Dumpy's Rusty Nuts

Dumpy's Rusty Nuts first appeared on the London Rock scene in 1981.

After a short time DRN released their first single "Just for Kicks" which went into the Heavy Metal charts.

This was soon followed by their second single, the now legendary Bikers Anthem "Boxhill or Bust".

The success of the singles along with a UK tour with the Blues Band fronted by ex Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones saw that the bands future was secure.

DRN then started to tour around the UK playing all the rock clubs including the now defunct London Marquee Club, which saw them hold the all time record for appearances at this legendary venue.

Since 1981 DRN have played the Reading Rock Festival (twice), appeared on national television + radio and supported and toured with many major rock bands such as MOTORHEAD, HAWKWIND and STATUS QUO.

DRN have also played at the Isle of Man TT several times and many biker rallies including the Derbyshire Rock'n'Blues.

DRN's roots lie mainly in the Heavy Rock/ Blues music of the late sixties and seventies, taking influences from ERIC CLAPTON and JIMI HENDRIX through to PINK FLOYD, DR FEELGOOD and MOTORHEAD. This coupled with MARTIN CONNELY'S very strong bass guitar and the flamboyant drumming of ANDY SMITH along with DUMPY'S soloing skills, use of guitar effects and synth pedals make a very entertaining combination.

AT this moment in time when the UK seems to be overrun with unoriginal tribute bands, talentless boy bands and tuneless bimbos, DRN are still very much a force to be reckoned with , a band for the future mixing an endless experience of touring with an in-depth passion for hard edged blues/boogie.

Jon Amor Band

In the early nineties, from a tiny village in deepest darkest Wiltshire, there came a band with fire in its belly and blues in its heart, and that band was called The Hoax. One of the four was Jon Amor, a long, lean guitar player who, along with his cohorts toured the UK Europe and the USA for eight years, with four successful albums and a string of awards to their name.

As frontman with his own band AMOR, Jon established himself as a talented singer and songwriter in his own right, releasing two influential albums that gave British blues rock a much-needed shot in the arm.

Jon disbanded AMOR in 2005 to concentrate on solo performances of songs from his album “Unknown Soldier”, produced by Stephen Evans (Robert Plant, Goldfrapp, Thea Gilmore). This highly acclaimed album bears Amor’s hallmark freshness and originality, endorsed by a outstanding guest appearance from legendary Robert Plant on ‘Ball & Chain’, and featuring drummer Clive Deamer of Portishead and Roni Size fame.

“Unknown Soldier is a truly great album.” Mark Lamarr, BBC Radio 2

“if you liked the sheer dynamic exuberance of the Amor band albums, light and acoustic one moment then grinding electricity the next, you can pick this up with this writer’s hearty recommendation.” Blues Matters! Magazine.

FRED ZEPPELIN
www.thefredz.com

2010 marks FRED ZEPPELIN’s seventeenth year together.  During this time they have had the honour of Led Zeppelin’s front-man Robert Plant attending 3 of their gigs and John Bonham’s son Jason even jammed with them on stage. These are things the band are very proud of. It must surely also be the best recommendation any band could receive, and also assure any Led Zeppelin fans apprehensive about seeing The Fredz.

According to a reader poll in Kerrang, FRED ZEPPELIN are among the top ten best live bands to see. Quite an achievement, as they were the only tribute band listed in any category.

It’s worth taking a camera with you to any gig, as you don’t know who you could be standing next to. In the audience have been MAGNUM’s front-man Bob Catley, WHITESNAKE’s guitarist Mel Galley, who attended on recommendation - “Thought I would come and see you, as Robert (Plant) said you were brilliant”. Roy Wood, legendary main man of THE MOVE & WIZZARD and SLADES Jimmy Lea who was the latest rock celebrity to experience a two-hour Fred Zeppelin gig.

Fred Zeppelin were invited by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page to attend a charity event of which Jimmy is a patron. Kev (bass) and Blackie (drums) attended and were thrilled to meet and chat with the legendary guitarist. Also at the party were Roger Daltrey, Julian Lloyd Webber, Leo Sayer and Formula One’s David Coulthard. What a night!

The four members of Fred Zeppelin are real fans of the originals, and formed ‘The Fredz’ out of their admiration and love of Led Zeppelin’s music. As their name suggests, the band do not take themselves too seriously - they know the praise belongs to Robert, Jimmy, John Paul Jones, and Bonzo.

The Mustangs

THE MUSTANGS blistering live sets and albums have been wowing fans all over the country since the four-piece band formed in Hampshire in 2002. Young veterans of the UK blues scene, the Mustangs have headlined stages at renowned UK festivals such as Colne, Skegness and Swanage and in 2009 were invited to play 2 nights at Paris' legendary Zinc Blues Festival. Signed to the Blues Matters label, the band stands apart from most of today's blues acts by only releasing original material which is inspired by, but not replicating the traditional blues they love. Their third album, Split Decision, reached number 5 on the iTunes blues chart, and their last, Nothing Stays The Same, was one of Blues in Britain magazine's 20 recommended albums of the year. The band is led by the stunning voice of charismatic lead singer/guitarist  Adam Norsworthy, and augmented by the authentic blues harp of Derek Kingaby and tight, rock solid rhythm section of bassist Ben Mckeown and drummer Jon Bartley. 

