Brian bought his first acoustic guitar at age 13 for the princely sum of ₤2 and 10
shillings (old money) from a local guitar hero who’s name he’s since forgotten. He
joined his first band in late 1977, a cabaret act, playing acoustic and electric
guitars and also singing harmony vocals - good grounding for Thunderbridge! That
band lasted 4 years and he then hung up his guitar for an 18 year break only to rejoin,
in late 1999, the same outfit which had become a Function Band. (Brother) Martin
was learning banjo at this time and got Brian interested when he gave him a couple
of tab books and 100 year old zither banjo that had been rescued from a very wet
garage. From this grew a deep fascination with the banjo and a growing interest in
old time and Bluegrass music. In the Summer of 2004 the two brothers took a trip
to the southern USA mainly to seek out real Bluegrass first hand. They ended up at
the world famous Station Inn in Nashville and were knocked out by the whole experience
of live single microphone performance. They decided there & then that they just had
to do some of that. The rest is history.
Banjos tend to become an addiction or affliction
depending how one looks at it. Brian currently owns and plays a 1983 Ome Monarch
(maple), a 2007 Bishline Walnut Classic and a 2009 Yates RS mahogony. Other instruments
that have passed through his hands over the short period since enlightenment in Nashville
are: Sigma (Martin) mahogony masterclone, Deering Sierra, Deering Maple Blossom and
Stelling Whitestar. He also plays a Martin CE04 sunburst slope-shouldered acoustic
at Thunderbridge gigs.
Martin’s first musical interests were playing piano and old harmonium at home and
in Sunday School. He bought his first (very used) acoustic guitar in 1966 for ₤1.
He joined his first band in 1975, which was a duo playing Dylan, Beatles, Donovan
and folky stuff which was popular at the time. He then moved on to a four-piece acoustic/harmony band
in 1978, then into rock covers outfits throughout the 80s and 90s, playing electric
and acoustic guitars, piano and synthesiser. Throughout all of this, he had a banjo
lurking in the background and picked it up to dabble with from time to time. He got
more interested in the banjo, old time and Bluegrass music at the turn of the 21st
century. This led to the US trip in 2004 and the inspirational visit to The Station
Inn.
Martin’s instruments include a 1979 Martin D28 guitar (the story of which is
told on the TBB DVD ‘Four On The Floor’, and a Martin CEO5 guitar. He also owns and
plays a 2001 built Gibson (Dobro) 27 Deluxe and Dobro D60.
Nick’s first guitar was his mum’s, a Yamaha dreadnought which she still has. He started
playing at 14 and soon formed his first little rock n roll band at school. Always
an Elvis, Everlys and Chuck Berry nut, Nick didn’t play much else until the onset
of Guns ‘N’ Roses in the late ’80s. After a brief period warbling his nuts off in
a full-on rock metal band, he calmed down a bit and got back into the roots and country
that he always listened to as a kid, delving further into the likes of Steve Earle,
Guy Clark and John Prine. Many Country and Rock bands followed throughout the ’90s,
and once he’d settled in Somerset in ’99 he took to writing songs and searching for
the right musical adventure to sink all his efforts in to. Solo ventures came and
went, as did more gritty and very loud rock bands. Soon tiring of playing the same
ol’ stuff to the same ol’ folks, Thunderbridge was serendipitous, and he immediately
stopped searching
Nick’s mandolin and guitar hunts are well-documented, so we won’t
go there. But suffice to say, after many, many different instruments, he now is ‘extremely
happy’ with his 2007 Martin D-18 VS acoustic and his Weber Yellowstone mandolin.
Jules grew up in a house of professional classical musicians, and learned trumpet
as a kid. He played in school orchestras and village bands, which was- fun. Then,
oh happy day, he found a battered acoustic guitar in the attic. Goodbye Mozart Beethoven
and Sousa, hello Black Sabbath and Motorhead! The move to (electric) bass was swift,
and next came folk music and mandolins. This sufficed for live music for many years,
and meanwhile he moved into computer music and composition and theatre and sound
design and recording. There is not much Jules can’t do with sound. Mmm experimental
manipulation. So, after many years in bands, and then many years hiding in the studio,
Jules decided he wanted to get back to live playing. Around that time he inherited
his dad’s double bass and messed around with that for a little, when suddenly, he
found that everyone wanted him to play with them. Coincidence, I’m sure. He plays
with various people still, in many different styles, but the longest-standing and
best of them are the Thunderbridge Boys. All acoustic, traditional, experimental,
tight and energetic. Just the way music should be.
Instrument-wise, Jules started
out with his dad’s modern chinese-made bass, then picked up a Romanian ply one, which
came with a bonus old English one (no names on headstocks with basses!). Currently
in restoration, the 100-year old English one was totally battered when he got it,
but will soon be up and running. Hopefully in time for SoreFingers. He also has a
Kramer electric and a Rickenbacker, and an acoustic, and a Telecaster, and a mandola
and a phonofiddle, a saw, an accordion, jews harps, swannee whistle… and a Gibson
1916 A-series mandolin.
