sang on a track for Georg Kajanus from Sailor for the Sailor Musical project and is currently recording with Merlin Rhys Jones (Ian Dury) guitar & production, Andy Miller (Dodgy) guitar and record producer Jon Moon (Amy Winehouse, N Dub, The Kooks, Mz Bratt, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Roger Waters).

Gena Dry is now the A&R and Entertainment Manager for virtual London in Second Life and Creative Director for Virtually Linked who own virtual London. Gena has created The Dry Club, which is a conduit for bringing Music, Art and Fashion from the real world into Second Life. The Dry Club shows exclusive interviews with bands, artists, film-makers, charities and creators of innovative projects, as well as live gigs in virtual London in Second Life.

Gena Dry with Colour Noise ‘One Day’
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