PENDRAGON

Pendragon celebrate their Classic Rock Society Awards [Best gig 2009, Best Guitarist, Best Drummer, Best Keyboard Player] with a string of shows in the UK, Europe and the US .

The band are also set to perform at the new High Voltage Festival in July and continue to promote their highly acclaimed album Pure.

The Groundhogs featuring Tony McPhee

In 2003 Tony McPhee put together a short lived (18 months) 'Original Line-Up' to celebrate 40 years of The Groundhogs. This band was disbanded in 2004 and Tony concentrated for a short time on an acoustic duo with Joanna Deacon which featured a major tour in 2004 with Edgar Winter and Alvin Lee and an acoustic blues album 'Blues at Ten'. Tony again put together a new line up in 2007, with long-time Groundhogs bassist Dave Anderson ex-Hawkwind and Marco Anderson (no-relation) on drums This trio toured England in 2008 with Focus and Martin Turners Wishbone Ash. The Most recent line up (2009) of The Groundhogs comprises Tony McPhee, Dave Anderson and previous long term drummer Mick Jones

Split Whiskers

Go tell ever'body Split Whiskers are back in town, they got a dollar and a quarter and they're ready to clown!.  If you enjoy raw rockin', eye poppin', finger snappin', foot tappin' blues (with a bit of gypsy jazz, funk and skiffle thrown in) then the 'Whiskers will wow you with their unique style.

This five-piece Cambridge based band of young 'n' old misfits alike, draw from their impressive track record to bring you a new slant on the blues, with an air of lightning wit and repartee.

Trevor Burton Band

Trevor Burton was born in Aston, Birmingham.  He started playing guitar at a young age and by 1963 was leading his own group called The Everglades.  In 1964 he joined Danny King & The Mayfair Set, along with Keith Smart formerly of The Everglades (drums), Roger Harris (keyboards), Denis Ball (Bass) and vocalist King.

He was a founding member of the sixties chart topping band The Move and was initially with them from 1966-1969 and is touring again in 2010 as ‘The Move featuring Trevor Burton & Bev Bevan’ with ‘The Animals and Friends’.

When he left in 1969 he stayed down south with his close friend Steve Winwood; Steve had just formed the band Traffic.  Trevor decided to chill for a while, but soon got the urge to play live again, this has always been his first love.  He got in touch with Steve Gibbons with the view to forming a new band, together with Denny Laine formerly with the Moody Blues, and Allen White from The Plastic Ono Band. They formed the band called Balls.  After the split with Balls in 1971, Trevor spent the next few years as one of the top session musicians with Island Records.  At the request of Raymond Froggatt, Trevor returned to his hometown of Birmingham where he worked with Ray until 1976.

Trevor teamed up once again with his close friend Steve Gibbons to enjoy chart success and top 10 hits with the Steve Gibbons Band.  For the next 7 years he toured the world with Steve.  He left in 1983 to form his own band playing his unique style of blues.  They started performing twice weekly at the Red Lion, Sparkbrook, Birmingham with a line up including sax player Steve Ajao.  In 1985 the band recorded an album entitled 'Double Zero'.

As if this isn't enough he has also played with Jimi Hendrix and appears on one of his albums!! Now Trevor still gets the buzz from playing his kind of music to a receptive audience.  In 1993 he called on Maz Mitrenko to join the band, former ELO keyboard player Richard Tandy was also with him for a few years.  Trevor has had various rhythm sections but never really settled with any until November 1999 when he asked Bill Jefferson (Drummer) to join the band.  Pez Connor rejoined the band in April 2009 and The Trevor Burton Band is now unstoppable.  With the new line up having the chemistry and telepathy that Trevor has been looking for, see them live and enjoy the moment - you won't be disappointed.

Piston Broke

When Steve and Charlie met at a party in the mid 1990’s, both musicians were becoming increasingly frustrated by the Leicester music scene and the lack of like minded musicians with which to work. Charlie’s band at the time, Jerky Turkey was in melt down and Steve’s current band Kaos had just collapsed.

A few jam sessions later and the realisation soon dawned on both parties that each had stumbled on the only other musician that the other could work with.

But what to do about a drummer? Adverts in the press drew a blank with lots of drummers auditioned, but no one suitable. In desperation, some gigs were even played using a drum machine, but the less said about that the better!

By means and methods now lost to the mists of time, a drummer was soon found and what followed was a steady stream of drummers, with some finding the Piston Broke style of blues/rock more challenging than others. The line up eventually settled with Chris “Cokie” Clark taking up permanent residence on the drum stool.

