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Biographies Alan Dave Justin Martin Paul Tony Alan - Keyboards Band bio for ; Fingers Al Star sign ; Pentangle Musical influences ; Mrs Mills, Winifred Attwell, Harry Stoneham, Black Dyke Mills, Leftfield and the Chemical Brothers. Favourite album ; The Nudists Holiday photo album Favourite food ; Chocolate Favourite film ; The Elephant Man Favourite book ; Eon by Greg Bear Favourite quote ; 'It's my round' Justin Green circa 2002 Equipment list; just the stuff I take out gigging: Roland JV80 keyboard linked to JV2080 expander, Hammond XB1 keyboard, Spirit mixing desk, Yamaha SPX unit, two Mackie SRM450 speakers, Peavey digital amp (for foldback), two 'splinter special' stage wedges, various bits of iron work to hold the whole lot up and a large box of cables. Finally a little binky torch to help me see to wire everything together. Musical history ; It's rumoured to have all started when I was just 3 years of age and was racing around my Grandma's house (they had a pet greyhound and it was after my lucky rabbits foot). I tripped on the 5th lap and hit my head on her old Joanna knocking myself out in the process. Anyway they reckon a splinter from the old piano lodged itself in my bonce and from the moment I came to I could play the piano ... brilliantly (some say). Of course, being born deformed with two sets of arms and twenty fingers may also have something to do with it. When they found out about my skills with my fingers at school, they wouldn't leave me alone I can tell you. They insisted we form a band and me and my bestest mate Rob, plus Benny (roadie and amp fixer), Andy, Martin Goodey, Clive, Dave, Linda Went and various others formed 'Sons of Burt Weedon'. The band was legendary, musical quality second to none. Our first (and last) tour started one evening at the Castle pub in Brentwood .... and finished at the Essex Arms pub Brentwood the same evening. It was sad to cut the tour short but we soon realised that the wheels on the piano we were towing behind the old Austin A30 weren't really made for long term road usage and we couldn't have carried the piano much further. However, once we turned up at the Essex Arms, complete with our own piano, Harry (the landlord) welcomed us with open arms and gave us a residency. Good old Harry.
A slightly later incarnation of the band was called Janus We regularly played at the Essex Arms, Brentwood as well as many other venues. Here's Janus, once again at the Essex Arms with me on the right playing my Hohner Pianet N, Ann Savage on lead vocals, Rob Pearson on lead, Brian on bass and his brother Bob on drums.
Note the importance of beer, it's right up front (and that's just Ann's), and the lampshade half hanging off the wall!!
Various revamps of the band were to follow over the years, all with those funny sounding names of yore: Sound Sensation, Orange Tangerine, and then into the jazz genre with The Alan Peterson Set.
I also joined another band called the Harvey Scott Four with me on Lowrey organ, Eric on sax, Dennis Vanhinesberg on rhythm guitar (brilliant he was I can tell you) and another who I can't remember the name of. Later on Ricky joined the band paying lead guitar (superb). Then I quit and joined Rickies band. Dog eat dog!! Running parallel to my music in bands was my solo work. My first solo performance was at a pub called The Charcoal Burner at Collier Row near Romford. The pub was just opened and I played the Hammond organ (with Leslie 145 speaker) to a packed pub. I often played the electronic organ in such places as The Lighthouse at Benfleet and numerous other venues. I ended up working for Yamaha music for a while. Marriage break up and divorce brought all this to an end. There was a gap of a number of years before Steve McWhirter contacted me and asked me to join a blues jam he was setting up. I was back again!! Thanks Steve, I owe you. Here I met Paul, Dave Edson, Charlie (brilliant blues singer and guitarist) and various others. We formed a band called Mrs Mopsies Blues Experience, later to become The Occasionals.
That's me on the right. I look as if I've been in the sun too long!!
Eventually The Occasionals, after a brief spell as Rol'am, became Loaded Dice, definitely the best band of the lot!!
click here to return to top of page ************************************************************************************** Dave - Lead Guitar and Vocals Band bio for ; Dave Star sign ; Uranus Musical influences ; Varied, really varied – Thin Lizzy, Be Bop Deluxe, Bowie, Van Morrison, U2, Lynrd Skynrd, The Who, Crowded House, The Faces & Rod the Mod, Clapton, Stones, Beatles, Dr Feelgood, Hawkwind, Steve Miller, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Deep Purple, Stevie Ray Vaughan and all things bluesey, early Roxy, Punk, Funk and some junk! - I tend to have one or two albums by lots of people rather than the entire collection of a few. Favourite album ; Ziggy Stardust Favourite food ; Italian Favourite film ; Dr Strangelove Favourite book ; Spike Milligan’s War Memoirs Favourite quote ; You’re only young once but you can be immature all your life. Equipment list; Fender Lonestar Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Washburn EA20 Electro Acoustic, Fender Hotrod Deville valve amp, Boss GT6 MultiFX. Musical history ; After touring the U.S. with Clapton for his comeback tour in 1973, I decided to take a break and try to get back to something approaching a normal life, after all I had my ‘O’ levels coming up and my school work had taken a bit of a back seat to the Rock ‘n’ Roll.
