WHO WE are
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. Drummer Dean McGaveston and bassist Pete Wood joined the group 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 CONMEN line-up existed until December 2014, when Pete Wood left the ranks and Trevor morphed into the bass-player role. The brilliant Maciek Hrybowicz (pronounced Maciek Hrybowicz) was conned into assisting the band as its occasional lead guitarist, musical arranger and helped the band scale new heights. Mid-2015, the delectable Amy-Lee Gorlicki and her saxophone made a group of older men very happy - and so we were 6.
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 when his diary permits.
Bruce, our grand old gentleman on Harmonica, ran out of puff in 2018 and hung up his reeds to concentrate on annoying the Te Awamutu neighbourhood and/or tour the world with Tracey. Also, having welcomed baby Neo into the world in 2017, Amy can't currently find her sax as it's buried under piles of nappies and other motherly stuff: we eagerly await her return to our regular line-up
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 focussed on the goal of finding songs for their "Best Of" album but, as their technical director/bassist recently admitted. "We still have a little way to go".
Marty Haughie replaced Dean in January 2013 - and that CONMEN line-up existed until December 2014, when Pete Wood left the ranks and Trevor morphed into the bass-player role. The brilliant Maciek Hrybowicz (pronounced Maciek Hrybowicz) was conned into assisting the band as its occasional lead guitarist, musical arranger and helped the band scale new heights. Mid-2015, the delectable Amy-Lee Gorlicki and her saxophone made a group of older men very happy - and so we were 6.
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 when his diary permits.
Bruce, our grand old gentleman on Harmonica, ran out of puff in 2018 and hung up his reeds to concentrate on annoying the Te Awamutu neighbourhood and/or tour the world with Tracey. Also, having welcomed baby Neo into the world in 2017, Amy can't currently find her sax as it's buried under piles of nappies and other motherly stuff: we eagerly await her return to our regular line-up
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 focussed on the goal of finding songs for their "Best Of" album but, as their technical director/bassist recently admitted. "We still have a little way to go".
