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Music

This page lists my musical interests from the bands I’ve played in to bands I’ve recorded. Since taking up the guitar at the age of 14 my preferred instrument was the lead guitar, although quite a few of the bands I played in, I actually played the bass guitar.

The Hedgehogs on Vallium

Richard Farrar, Tim Millington, Ken, ?

A one off gig in the summer of 1988 where I stepped in to play bass guitar for the band doing a gig at The Coach House in Swansea. This was my first real gig in front of a public audience.

The Slugs

Richard Farrar, Howard Farrar, Tony Love, John Williams

We never actually played a gig, it was more of a few mates having a mess around in the summer of 1989 after finishing university, but it did result in two songs being written and recorded, Since I was fourteen and I’m strange:

I’m Strange2’ 12” – 2.1 MB:

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Tap Thru

Tap Thru logo

Richard Farrar, Steve Mackrill, Richard Rees, Gerald Waters, Chris Williams

This was the first really serious gigging band that I played in, playing the bass guitar. Over a period of about a year we played a lot of pubs and clubs around the Swansea area with our own roadie and light show featuring LASERs, strobes and pyrotechnics.

Read more about Tap Thru’…

Toast

Richard Farrar, Tristan Funnel, David Grey, Steve Rowlands

Following the break up of Tap Thru a friend put me in contact with another band looking for a bass guitarist. We did a number of gigs as Toast, but never on the scale of Tap Thru or with the same level of professionalism.

  • 28-08-95 – The Black Night, Ponterdawe
  • 16-09-95 – The Duke of Wellington, Neath
  • 20-09-95 – The Duke of Wellington, Neath

RedStick

RedStick Logo

Richard Farrar, Tristan Funnel

Subsequent to the demise of Toast, my friend Tristan from Toast and I decided to go out as a duo, with Tristan taking over the roll of lead vocals and I finally got to play lead guitar live.

Visit the RedStick website

Surf Sound

Surf Sound Logo Since taking up the guitar I also became interested in all aspects of music production, having a small home recording studio that I used to record my own bands and others under the name Surf Sound. Some of the recordings made are listed below and vary from Russian folk groups to rock bands.

Kolyada

Recording of an album for the Russian folk group Kolyada. Recorded in my back bedroom:

Kaluki (Pipes)1” 46” – 1.6 MB:

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Alexandrovskya berioza (Under the tree)1’ 32” – 1.4 MB:

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Ush kak po kostu (On the bridge)3’ 07” – 2.9 MB:

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Morriston and Pentra citadels

Recording of a Salvation Army concert in their church hall:

William Tell Overture1’ 12” – 1.1 MB:

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The Children2’ 31” – 2.3 MB:

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Mr Benn

Demo tape of a blues band Mr Benn made for promotional purposes. Recorded in a community hall:

Come On4’ 58” – 4.6 MB:

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I Can’t Hold Out3’ 48” – 3.5 MB:

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Tap Thru

Demo tape of the rock band Tap Thru made for promotional purposes. Recorded in my back bedroom:

Listen to Tap Thru

RedStick

Live recording of the guitar duo RedStick made at The Ambassador pub in Neath on 21 June 1998:

Listen to RedStick