Piston Broke have played and continue to play major music festivals and motorcycle rallies where their heavy blues/rock style and virtuoso musicianship is always guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Piston Broke are:-

- Steve Howgill (Guitar, Vocals)

Has 25 years experience as a professional and semi-professional musician and time spent in bands both as support and as the backing band to major stars in the worlds of country, blues and rock music 

- Charlie Miller (Bass)Has played professionally in many forms of music including rock, blues, jazz and country. Charlie is the biker of the band and if he is not playing at a bike rally, chances are he will be there as a punter.

- Chris “Cokie” Clark (Drums)

Well known on the Leicester music scene, Cokie has played with everyone. A real powerhouse drummer and the perfect compliment to Charlie’s

Hotter Than Hell (Kiss Tribute)

Halloween Party - Fancy Dress Optional!

Hotter Than Hell is Europe's Ultimate Kiss Tribute Band. With its Band members coming from all corners of Europe, they joined forces together in 2003. Voted as one of the hottest Kiss Tribute Shows in Europe, they deliver the ultimate night out in tribute to the Hottest Band in the World!
They deliver the world-renowned classic 1970s Style KISS Stage Show, by mimicking it in every way with Mind-blowing Pyrotechnics, Fire breathing, Blood Spitting, Smoking Guitars, Greasepaint Make-Up, Theatrical Costumes and 7-inch Platform Boots. Replicating songs from the KISS Multi-Platinum Hits from the 70s to present such as: Detroit Rock City, Crazy Crazy Nights, Rock N Roll All Night and God Gave Rock and Roll to You.

NINE BELOW ZERO

Nine Below Zero are one of British rock & roll’s most enduring and respected R&B combos. Emerging from the vibrant London pub and club scene of the late 1970’s, their arrival coincided with the punk explosion, although the band had more in common with the great Chicago blues heroes of the 1950’s than with bondage trousers and pogo dancing. Nine Below Zero gigs were (and still are) energetic affairs; non-stop parties where band and audience are whipped into a frenzy – sweat-soaked, thrill-a-minute stuff. This no-frills, punchy and direct approach quickly won them a loyal following, and they soon landed a record deal with the then hot A&M label.

The bands’ “Live at the Marquee” album was an instant classic, catching on tape their awesome full-on live effect. Front man Dennis Greaves led Nine Below Zero (then as now), his rasping vocals and stinging guitar work winning a place in the hearts of fans, music critics, and fellow musicians alike. For a while it seemed that the band were rarely off the road, covering many thousands of touring miles, adding new fans, selling out gigs and building up a loyal fan base.

Nine Below Zero were the first band to be featured in the classic “Comic Strip” sitcom The Young Ones, belting out a tough version of “Eleven Plus Eleven”. From 1979 through to 1982 the band played non-stop eventually headlining at the Hammersmith Odeon. Shortly after, through sheer exhaustion the band split. Nine Below Zero reconvened in 1990, selling out the dear departed Town & Country Club in North London, playing to crowds of 2000 people a night. The shows were very much a homecoming for the band, and the incredible reception afforded to them saw Nine Below Zero reborn, rejuvenated. Since then, the band have gone from strength to strength.  Never shy of taking their music out on the road, Nine Below Zero have played all over Europe and memorably in Bangladesh, at the invitation of the British Council. The band even provided backing for actor and part-time blues musician Bruce Willis at a bash at his Planet Hollywood eaterie.

The current Nine Below Zero line up is bristling with superb musicianship. Apart from the acknowledged excellence of Dennis Greaves on vocals and guitar, harmonica player Mark Feltham has shared stages with the likes of Pete Townsend, Oasis, and Zuccero amongst many others, whilst the rock-solid rhythm section of Gerry McAvoy (bass/vocals) and Brendan O’Neill (drums/vocals) were for many years the engine room of the late great Rory Gallagher’s band.

The Piranha Brothers

The Piranha Brothers Blues Band has existed on and off for the last twenty three years. The current lineup of Waz Bee - drums, Cas Castledine - guitar + vocals and Martin Johnson - vocals + bass remains unchanged since 1989, drawing many faithful fans to every gig.  With fantastic gravelly vocals set against bluesy guitar solos and a good solid backbeat from the drums, this is how a proper blues band is meant to sound.  So why not get off your sofa and go and see Leicestershires’ best kept blues secret?

Blues Positive

The Piranha Brothers

The Piranha Brothers Blues Band has existed on and off for the last twenty three years. The current lineup of Waz Bee - drums, Cas Castledine - guitar + vocals and Martin Johnson - vocals + bass remains unchanged since 1989, drawing many faithful fans to every gig.  With fantastic gravelly vocals set against bluesy guitar solos and a good solid backbeat from the drums, this is how a proper blues band is meant to sound.  So why not get off your sofa and go and see Leicestershires’ best kept blues secret?