WHO WE are & HOW WE GOT HERE
The Conmen are a Waikato (New Zealand) based 5- or sometimes 6-piece band spawned in 2008 from the Cambridge-based duo ("Call of Nature") of Huw Alderman and Trevor Harris. The current line-up has Huw Alderman on vocals/rhythm guitar, Trevor Harris on bass, Marty Haughie on drums/vocals, Dave Wilkinson on lead guitar/voclas and Derek Hartley on guitar/vocals.
In its original line-up, drummer Dean McGaveston and bassist Pete Wood joined Huw and Trevor (on lead guitar at that time) and soon after, in 2010, harpist Bruce Stott bribed his way into the band with enough beer to make the band a 5-piece, a more than satisfactory arrangement for all parties.
Marty Haughie replaced Dean in January 2013 - and that line-up endured to December 2014, when Pete Wood left and Trevor morphed into the bass-player role. The brilliantly-talented Maciek Hrybowicz (pronounced Maciek Hrybowicz) was persuaded to assist the band as its occasional lead guitarist, musical arranger and thereby helped the band scale new heights. Mid-2015, the delectable Amy-Lee Gorlicki and her saxophone was discovered and when her time permits has subsequently made a group of older men very happy
For a couple of heady years, the hugely-talented 村里的小牛 (we know him as Jingyu Zhang, or Joe) came all the way from China to replace Maciek and be the regular lead guitarist. Wifely commitments meant Joe needed to move on during 2017. Briefly, we were fortunate to have Barry Stirling fill in, but - hurrah! - in Dave Wilkinson we now have a regular lead guitarist who not speaks the Queen's English but is actually pretty good with the axe. And even more stupendously, we not only have Dave, but also Derek Hartley on lead/rhythm to give even more depth to our sound.
Bruce, our grand old gentleman on Harmonica, ran out of puff in 2018 and decided to more fully enjoy his retirement. Amy's sax playing has also taken second place to being a mum, so rarely finds time to add glamour to the ensemble.
The rest of the CONMEN's future is history in the making.
With the avowed intention of adhering to songs that each band member enjoys and can contribute to, the CONMEN have a distinctive and eclectic repertoire of blues, rock and roll and R&B - generally, but not exclusively, reflecting a love of british music, especially that of the 60's or 70's.
Excitingly, thanks to the self-proclaimed genius of Trevor and Huw, original CONMEN songs are now finding their way into the CONMEN repertoire.
The CONMEN remain resolutely focussed on the goal of finding songs for their "Best Of" album but, as their spokesman/bassist recently admitted, "we still have a little way to go".
In its original line-up, drummer Dean McGaveston and bassist Pete Wood joined Huw and Trevor (on lead guitar at that time) and soon after, in 2010, harpist Bruce Stott bribed his way into the band with enough beer to make the band a 5-piece, a more than satisfactory arrangement for all parties.
Marty Haughie replaced Dean in January 2013 - and that line-up endured to December 2014, when Pete Wood left and Trevor morphed into the bass-player role. The brilliantly-talented Maciek Hrybowicz (pronounced Maciek Hrybowicz) was persuaded to assist the band as its occasional lead guitarist, musical arranger and thereby helped the band scale new heights. Mid-2015, the delectable Amy-Lee Gorlicki and her saxophone was discovered and when her time permits has subsequently made a group of older men very happy
For a couple of heady years, the hugely-talented 村里的小牛 (we know him as Jingyu Zhang, or Joe) came all the way from China to replace Maciek and be the regular lead guitarist. Wifely commitments meant Joe needed to move on during 2017. Briefly, we were fortunate to have Barry Stirling fill in, but - hurrah! - in Dave Wilkinson we now have a regular lead guitarist who not speaks the Queen's English but is actually pretty good with the axe. And even more stupendously, we not only have Dave, but also Derek Hartley on lead/rhythm to give even more depth to our sound.
Bruce, our grand old gentleman on Harmonica, ran out of puff in 2018 and decided to more fully enjoy his retirement. Amy's sax playing has also taken second place to being a mum, so rarely finds time to add glamour to the ensemble.
The rest of the CONMEN's future is history in the making.
With the avowed intention of adhering to songs that each band member enjoys and can contribute to, the CONMEN have a distinctive and eclectic repertoire of blues, rock and roll and R&B - generally, but not exclusively, reflecting a love of british music, especially that of the 60's or 70's.
Excitingly, thanks to the self-proclaimed genius of Trevor and Huw, original CONMEN songs are now finding their way into the CONMEN repertoire.
The CONMEN remain resolutely focussed on the goal of finding songs for their "Best Of" album but, as their spokesman/bassist recently admitted, "we still have a little way to go".