A couple of months after leaving school I found myself running errands for a group of solicitors in the King’s Cross area. Now I know that a lot of people study for years at Uni to become a solicitor, but these girls came straight from a council estate at 15 and pretty soon were earning around five hundred pounds a week doing soliciting, so it just shows that education isn’t everything. That stage of my working life finally of fizzled out when they started buying their own so I looked around for something else that I could turn my hand to. I answered an ad in the Wickford Bugle and found myself selling laxatives, it started off OK but after a couple of days the bottom sort of fell out. My next career move was as a sperm donor which I felt I was ideally suited to. I thought I was doing quite well but after a week the nurse said that they really didn’t need that much and could I not come in so many times a day.
Things were getting desperate and just when I thought I would never work again a dream opportunity fell in my lap – I was offered the position of second rhythm guitar with Keith Harris and Orville’s backing band for the “I can’t” tour. They were great days and we took that song to kids and geriatrics up and down the country for the next six years. I could tell you a few things about those two, he actually goes to bed with his hand still in the duck’s arse, it must be a sort of comfort thing.
With my reputation re-established I worked with the best that the UK pop industry had to offer and toured with names such as Joe Dulce, Rene and Renatta and Jive Bunny. Living out of a suitcase is bad enough but living in a suitcase is even worse so after twelve solid years on the road I decided it was time to settle down. The chance to play with the guys in Loaded Dice came up and I’ve never looked back. We have a great time and the guys always tell me I’ve played well, even when I haven’t – come to think of it they always tell me that . . . . . click here to return to top of page ************************************************************************************** Greg - Drums Greg has now left the band ************************************************************************************** Justin - Lead Vocals Justin’s BiographyStar sign: ๘۵یฌฑỒ ~(complicated pictogram meaning), ‘last to arrive, first to leave, least to carry’ Musical Influences: Many and diverse, Marvin Gay to Papa Roach, paying attention to Steve Miller, Van the man, Yes and of course the king of Queens, Sir Elton (put those flowers over there) John. More traditional Blues influences such as Muddy Waters, Jonny Johnson and Buddy Guy and some Ray Charles’ stuff will get me nodding in appreciation. Newer bands that have caught my ear include, Reef, The Manics, Phonics, D12, and a local band called Fleet. Favourite Albums: Van Morrison’s greatest hits and Evanescence’s ‘Fallen’ Favourite Films: ‘Shakespeare in love’, ‘revenge of the Killer bikini vampire beach babes’ and I thought the little dog in ‘Van Helsing’ was quite cute, mind you, so was Ms Beckinsale. Favourite food: I would have to agree with Dave on that, Italian closely followed by Thai, French and Moroccan. Favourite Book: Errrr promise you won’t laugh ?…. Anything by Terry Pratchett, Asimov, Steven King, Len Deighton. If you get time and have the inclination, get a hold of ‘BILLY’ by Pamela Stevenson, Billy Connollys’ Biography…’Fascinating’. Favourite Quote: “I hear what you’re saying but it just sounds likes bla bla bla bla bla” For the Anoraks: Equipment list, Sure SM58, Trantor wireless feedback monitor, Allum-mag high tensile tri-leg super adjustable microphone facilitator. Love egg, GT 2000 Turbo Tambourine, Honer blues harps.
