Post by wingsj0 on Aug 10, 2015 17:55:10 GMT
Found a few interviews that I did way back when with some of my favourite bands from the International Beatles Festival, run by the world famous Cavern Club, and thought this site would be the best place to share them.
Contact: Ringer
For those of you who don't know the history of Ringer (the first original Convention band!), the best person to tell us is Ian Murdoch and he told us about Ringer over the years! "I started Ringer in 1979 in Dundee, Scotland and first went to the convention in 1982 before it was an official thing. Back home we played around the bars in Dundee and after a few line-up changes we got Steve McDonald on guitar. Steve and I were big Beatles fans so we decided that's the music we would play. In December 1982 we went to New York and then a week later flew to Germany - a bit like the Rutles really!
"We made a couple of singles, travelled Europe and generally had a good time. We have played with Johnny Gentle, Tony Sheridan, worked for Cynthia Lennon at 'Lennon's' in Covent Garden, then we were Denny Laine's backing group for a couple of years. Steve left the band in 1994 to live in Canada, so we got Gregor; a great musician who writes TV and film music, and recently worked with Toyah Wilcox for the BBC. Then came Chris, who has just finished working with Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue. He was the guitarist with Danny Wilson who had a hit with 'Mary's Prayer' and toured with Tina Turner and Simply Red."
Today Ringer are: Ian Murdoch - Drums & Lead Vocals; Willie Hastie - Bass Guitar and Vocals; Chris Marra - Guitar and Vocals; Gregor Philip- Guitar and Vocals.
Ringer - Live at the Cavern Club Liverpool - Back stage - August 2012.
"In the last 12 months we have all done various projects, whether together or individually, like The Kirsty Wark Show on BBC. We love to play Liverpool. The Cavern is always special cause it was like it was in the 60's - great sound and all hot and sweaty. Just the way we like it! Right now, we are busy in the studio doing an album, but it's just in the preparation stages so it will take some time to finish. We have had great years at the convention and also the private gigs we have been invited down to! Most of all, we get to play the music that we love! From 'The Bootleg Beatles' to 'The Fab Faux', we have seen them all, and I'm glad to say that both these bands have become very good friends. "The convention is one big Beatle party for the weekend to which everybody from all over the world is invited, and they seem to come every year. The band has played with lots of Beatle people who knew them personally and I know that Sir Paul McCartney himself knows of us! So that's not so bad!"
If you want to know more about Ringer, you'll find them hanging about The Adelphi during Beatle Week (try the bars!)! If you're lucky and live in Scotland, you'll see them out on the road! Many thanks to Ian, for the insight into of one of Beatleweek's most dedicated bands and for keeping Beatles music alive and well across the glen.
Jo Rishton with Ian Murdoch 2001
Contact: Ringer
For those of you who don't know the history of Ringer (the first original Convention band!), the best person to tell us is Ian Murdoch and he told us about Ringer over the years! "I started Ringer in 1979 in Dundee, Scotland and first went to the convention in 1982 before it was an official thing. Back home we played around the bars in Dundee and after a few line-up changes we got Steve McDonald on guitar. Steve and I were big Beatles fans so we decided that's the music we would play. In December 1982 we went to New York and then a week later flew to Germany - a bit like the Rutles really!
"We made a couple of singles, travelled Europe and generally had a good time. We have played with Johnny Gentle, Tony Sheridan, worked for Cynthia Lennon at 'Lennon's' in Covent Garden, then we were Denny Laine's backing group for a couple of years. Steve left the band in 1994 to live in Canada, so we got Gregor; a great musician who writes TV and film music, and recently worked with Toyah Wilcox for the BBC. Then came Chris, who has just finished working with Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue. He was the guitarist with Danny Wilson who had a hit with 'Mary's Prayer' and toured with Tina Turner and Simply Red."
Today Ringer are: Ian Murdoch - Drums & Lead Vocals; Willie Hastie - Bass Guitar and Vocals; Chris Marra - Guitar and Vocals; Gregor Philip- Guitar and Vocals.
Ringer - Live at the Cavern Club Liverpool - Back stage - August 2012.
"In the last 12 months we have all done various projects, whether together or individually, like The Kirsty Wark Show on BBC. We love to play Liverpool. The Cavern is always special cause it was like it was in the 60's - great sound and all hot and sweaty. Just the way we like it! Right now, we are busy in the studio doing an album, but it's just in the preparation stages so it will take some time to finish. We have had great years at the convention and also the private gigs we have been invited down to! Most of all, we get to play the music that we love! From 'The Bootleg Beatles' to 'The Fab Faux', we have seen them all, and I'm glad to say that both these bands have become very good friends. "The convention is one big Beatle party for the weekend to which everybody from all over the world is invited, and they seem to come every year. The band has played with lots of Beatle people who knew them personally and I know that Sir Paul McCartney himself knows of us! So that's not so bad!"
If you want to know more about Ringer, you'll find them hanging about The Adelphi during Beatle Week (try the bars!)! If you're lucky and live in Scotland, you'll see them out on the road! Many thanks to Ian, for the insight into of one of Beatleweek's most dedicated bands and for keeping Beatles music alive and well across the glen.
Jo Rishton with Ian Murdoch 2001