Meet the Boneshakers' Band Members

      

MEET THE BAND

RUSS HIRD - on vocals and lead guitar

Rockin' the night away

He plays a great blues guitar, sings the blues with gravel in a voice perfectly pitched for Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Stevie Ray Vaughan numbers and the like - it's
Russ Hird!

Probably the quirkiest member of the band, playing the busking tramp with the Ragpickers when he's not Boneshakin', Russ started playing guitar around 13 years old.  His gigging career started in working men's clubs around the North East at the tender age of 16 with a band called 'Spirit of '59'.  His claim to fame with the 'Spirit' was backing the great fifties star, Terry Dene (remember him all you golden oldies?).

After eight years of gigging with the 'Spirit', Russ joined 'Blueshouse' where his next major claim to fame was supporting Peter Green of the legendary Fleetwood Mac on his comeback tour.

His guitar heroes are his brother, Robin, Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa...and "whoever" - he just loves guitarists of any ilk!  He plays mainly Fenders and Gibsons, but he'll have a go with any guitar!
 
He's played in lots of bands over the years.  He's also fronted his own band, The Russ Hird Band and played in After Hours and The Moonlighters.

Today, as well as leading the 'Boneshakers', he plays guitar with The Scoundrels and The Ragpickers.

One of these nights, you might find yourself getting a bit of impromptu entertainment on the Metro or in the pub, from a couple of guys playing mean blues or rock-a-billy, all dressed up authentically as a pair of hobos.  Well, if that happens, it's likely it's the duo, the Ragpickers - and you can guarantee that one of them is RUSS!

Russ the Ragpicker

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RONNIE SEMPLE - on harp and backing vocals

Great Scot - it's Ronnie!

With that Glaswegian sense of humour shining in spades on stage, a twinkle in his eye, great backing vocals and the ability to make that blues harp SING - it's

Ronnie Semple!

Ronnie started playing guitar at the age of fifteen.  He joined a classic rock band at 17 and moved on to some rocky blues with another band after a couple of years.  That lasted for two years or so...and then...
"For some strange reason, I stopped playing guitar" he says, "I can't remember why...oh, yeah, I remember why.  I was rubbish!"

He left the music scene as a player, but concentrated on seeing as many professional bands as he could.  And then, around 2002, he took up the blues harmonica (harp to all you blues musos out there!) and has never looked back.  Joining his first blues band in 2003, he's never enjoyed his music so much.  He plays through a HarpGear amp and has a preference for the Hohner Special 20.  His favourite harp players are William Clark, Mark Hummell, Mitch Kashmar,Dennis Gruenling, James Harman, Big and little Walter - and his best buddy, Lyndon Anderson.  He loves all types of music, from rock to rock-a-billy - but the blues always comes out on top.

Ronnie has played harp and provided backing vocals for 'Blues Essentials', 'The Visitors', 'Kill Bill' and 'The Steve Clark Band' (recently disbanded).  He currently plays in 'The Scoundrels' as well as rockin' with the Boneshakers - and he's started doing a blues duo with Bad Bob Bates of 'Bandits' fame, unnamed as yet.

Givin' it big licks with the Scoundrels!


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DAVE HILDRETH - on bass guitar

 

You lookin' at me?

A dead-pan expression and a dead-pan sense of humour: an amazing ability on the bass guitar to play (in his own inimitable style) any type of music, with a great feel for the blues - it's

Dave Hildreth!

Dave started playing bass guitar at a very young age.  He was eleven years old when his dad, a well-known professional bass guitarist himself - and a guitar maker to boot, taught him how to play and read music.

With a lifelong interest in rock, blues and jazz, he started his gigging career when he was 16, playing heavy rock and new wave with 'Falcon', 'Mirah' and'Ice Man'.  He continued his gigging career in blues, rock and roll and soul, with, 'The Blues Cat Scoundrels', 'Counterpoint and many more than could fit on this biog.

His biggest claims to fame are three-fold.  The first memorable one was playing at a Christmas Sheffield University gig - and being introduced to the screaming crowd by the MC of the night, Edith Bowman.   The second, was being the supporting band at a Lindisfarne gig - and the third was playing support to the fabulous Commitments.

