So what do you want to know! Probably not what's bellow...but never mind!
I'm a Birmingham based musician. Music dominates my life, my 9-5 (well 10-6) is working for a Musical Instrument Retailer in Birmingham. Outside of that I play, write, and listen to music most of the time. I'm the kind of annoying git that will get really pissed cos' bands don't get to play live on the telly most of the time, and a lot of them cant, even if they were asked to! My feet also have a tendency to tap on there own the moment I hear anything with a rhythm, or sometimes without!
Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with some amazingly talented people. I started out in covers bands, some more obscure than others! then I met a chap who goes by the name of Spoz...an incredible talent, and a very funny man. Over the course of a few years we recorded the music for 'Black Country Rock', a musical full of varying musical genres and laugh out loud humour. The musical was performed at Birmingham's Crescent Theatre, and also taken to Edinburgh's Fringe Festival. This has now been adapted, and is getting performed by youth groups, schools and colleges around the Midlands.
After this Spoz wrote his second musical, 'Please Mr Gravedigger'. A work he describes as a black musical comedy drama! Another clever and amusing musical. I have also joined Spoz on stage with the rest of the Black Country Rock band to perform the songs live, and was the 5th Beatle in his Beatles tribute band. Its always a good laugh working with Spoz and he has a knack of getting the best out of everyone he works with.
Somewhere in the middle of working with Spoz I was given the chance to play with a band called Big Bus Groovy. A good 7 or 8 years on were still going! we play uplifting, soulful, funky grooves. I got introduced to the band through my great friend and amazing drummer Tim Tandler. We have played all over the country to audiences big and small. This is my main stay band, I have help arrange and write with Big Bus Groovy and we all push each other on at gigs and rehearsals. I couldn't really imagine not playing with Big Bus as its the kind of music I would go out and buy, so to get the opportunity to play it live is amazing.
We have played Birmingham's Artsfest for the last 2 years, supported Gary 'Mudbone' Cooper of Parliament Funkadelic fame, and have appeared on local radio numerous times. If you catch us listed in your gig guides then come down and see us, we always try and put on a good show.
Through Tim and Spoz I got to hook up with a guy called Nick Hall. I joined his band as a keyboard player after being the band’s stage supervisor (slave!) for a huge gig supporting Bryan Adams. I joined him on stage a month later to support Brian McFadden in Leeds and have enjoyed gigs a various venues in the UK.
Nick is currently writing material for his first album which will hopefully get a release very soon. Since he has had the opportunity to work with other gifted songwriters his ability has really stepped up a few gears! We had a great time putting together demos for some of his songs, and it improved me greatly as a musician and want-to-be writer. He is incredibly talented writer and also a great friend. He will be gigging mainly around London in the coming months and I think you will be amazed at the talent this guy has.
I have worked with many other bands and artists, to many to really mention. The bands and artists above are the ones that have really shaped the musician I am and the musician I aim to be.
The song you hear is 'Room to Breathe' written by Nick Hall and myself.
The artwork in the background is me messing about in photoshop with a failed design for a new BBG logo!