Fantasy History: 1980 Having politely then not so politely refused to be introduced to Shane MaGowens’ dentist, the totally rat arsed but highly persuasive Pogues lead singer managed to enticeme into ‘getting up’ and “doing dat fockin shite number, you know de one where it goes Shal a La la la la la in de Middle”…. So I got up and sang Brown Eyed Girl in front of 3 and half people in theFrog and Furkin Fulham, to rapturous applause.That was it, I was hooked, having women throw themselves and their knickers at you when you’re young and impressionable is a real eye opener, I soon realised however the ones that took arunning jump were the ones to avoid as jealous boyfriends never seemed too far behind.After a brief spell in an experimental Boy-band ‘Take This’, I got thoroughly disenchanted by the ruthlessness of certain music industry fat cats who insisted on controlling virtually every aspectof the bands life, including having to hand over all the knickers that were thrown at me. The parting of the ways came as no surprise to some, they’d been planning for months to change the nameof the group from This to That and I found my dressing room suddenly occupied by a self important, chubby and very gay twat from Stoke. “Rob you tuneless, talentless moron, I hope you fallon your wallet and dislocate your hip!!!I then hooked up with a few guys playing in bars, the Band was the ‘The Breakers’ and for nearly 6 years we toured, gigged and got laid, sometimes we even got paid. We rocked and my knickerscollection grew exponentially. Then, like all good things, it ended. then it ended again, and then ended for the third and final time. (however, this time due to slight of hand and a false draw, it endedwith me keeping all the knickers).The opportunity to join Loaded Dice came along and needing to express myself musically, vocally and underwear-illy I joined as singer to this talented band. So come and see us, ladiesbring your knickers and remember, you can’t throw what you can’t get off…..Skirts rule!!!!click here to return to top of page
************************************************************************************** Martin - Bass Guitar Star sign: Don’t believe in this old twaddle but I’m a goat if you must know (we thought as much!!) Musical influences: As far as bass is concerned James Jameson and Macca for the groove and Phil Lynott and Adam Clayton for how the bass can hold a song together. Guitar wise - I’m not bad on the six string by the way- I’ve pinched ideas from Nile Rogers, Edge, Mark Knopfler, Peter Green amongst others Favourite album: This changes as frequently as I change my socks i.e. once a year. Currently Aja by Steely Dan Favourite food: Can’t beat a bacon sandwich made with fresh crusty white bread, good outdoor reared bacon (the donor pig is raised outdoors obviously, I’ve never actually seen bacon running around) and some Wilkins of Tiptree Tomato Sauce Favourite film: Hard to say but I do come back to Pulp Fiction an awful lot. But could be Nosferatu (the 1979 remake) still gives me the creeps. Favourite book: Read Lord of the Rings more time than any other although just re-read LA Confidential by James Ellroy and forgotten how the book is incredibly even better than the superb file of the same name. Favourite quote: Lord Flasheart: Hey, hey! Any girl who wants to chain herself to my railings and suffer a jet movement gets my vote! Equipment list: Fender Precison - 4 strings 1 Volume 1 Tone. Being a traditional Bassist I can’t cope with anything higher tech than this. Ashdown 1x15 Combo with a 2x10 Extension cab. More than enough volume for the gigs we do, even allowing for noisy Dave and deaf drummers Musical history: Played lead in few band in my teens and twenties before people cottoned on that whilst “not bad” , others were slightly better and would get the gig. So at another failed audition when told “you’re not bad but … , you don’t happen to play bass do you “ ? I lied and said yes, scrounged some gear turned up next week and got the gig. Haven’t looked back, actually now prefer holding things down with a decent drummer. Fortunately Loaded Dice have an excellent drummer and some excellent deps to call on. Still play the odd gig on guitar usually deps nowadays. click here to return to top of page ************************************************************************************** Paul - Rhythm Guitar Band bio for - Paul, ( I saw them live once). Star sign – Bad, (Been down since I began to crawl). Musical Influences – Chamber music during potty training, followed during adolescence by Blues/Beatles/Stones/Steppenwolf/Neil Young/Family/Clapton and many others too numerous to mention. Favourite Album – Herbal pipe music of brick lane Favourite food – Slug & lettuce, (Provided slug killed humanely due to being a vegetarian). Favourite film – 1 flew over the cuckoo’s nest Favourite book – It – Stephen King Favourite Quote – Work is for clocks, leisure should be timeless Equipment list – US Fender strat/ Epiphone Sorrento/Marshall vs100 stack/Boss effects pedal/Spare strings & plectrums for Dave/ Occasional use of Justin’s love egg, (Strategically placed of course)! Also roadie for one of Alan’s wedges, (Preferably the one without the fucking great splinter)! Musical History – picked up a guitar at 16 and never got bored with it since. First group orgasm with , “The Occasionals) , multi orgasms then with Loaded Dice, the best thing us lads ever created. Note to the punters: Please beware of Tony’s light of death, it has been known to cause strange spasms of a strobe like effect caused by intermittent reflections from the numerous wide partings on stage. (Excluding Justin, of course, from whom the inspiration came for the name “Loaded Dice”, as he was the only one loaded with hair follicles and Dice rhymed with lice)! Due to the passing of time however, we may have to revisit the name and become , “Unloaded Lice".
click here to return to top of page ************************************************************************************** Tony - Saxophone Band bio for - Tony Ace Sax Player Star sign
– Sign of the Twin Saxes
Musical Influences – Van der Graff Generator, Roxy Music, Burlesque, David Bowie, King Curtis and Split Enz. Favourite food – Castle Mayne 30mm Kebab, Jamaican Breakfast Favourite films – Great Race, Animal House Favourite book – Hayne's workshop manual Favourite Quote – Would you like to blow on my big one?? mine's shinier than yours!! Equipment list – Selmer SA80 mkIII Tenor Sax with Otto Link 8x metal Mouthpiece, BG Ligature, Rico Jazz select 2.5 reeds Yamaha 6Z Alto Sax with Otto Link 8x metal Mouthpiece, BG Ligature, Rico Jazz select 2.5 reeds SD sax mic - AKG radio link - Zoom effects unit Bandography – Tokyo Rose, AWOL, Siren, Twin Red Line, Tear Fund, Shattered Hearts, Chain Gang, Occasionals, Rol'am, Loaded Dice here's some photo's:
can you spot me?? click here to return to top of page
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