His biggest bass influences are: Jaco Pastorius, James Jamerson and Stuart Hamm.           .

He has a real crush on well-made, preferably vintage, basses.  Overwater and Fender are among his favourite makes of bass.   He's a great believer in lightweight, hi-tech amplification (He truly hates valve amps for basses!).

Dave won't sing - never sings! but he's always happy to perform with pretty much anybody!

As well as playing in the sensational 'Boneshakers', he currently plays with 'The Gatecrashers',a party pop, soul and rock band.

Dave with the Flamboyant, Gifted Gatecrashers

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GORDON SMILES - on drums

Crazy Gordon with a smile for his cymbals!

They say you have to be crazy as a loon to play drums - and Gordon fits the bill nicely  With variety and versatility in playing a mean set of drums with a great blues feel - it's

Gordon Smiles!

He makes great use of his sticks, his brushes and those crashing, riding cymbals. He'll use those sticks and brushes on every available surface - including the boot of his car!

Playin' the blues in the boot of his car!

 He suits his surname, 'Smiles', because he does - smile a lot, that is! Though it's just as easy to catch him frowning with sheer sweat and concentration when he's hittin' those drums!

Gordon's biggest drumming influences are Buddy Rich, John Bonamassa, Jim Kirkpatrick, Chad Smith and Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie.

As well as playing drums in the Boneshakers, Gordon also plays drums in the North Eastern pipe band, 101

Dig that C-R-A-Z-Y Ugly Brothers shirt, man!

Though he's played in numerous bands over the past twenty five years, Gordon's major claim to fame is that he played for two years with the fabulous, entertaining Ugly Brothers, who were never seen on stage without their gaudy, in-your-face Hawaiian shirts!  They've split up now - but that's all the better for the Boneshakers who wouldn't care to be without Gordon.

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Now you've met the BONESHAKERS - GO AND SEE THEM - LIVE - at a venue near you.

CHECK OUT THEIR FORTHCOMING GIGS

TAKE A WALK THROUGH THE LATEST REVIEWS

ON THIS BLOG

A Boneshakin' Sanddancin' Bank Holiday Blast!

After a balmy May Day afternoon, the evening wind whipped the sky into swirls of pink, blue and grey.
"It's bloody freezing," said Dave (bass guitar).  And how right he was.

 The Sanddancer on the South Shields coast shook with the vibrations of guitars, basses and drums in the beer tent and the Boneshakers were ready to set the place alight.
"Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside," quipped Russ (lead guitar and vocals) as the lads watched the Maverick Rejects do a plucky punk set on the makeshift stage inside the beer tent - set up especially for a night of Bank Holiday entertainment.

And once the Mavericks had left the stage, it was time for the Boneshakers to do their 45 minute magic blues mix at the 'Sanddancer Bank Holiday Bonanza'.

From the second they struck a chord, the Boneshakers had the crowd in the palm of their collective hand.  Starting with a soulful rendition of Dust my Broom, they carried straight on through Pride and Joy.  Their audience screamed and whistled with sheer appreciation of Russ's bluesy vocals; the clarity of his wild guitar interludes; the strength and musicality of Ronnie's blues harp; the deep resonance and sweet harmonics of Dave's bass guitar; the perfect beat and timing of Gordon's drums.

And with a swish of Gordon's brushes, they moved onward through an amazing version of Long Gone to a fantastic finale of Messing with the Kid.
The crowd yelled for more, more, more - but this time, with strict 45 minute sets for each of the bands playing, the Boneshakers had to wave a fond farewell to their hundreds of ardent fans.  I reckon the Boneshakers collected a stack of new fans too on this Bank Holiday evening at the Sanddancer.

"This is a perfect end to a perfect Bank Holiday weekend," said Ronnie (blues harp and vocals), arms around one of the members of 'Bessie and the Zinc Buckets', (centre) the great local band appearing on stage after the fabulous Boneshakers - and Les Routledge (right), the organiser of the Rock 4 All Festival.

