The Funky Monk

ENDORSED BY

IN THE STUDIO
WITH WARWICKSTEVE WILSON
B.I. DRUMMERMY WARWICK
ALIEN ACOUSTICEVERY BASS PLAYER
Needs a little helpMUSIC BIOGSince finding the bass at eleven years old, my musical feet have never stopped running. I left school to tour with Hazel OConnor, joined a band and worked as a session bass player, performing studio, and live sessions for various bands around the country. It was around this time my dad answered a newspaper add. "SIGNED BAND LOOKING FOR BASSIST" I went along, got the job but found out the signed bit was a lie. I joined the band anyway. This was to be my first steps in to the next few years of my life.The band I joined was Triggerfish, Local heroes in and around my town. The founder member was Ali Ratcliff, one of the hottest guitar players I have ever met to this day.. Soon coveted by various labels, we had a few near misses with CBS and Virgin but never seemed to meet the guy with the cheque book. After battling the odds, setting up and playing our own parties in a converted werehouse we all lived in down Londons Commercial street (It was here we met Meg Mathews, Kate Moss and Jarvis Cocker), we met Jeff Wayne (War Of The Worlds) This led us to record our first album in his Borehamwood studio.After the relative failure of this and a consecutive record, we met Daryl Hall (Hall&Oats) and his then manager Paul Misner. Paul got the band two weeks in New York, playing venues such as "ARELENES GROCERY". We had the best of times and and every day was a new learning curve but nothing really came of it. The band, Paul and Daryl parted company. Within days Id joined another band "GLASS" and Jumped on that damn rollercoaster once more. We enjoyed instant success in an era where the Prodigy and Republica dominated the charts. We signed a management deal with Strong Room records and met with Sony, EMI and Virgin. In the end we finalised a deal with Tommy Boy Records yet three days from signing it all fell through! Something about back handers and the usual industry black hole!That was the demise of Glass and the start of a bit of free time for me. I looked around, finding new gear and getting in to some new styles of music. I hooked up with a few London bands and managed a few more sessions icluding gigs supporting Alexander O'Neal and comedian Roy Chubby Brown. At some point I even ended up supporting the DREAM BOYS! but I'm sure I have no clue how that happened. Anyway, I now found myself back on that Rollercoaster again! It was at this point I met a cocky young singer by the name of Paolo. He was reherarsing with his band in ther next room of a studio I was recording at. He greeted me with a plea to join hs band during a fire alarm and a cigarette in the hallway. I new his drummer Steve and we instanly hit it off so I joined them...The Morenas!We recorded a few demos, cut the flyers, played the gigs and met the team behind what became Bleach Records. After four years hard work, we decided to call it a day. We had some great times, but sometimes having it all is not enough! I'd been recording with Steve Lavers of Audiobug records for about a year by now and when he heard I was bandless! the call was made and I joined up as bass player on a project of his called BRITISH INTELLIGENCE. This project soon became a band and after recruiting Steve Wilson from the Morenas and Shovel from M people we started recording. This poroved to be that missing band you always wanted to be in but never got the chance! "I GOT THE CHANCE". Ive raced a vintage American police car across Europe, toured the UK, US and beyond and generally met some interesting characters. You know what? I'm damn happy!I'm now back as a session bass player for Electro rockers "KLOQ" touring most of Europe and still bass player for Funk/Hip hop band "BRITISH INTELIGENCE". We're enjoying great success! Its been a long and sometimes frustrating road to get where I am now, but its somewhere I really like hanging out.

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