allthekingsmen ARE........
Mick Whittemore. Guitar and vocals. Yamaha APX10 electro acoustic through a Boss AD5 acoustic processor, amplified by an 'onstage PA' consisting of QSC amp and L2 Audio TM12H PA cabs.
Gareth Hunt. Lead guitar and backing vocals. Main guitar is an 80's strat plus. Also using a PRS CE22 bolt on permanently in drop D, Yamaha APX electro acoustic and a rather old Hofnor Mandolin. Choice of amplification is an ENGL screamer head with ENGL 2 x 12 cab
Pete King. Bass guitar and vocals. A UK built early 90's Status bass through the 'older and much better' Trace Elliot amplification.
Paul Warsop Drums and percussion. Mapex Orion or Saturn kits (depending on mood) with Loads of Paiste cymbals is Pauls staple diet. Paul has recently added a Roland SPDS sampler which enables us to sample all sorts of quirky intros, etc..
PA can only be one choice. UK built LOGIC SYSTEM is simply the best . Whether in a small pub gig or a large function room LOGIC SYSTEM always delivers. If we're doing a small gig then we have the new LOGIC SYSTEM BLUE RANGE BL15PS top cabs with LOGIC BLUE BL150PS bins. This is an active system so no need for external poweramps or processing. Again, depending on the size of gig, we can easily add 2.5K, making the whole 6 box system slightly under 6K. Desk choice is a Spirit FX16. Microphones are all Shure, apart from drum mics, which are AKG and Sennheiser. Wedge monitors, are L2 Audio with Logic side fills and Senneiser In ear monitoring so we generally get a good sound on stage too! We've spent a lot of time and money on our PA. Where some bands tend to fall down is to spend a fortune on their favourite guitar and amplification, then when it comes to the PA, think they can throw a couple of speakers on some stands and wonder why people can't hear the vocals and feedback occurs (high whistling that is painful!) The biggest compliment that people give us is that we get a great sound. This is down to a good PA, oh, and a soundman that knows a bit about how to set a PA up!
A combination of NJD colour change lights and all sorts of other twirly colour bits complete our set up. Oh, and sometimes a smoke machine
IN THE BEGINNING...........
"Last year we celebrated our 10th year together. I can honestly say that during that time we have never had a cross word or fell out, something unique in our ego filled industry! We're no spring chickens, which you've probably already clocked if you've seen our mug shots! In fact we've tallied up and we have about 135 playing years experience between us. This is probably why we forget words and drink coke without the JD anymore...."
Our gigging lives all started in the early 70's. Gareth and Pete were in the same band from their schooldays, called RAFFLES. In those early teenage years, gigs were 10 a penny, and that's probably about how much was earned from some of them, but they were great fun and and a great learning curve. Mick was in a 'rival band' called ZENITH doing the same pub and club circuit. When not gigging we would all meet up either on a Monday or Tuesday night at a venue in our local village called the GREY TOPPER in Jacksdale, Notts. This was a great venue that had live music 7 nights a week. We were all fortunate enough to play there on several occasions, usually on a Thursday night. This was hen night when girls were allowed in free of charge and all the guys paid what seemed like a kings ransom just to get in. I'm sure some came to watch the bands....We were lucky enough to also play there on the Sunday, usually supporting one of the many name acts that came to the 'Topper'.
Throughout the early 80's Gareth and Pete formed a new band called CLOUD 9 and Mick cleared off 'abroad' to the Isle of Wight when ZENITH turned 'pro'. In those days, pro generally meant that you didn't have a proper job! Mick recalls Gareth coming down to Isle of Wight to see the band and was fairly envious that this was a pro band. When Mick returned from the Isle of Wight he went to see Gareth and Pete in their band which was close to coming to an end. Pete was moving to the States and stayed there gigging in various bands for a few years and Gareth and Mick set about putting a new band together called CELLA V. Originally the plan was to spell it in the proper French way but as we were playing a lot of working mens clubs, we feared being announced as Sestlaviy! This was a 5 piece band with all the latest gear, sound crew, lighting man, follow spot, the whole 9 yards. It boasted multi keyboards, saxophone, latest state of the art Simmons drum pads, big silly haircuts, high waste bands and big shoulders.....!
Although mainly slogging around the Northern club/cabaret scene, CELLA V had delusions of grandeur like many other gigging bands of the time. they were busy writing songs and sending them off looking and hoping for that lucrative recording contract, often putting several original songs in the 'club set' to guage a reaction. the chance came with a total tongue in cheek song written by keyboard/guitarist/saxophonist and all round great musician called Alan Price (not that one) called SPIDER IN THE BATH. Mick contacted then Radio 1 top jock Garry Davies who had the lucrative lunchtime slot. Garry was reading letters out from the general public about their fear of spiders. Garry asked for a copy of the song and featured it on his programme daily whilst reading letters from listeners. Cella V were then duly invited to join Garry on one of his roadshows. They then took the song along with several other compositions down to London and a company called CHERRY RED picked up on it, signed a distribution deal and promised to get a major record company interested within the month. The band went back into the studio and re recorded with producer JOE KING and even produced a dance mix of the song called SPIDER IN THE BATH (tub dub mix). Unfortunately the phone call from the major never happened and CELLA V in it's 5 piece form decided to call it a day.
It's 1985-86 and the music scene is full of synths, synths and more synths. Guitar bands are dead allegedly and AHA, PET SHOP BOYS, HOWARD JONES, TEARS FOR FEARS rule the world ('excuse the pun). It just so happened that the Roland electronic company decided to bring out a guitar that sounded like a synth. The problem was that they were about £2 grand a piece! Gareth and Mick decided to put together a Hi tech duo, complete with even bigger hair, bigger shoulders, bigger earrings and a bigger bank loan. They bought a couple of those synths and set about becoming one of the most unique acts on the circuit. The show was big and soon caught the eye of an entrepenuer that had nightclubs in Norway. Scandinavia beckoned and they went touring, gigging, writing and generally having a laugh. After failing to make the 'big time', CELLA V2 decided to hang up their synths in 1990.
Pete was still in the states and was busy gigging with various bands in his newly adopted state of Ohio. (more info on this bit needed when Pete can be arsed to write some.......!)
If you've read this far and you're still awake, you really have not got much of a life, but you're also wondering what drummer Paul was doing whilst all this rock n roll, glamour n glitz lifestyle was going on. Paul, being very much the baby of the band (although still the wrong side of 40!) was gigging around the local circuit with several bands. At the time of writing and submitting this, I'm still waiting for more info from Paul on what he was doing. He either did nothing or was so high on illegal substances that he can't remember. My guess is the former...........!!We hear that his 80's and early 90's gigging life was one long party with groupies and the like (He was in bands with Dick Hill (blues Bros) and the infamous Moreton brothers...say no more) He's working on a condensed website friendly version of events that are deemed suitable for these pages, apparently.
Pete and Gareth once again got together when Pete returned from the USA. This time mainly to play good ol' pub rock. Originally this was going to be a trio with another drummer. Mick was doing very little at this point and again bumped into Gareth and Pete at a gig and decided to get a few things together. After thinking about 1 or 2 drummers that they'd worked with, it wasn't until they bumped into Paul that they knew from working in the CARLSBRO RETAIL music store, which then became ACADEMY OF SOUND, that the current line up was complete. The rest, as they say, is history.
Thanks for reading and if you remember any of the bands, times, venues that we've mentioned, it would be great to hear from you!
ATKM X