Gordon (drums), chuffed to bits to have his first gig under his belt as a bone fide member of the Boneshakers, said, "Hey, this blues malarkey may just catch on....I'll get my coat..."

The Boneshakers are back in action at the Sanddancer on Saturday 14th May - but if you check out their

FORTHCOMING GIGS

on this blog

...you can catch the brilliant Boneshakers SOON - at a venue near you!





You can  see the Boneshakers in action, if you follow the links below:




Long Gone
http://youtu.be/_dAc_d-7bg4

Dust my Broom/Pride & Joy
http://youtu.be/Wan1cIZjHxs

'Blues' Skies over the Tyne

The fans were out in force, drinking their pints and pina colada's (!!) outside the Tyne pub on a sunny blue-skied evening. 
    

The Boneshakers arrived in time to show their support for Archie and the Young Bucks, who played just before the boys were due on stage.

      
     

                                 

To a backdrop of the flowing river Tyne at  local beauty-spot, Ousburn, underneath a red brick arch, the Boneshakers took to the open air stage and WOWED their audience.
The crowd went crazy, dancing in the aisles, while Russ Hird (vocals and lead guitar), Ronnie Semple (blues harp and vocals), Dave Hildreth (bass guitar) and Barry Ellis (drums) played their hearts out and sang the blues in a sensational performance.
                
                                
This was Barry Ellis's 'swan song' - and what better send-off than a gig he's always dreamed of: THE TYNE BAR. And he played the best bluesy skins I've ever heard him play.  He grinned like the proverbial Cheshire Cat from the beginning of the evening to the end of the night.

The band payed homage to Barry on stage during his final performance and thanked him for being such a great stand-in drummer.
                                                        
At the end of a sunny, 'blues'-skied evening, when the guys were packing up, getting ready for the off, Russ said, "It's been an absolute pleasure to work with Barry.  It's been a great day.  Now I'm off home for a vodka!"
ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

Ronnie said: "I agree: Barry's been a great stand-in drummer. And what a great gig the Tyne Bar is. It's good that Barry got to play here. I've had a great day.  Now where's Denice?  I need to get packed up and get away." 

Yeah, the Boneshakers could almost call this venue 'home', with a gig last Boxing Day, one this evening - and the next one coming up in September.With a merry flush in his cheeks as he stripped down his kit at the end of a glorious gig, Barry grinned and said:
"That was great.  I finally got to do the Tyne at the end of my stint with the Boneshakers."

Dave winked after shaking Barry's hand, saying:
"Today, I think we've made a little boy very happy!  Now I'm off for me curry supper and a glass o' red."

                                                                       

 ALL ABOARD, FOLKS, FOR THE    GIG REVIEW
The Boneshakers set sail on a blues barge of classic blues numbers like Pride and Joy, Dust my Broom and How Blue Can you Get, anchoring after a hour of tight and light, down and dirty, in a superb finale of Shake your Hips. Oh, man, these boys were on fire this evening as the sun went down, creating a river haze that added to the atmosphere of great music and a charismatic performance from the fantastic Boneshakers.
                                                                           
And to add an extra dimension to the stage, Stevie, an up-and-coming young local blues harp player - often in the crowd at a Boneshakers gig - pushed the boat out with the lads in a rip roaring rendition of 'Shotgun Blues' to tumultuous applause. Great stuff, Stevie.
                                                                     
There was a sense of excitement in the audience, a bit of magic in the air, as the crowd went bonkers for the blues band that are by far the best in the North East. 



There were even some members of the illustrious Scoundrels here in support of the guys.  And they were lovin' it too!

                                                     
The Boneshakers are back at the Tyne Bar in September.  You just gotta catch them next time their boat comes in on the Tyne in awesome Ouseburn.

                                                                                      

And then there were three...
 

But next time you see the Boneshakers, they'll be four again - with their new drummer, Gordon Smiles, who's already dipped his toes in the water with them at The Flat Tops, Boldon Colliery.












But in the meantime, farewell Barry Ellis, WE LOVE YOU!

