1993: Formation and Nothing New Bob Tilton formed in 1993 in
Arnold, Nottinghamshire by guitarist Neil Johnson and bassist Mark Simms alongside former Downfall vocalist Simon Fern and drummer Allan Gainey. Their first show was in March 1993, opening for
Revolution Summer band Christ on a Crutch, alongside Nottingham punk band Slum Gang. When Fern and Johnson were organising this show, the band was named Static, however he had created the poster using an image of American
televangelist Robert Tilton. Before the show took place, a friend suggested the band derived their name from Tilton, due to Fern's interest in religious imagery and his opposition to the capitalisation of Christianity. In their early days they perform frequently alongside Liverpool band Dead Wrong, who later called them "our best friends in the scene." This led to the 1993 EP
Nothing New, which featured Dead Wrong, Bob Tilton, Kitchener, Bugeyed and Kito, released through Armed with Anger Records.
1994–1995: Introduction of Chay Lawrence, Wake Me When It’s Springtime Again and Songs Of Penknife And Pocketwatch While attending a
Quicksand show, the band hired Chay Lawrence, guitarist for
Holbeach emo band Tribute, to play second guitar. Lawrence departed from the band soon after due to his relocation to London to attend university. Lawrence dropped out of university three weeks later and returned to Nottinghamshire, however did not inform the members of Bob Tilton, feeling embarrassed at his perceived academic failure. Soon, Lawrence attended a Bob Tilton show, where Johnson approached him, asked him if he'd moved back and whether he'd like to rejoined the band. Lawrence accepted. Subjugation released the band's debut EP
Wake Me When It’s Springtime Again later that year. The same year, they released a
split EP with Cowboy Killers and Billy Rubin, released through First Strike Records, and contributed a track to the Subjugation Records EP with Dead Wrong, Tribute and the French screamo band Fingerprint. In March 1995, the band released their second EP
Songs Of Penknife And Pocketwatch, which they promoted with a headline tour of the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, with support from Fabric. They embarked on a second tour of mainland Europe in June, playing four dates in Sweden, in addition to Munster and Belgium. That same year, they recorded a
Peel Session for
BBC Radio 1,
1996–1997: Crescent Their debut album
Crescent (1996) was recorded with instruments tracked in Johnson's parents living room, and vocals in a disused flat in
Lenton. A 1996 article by
NME noted them as having gained a "new-found indie stardom". Around this time, the band began to expand throughout England, with Simms relocating to
Leeds for university, and Lawrence moving frequently. They were booked to perform at the Bedford Esquires in May 1997 with
Mogwai, but did not show up.
1998–2000: Disbandment and The Leading Hotels Of The World In 1998, they recorded their follow up album, over the course of a total of two weeks spread over a year, largely in the basement of Simms' house in
Leeds. They performed at the January 1999
NME Awards alongside Mogwai, Bonnie Prince Billy and
Clinic, and soon released an instrumental
split EP with Beligan emo band Reiziger. That year,
Southern Records re-released
Crescent, gaining the band significant attention outside of the hardcore scene. Chay Lawrence soon departed from the group to attend
Central Saint Martins. His role being filled by Ralph Hamilton from Useful Idiot. The band's output slowed significantly at this time. They announced their imminent disbandment in April 1999, following the departure of Gainey. They were offered a spot supporting
Fugazi and
the Jesus Lizard at the
Brixton Academy, however declined, wishing the exposure to go to a newer band. Instead, in Spring 1999, Bob Tilton played their final show at Bunkers Hill Inn in Nottingham supporting Ligament and
Lazarus Clamp. The 1998 recording was released as their second album
The Leading Hotels Of The World in 2000, featuring a softer sound. Following their disbandment, Fern and Johnson formed the band Wolves of Greece. ==Musical style and legacy==