WHO WE are
The Conmen are a Waikato (New Zealand) based 6-piece band spawned in 2008 from the Cambridge-based duo ("Call of Nature") of Huw Alderman and Trevor Harris. Drummer Dean McGaveston (replaced in January 2013 by Marty Haughie) 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.
And so it was that the CONMEN 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 disbelieve their luck.
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. So along came Barry Stirling and - hurrah! - we had a lead guitarist who spoke the Queen's English again.
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 collective love of much british music and especially that of the 60's or 70's.
Excitingly, original CONMEN songs are now finding their way into the CONMEN repertoire.
The CONMEN remain locked into 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".
And so it was that the CONMEN 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 disbelieve their luck.
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. So along came Barry Stirling and - hurrah! - we had a lead guitarist who spoke the Queen's English again.
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 collective love of much british music and especially that of the 60's or 70's.
Excitingly, original CONMEN songs are now finding their way into the CONMEN repertoire.
The CONMEN remain locked into 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".