Review: Flying High at the Flying Horse

FOLLOW THE BAND



The Boneshakers, on the lookout for a new drummer, were auditioning Gordon Smiles tonight, live, during their second set. 

Gordon, a great bloke, ex The Ugly Brothers fame that had lasted 25 years before they split - looking to add to his repertoire as a member of a North East pipe band - had his sights set on playing drums with a blues/rock band - so who better a band  than the brilliant Boneshakers to help him break through onto the blues scene. That's Gordon, pictured below right with his wife Roz and Ronnie Semple's daughter, Gemma.

During the first set, he watched and listened to the Boneshakers do their amazing stuff.  "They're a great band," he said to me, fiddling nervously with the drum sticks he'd brought along with him, "Hope I can do them justice."

Tonight, Russ Hird (lead guitar and vocals) was trying out something new for himself. 
With his newly-acquired Fender Stratocaster with gorgeous mother-of-pearl scratch plate and a brand spanking new strap with his name in huge black lettering, he thundered through numbers like Dust my Broom and You Don't Love Me - with real 'Pride and Joy' in the fantastic sound he reproduced through that great g-e-e-t-a-r.  He sure made that instrument sing.



Ronnie Semple on blues harp did his usual amazing stunts and tricks.  Nobody in the North of England can play harp like Ronnie - and tonight he played that mouth-piece of his with sensational aplomb.  His 'friend', a little green skeleton man he calls 'The Boneshaker', clung to the mike stand in awe of his master!  Ronnie insists that his mascot talks to him!!  Well tonight, I think he'll have whispered, "Go, Ronnie, go - you're a star, bonny lad."



Dave Hildreth on bass guitar chewed gum, tapped his feet, raised his eyes to the heavens and hit the bassiest sounds ever.  He'd said before the gig he was looking forward to playing alongside the prospective new drummer.  "A bass man and a drummer have to hit it off right from the word go - one has to be in tune with the other - or it's no go," he told me. Dave is a 'no-frills' bass expert who tells it like it is!



Barry Ellis of Shanghai fame, still continuing to fill in with the Boneshakers until the lads find their new drummer, kept his head firmly under his baseball cap as always. The guys have been grateful for his workmanlike approach to their gigs.



Time for the second set and Gordon said, "Whoa, I'm bottling it!"  But he got up there like a hero and shook his tail feathers, bringing out his brushes to start Walkin' Blues off to a soft and tender start.  The Boneshakers built up to an unbelievably great crescendo of blues notes and riffs.  Russ's voice was in fine fettle tonight and he sang this one as well as I've heard it sung anywhere.  Ronnie's harp solo interludes were stunning and Dave was sure gettin' in the groove with the new man at the drum kit.

The crowd loved it.  They wanted more from this prospective new member of the band - and they got it.  You Upset Me Baby, a Joe Bonamassa number, went down a storm.  Gordon Smiles drummed his way through this emotional song with such heart, the blues-lovin' audience were almost in tears.
As the crowd roared their appreciation, Gordon said,

"It's the best time I've had wi' me claes on for a lang time." 

The job is now Gordon's (of course it is) from the end of April, but Ronnie was keen to point out,

"Bloody hell, I'm glad Gordon kept his claes on tonight!"

Russ said,

"Yep. Gordon did a great job. How d'you like the new Strat?"

Talking about the Boneshakers great night, he said "Hmm...4-1 - a great night for the toon." - Pardon?

And Dave, a man of few words, said,

"Champion. Gordon'll do nicely"



However, he did also say, "Kebabs, the food of Kings...well Greek and Turkish Kings anyhow."  I reckon he was thinking about stopping off at the takeaway on the way home!

Barry will play his last stand-in gig with the Boneshakers on 17th April.

And so, to Gordon Smiles (and he does - SMILE a lot, that is!) -

'BIG SMILES BACK ATCHYA'

WELCOME TO THE BONESHAKERS

GORDON SMILES - 

DRUMMER EXTRAORDINAIRE

You can see footage of Gordon doing his thing with the Blues-Mad Boneshakers to 'You Upset Me Baby' on You-Tube.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLjlJUh55mM