Arite, I'm Steve and I have a really bad memory for names, so if I see you out and about, don't be annoyed if I look confuddled.
Hmmm... what do I do? By day I work in a local recording studio called Calder Recordings and by night I offer up my services as a freelance live sound engineer.
On a Saturday afternoon you'll find me down the Shay watching Halifax Town. The aim is to get rich and be an Abramovich style sugar daddy, but its not looking too good so far.
Other than that you'll find me at jam nights, music and comedy gigs or down the pub. My locals are the Standard of Freedom and the Volunteers Arms. You should drop by sometime.
Bands I've Been In:
Dead At 27 (2003 - Present?)
Jonny Rickwood - Guitar / Vox, Paul Carroll - Guitar,
Si Thompson - Drums
Way too long since we last gigged. The curse of uni. T'others'll be done soon,so watch this space. We've had some great times together and have to be the most unorthodox band of all time, what with all the public transport, even with full backline.
We were thinking of changing the band's name, cos we're kind of growing out of the image it portrays (and at this rate we'll hit 27 before we get going again). "The Jim Benson Groove Quartet", "Slackjaw Jonny and the Poltrunes", and "Lego Man Dance [On Fire]" were our best ideas. We've done a number of self-produced recordings which I'm slowly working through remixing in my spare time.
Recordings: 3 Studio EP's
Gigs: 55 and counting
Dead At 27 on Myspace
Dead At 27's Website
The Stations (2005 - 2007)
Ben Jesson - Guitar / Vox, Sean Jesson - Drums / Vox
An awesome three years cumulated in the most successful band I've ever been in. We had some cracking times on the road, my favorite times being in Glasgow and London, with Mr Perry, Tommy G and Anto along for the ride. Many a car breakdown followed (both me and Tom!) The opportunity to release a single was great even if it didn't dent the charts (lol) and I got the chance for some more self production on our last EP, This Globe Can Be Upgraded,with the assistance of me old mucker from Uni, Mr James Perry.
We got chosen for both the 2006 and 2007 Leeds Futuresound competitions, which was nice. Shame we never got to do Leeds Fest. Maybe someday...
Recordings: 1 Single(7" Vinyl / MP3)
2 Studio EP's,
Loads of live recordings and demos
Gigs: 94
The Stations on Myspace
The Stations Website
Blue Waters (2005 - 2006)
Paul - Vox, Dino - Guitar, Flash - Guitar / Vox, Wiggy - Drums
The band was essentially a party / functions band, with a Country and Western theme. When I joined, the band had already been going for around a year. They chose Country and Western cos that generally meant three chords, meaning less thinking and more drinking. It was covers as opposed to original material, but it was good fun, because it was completely different to anything I'd done before.
Every gig was a great do, cos everyone got into the spirit (i got into the vodka) and usually there were plenty of hot lasses dressed as cow girls. And it was good money too!
Unfortuantely the band split in Feb 2006, with excessive drinking being the best excuse. Watch this space for a reunion!
Gigs: 13
Molton Gold (2004 - 2005)
Clark - Vox, Nick - Guitar, Greg - Guitar, Danny - Drums
I joined Molton Gold as replacement bassist, but I suppose I expected more of an original band than it turned out to be. Writing new material was slow, probably due to personal musical tastes being too far and wide to be happy with what we were doing.
We did have some decent, fun gigs, and an EP of our own material before I left, but the band only lasted another few months once I'd gone.
My particular memory was snapping the A string on my bass in the 3rd song of a gig at the Cockpit and had toplay the entire set a string down!
Recordings: 1 Studio EP
Gigs: 12
Mikey Decoy (2003)
Dan Howard - Guitar / Vox, Sam Moorhouse - Drums
We had some cracking songs such as "Hold My Toast", "Song Of Storms in 3/4" and "Ammo Monkey Says Reload", with a kinda mix of Smashing Pumpkins and Chili Peppers influences. They weren't the most complex, bit really fun to play. "Catalyst" was awesome. If we'd had more time to practice and more confidence, the band could have got going better, but for a first band it was more about the fun.
We eventually reached our holy grail of a gig the weekend before we all left for uni, when the band dispanded. Dan now plays guitar and sings for a quality band in Leeds called Wintermute . I've since worked with Wintermute, doing some recording with them last year. The also won the future sound competition and played at Leeds Fest, so everyone should sheck em out. They are the dogs bollarks.
No one knows what hapened to Sam cos he went to Oxford uni and learnt to row a boat.
Gigs: 1
Recordings: 1 really dodgy static VHS video camera recording with crap sound quality, filmed in my lounge.
