Glider were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of John Beatty (vocals, guitar) and Rob Virdis (guitar), the band also included Gary Vickers (bass) and Rene Chayer (drums). Critics have called them one of the most important alternative rock bands to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s, and the group has had major influence on subsequent artists. Beatty's lovelorn tales of alienation found an audience amongst youth culture bored by the ubiquitous synthesizer-pop bands of the early 1980s, while Virdis' complex melodies helped return guitar-based music to popularity.
