Band Bio

Dave started playing in a group in Junior (middle school now) when he would have been about eleven or twelve years old. There was only the Bass left, so he used his elder brothers six string guitar with the top two strings taken off. His first amps were reel to reel tape recorders, switched to record, and then going through Rediffusion extension speakers. He went through most of the music styles over the years, but always preferred the sixties music. He was also very fortunate later on to support many bands of the time including The Fortunes, The Tremeloes, The Troggs, The Searchers, The Ivy League, and The Marmalade. He teamed up with some guys, who he had known, and worked with over the last few years in different bands, and who also have the same type of background as well, to form The Counterfeit Sixties.

Rob was born in Jarrow, Tyne & Wear, England and began his singing career with  top North East band The Crusaders. In his mid teens he sang as resident singer in La Strada Clubs, the leading nightspots in the North East of England. He was working with numerous stars such as The Moody Blues, The Ivy League, The Searchers, Lonnie Donegan, Val Doonican, Jimmy Tarbuck and many others. His favourite was Engelbert Humperdinck, who was a great guy, and Rob knew him well and supported him on several occasions. Turning down a world tour with the likes of Marty Wilde, and having been selected for Opportunity Knocks, Robert decided to pursue a career in sales and marketing as it seemed more secure. In 2002/3 he was selected for the last 100 of 26,000 applicants for Stars in Their Eyes as Engelbert but was pipped by Elvis who won the series. In 2006 Rob was asked to join The Hollywood Bees as their lead singer. He is great Hollies fan and it was a role which he still loves and performs to this day.

Took up guitar after being stunned by hearing Apache for the first time. Joined a band called Jerome whilst still at school. Next up were The Midnights which developed into New Direction which after a long spell on the road became the North East of England’s first resident club band and spent a good few years taking up the resident position in various top working men’s clubs. The North East club scene deteriorated and I decided to ‘hang up my guitar’. Out of the blue I received a call from our singer Rob who said that I was once quoted as saying ‘The only thing that would make me play again was to do something based around the Hollies’ (my all time favourite band).

Kelvin has over 35 years experience playing solo, and with bands. He started his playing career in 1971 playing in various groups, where he met Marie Dooley, a former member of the Dooleys, who he formed a band with in the mid 70’s, which in turn, led to an appearance on TV’s talent show New Faces. He then went on to meet Rick Huxley, former bass player of the Dave Clark Five, and started playing with his band Cascade. In the late 70’s Kelvin decided to turn professional, and joined a touring band working for the Mecca organisation. This led him to travel the length and breadth of Great Britain and abroad, playing for a month in the legendary Daddy’s Dance Hall in Copenhagen. On returning to England the band found themselves booked in to Tiffany’s in Newcastle upon Tyne, where they were offered a full time residency. After fulfilling a contract abroad, he returned there in 1979, where he still resides. Kelvin has supported many sixties bands including The Searchers, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Marty Wilde.

Vince first started playing at the age of 11. He joined his first band at 16 “Phoenix Blues Band” and then “Druids”. He joined a couple of short lived bands until he was 20 where he took 6 years out. In the seventies, he worked at Newcastle City Hall where he met many big names, such as Status Quo, Little Richard, Bay City Rollers, and The Stylistics. In the late seventies he joined “Stage Fright” with ex Locomotive sax player Bill Madge, and Mac Noble (Father of Comedian, Ross Noble) He then played with 2 top comedy bands (Razzle Dazzle & Pyramid/Rednose) until 1986, when he went to Ethiopia. On returning to the UK he started “Rednose Studios”. In 1988 he joined “After Midnight” where he supported Steve Marriot, Steve Gibbons Band & John (Rabbit) Bundrick, currently with The Who. In the 90’s he worked with various bands including “Passionplay” & “Strangeways”, which included a stint for P&O. 1998 onwards saw him doing more and more trucking & production work for the likes of The Spice Girls (Spice World Stadia) Magic (A Kind of Queen) and tour manager with Love & Arthur Lee. Other bands he has worked with include Shed 7, Goldie Lookin Chain, 3 Colours Red, The Real Thing, The Commitments, Arthur Brown, The Darkness, Robbie Williams and many more. He has toured India, Estonia, Spain & Ireland & the Moon!! The rest is just a blur!!!!