After a critically lauded run of rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Edinburgh's George Square in 2010, Steve, Jon and Bruce joined forces with Luke (all graduates of Royal Holloway University of London) to continue their drag-rock shenanigans and form "Lola and The Bandits". A while later, Jon got bored and deviated to a more 'civilised' percussion, whilst Will took up the mantle of Best Drummer This Side Of The South Circular. They swiftly jumped onto the wedding circuit, and are currently gigging across the country.
By day, Steve is a professional actor and Bruce is an unprofessional technician; Luke makes people laugh with his sketch duo In Cahoots; Jon exasperatedly teaches music both at a secondary school and in the rehearsal room; Will does Something Really Important in The City that involves Money.
By night, however, they don the leather jackets, turned-up jeans and structurally infallible quiffs of their rock-n'-rollin' 1950s alter egos, The Bandits...
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All songs performed by The Bandits
Arrangements by Jonathan Jones
Engineering by Bruce Asher
with thanks to Fil at Mill Hill Music Studios
Bruce had pestered the rest of the band enough to book a quick session in a studio one cold autumnal evening to record two or three drum tracks, for the possibility of a couple more decent recordings for promo purposes. Three hours with One-Take Wonder Will later, and he had stems for a decuplet of delightful dance numbers.
Mostly recorded in Jon and Bruce's respective spare rooms, Getting Into Treble showcases some superb snippets of our rockin' and reasonably-priced repertoire, and is a masterclass on how to fairly successfully mix four blokes with a cold.
Chuck Berry
No Particular Place To Go
Elvis Presley
Hard Headed Hound Dog
All Saints
Never Ever
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Can't thank you enough - you were all absolutely brilliant and you really made the night! Such great energy and you are all incredibly talented musicians. Everyone said how amazing you were - it's a rare wedding where the dance floor is packed all night, but also the best kind of wedding that we were both hoping for. Everyone was loving it! We will be recommending The Bandits to all our friends who get married and will certainly come and see you play again!
Emily & Paul Sarjeant, Bride & Groom
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to The Bandits for playing at our wedding. We had run totally over but the stress dissipated when you guys started playing and had everyone up in no time! We were absolutely exhausted from all the dancing. Our guests loved you all the way from the 4-year-old to the 94-year-old! We wouldn't hesitate to recommend you, and we look forward to seeing you perform again!
Jodie & Will Barker, Bride & Groom
To anyone debating the idea of booking The Bandits: THESE GUYS ROCK! Their outfits rock, their moves rock, their songs rock; they also roll... everyone from their seats and onto the dance floor! They absolutely MADE our wedding and we can't wait to hold another event to have them play at again! Thanks so much for being such a talented band and for playing for us!
Katy & Russell Hunter, Bride & Groom
The Bandits were brilliant and sounded awesome; even when playing to a small crowd, you guys had so much energy. You really made the night special for us - we had so many comments about you from the other guests on how much they enjoyed listening to you and several people asking for info. We will definitely be recommending you to as many people as possible.
Rebecca & Ian Taylor, Bride & Groom
If you have just stumbled upon The Bandits, book now! They did a fantastic job playing at our wedding; everyone has been saying how great they were and they even bridged the gap between young and old, appealing to all the guests. Their laid back and fun energy really transformed the atmosphere from the moment they arrived and the sound was flawless, incredibly professional. They also did an amazing cover for our first dance too! We are so happy we booked you, thank you!
Laura & Jordan Thompson, Bride & Groom
We had the pleasure of doing the sound for this excellent band at the Vintage Nostalgia Festival 2018. We thought they were superb - Will definitely recommend you to clients. Can’t think of a better band to get the crowd going. We wish you guys all the best for the future and hope to work with you again soon.
Christian & Nick, AllTheKit.com
Massive, massive thank you to The Bandits! You were totally amazing and everyone has truly danced the night away; you sounded brilliant. Had nothing but positive praise for for how excellent you all were. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving up your time and helping us raise money for H.A.L.O. Here's to the next time!
Vicky Sacre, H.A.L.O. Charity
The Bandits are my top pick for any event - they're always an absolute joy to work with, and guaranteed to get everyone dancing. We've been lucky enough to have The Bandits play several of our events, and they are always punctual, professional, prepared and fabulous. I'm continually amazed at their talent; they produce an irresistibly upbeat sound, and have a distinct sing-along-ability to rouse a crowd. Last time I heard them play I bruised my thighs after overexerting myself on the Hand Jive - that's how good they are.
Ellie Pitkin, Director, Blackshaw Theatre
Thank you so much for coming to play at Brimmington Festival. I really enjoyed all the songs - I'll have to come along to one of your gigs soon with my dancing partner this time! We got lots of feedback from people who loved your music - and it made it a really special way to finish off the day to have such a brilliant band playing.
Anna Ghadia, Brimmington Festival
The Bandits were our headline act ending the night at our Dark Fabrics Cabaret show. They wowed our crowd with a brilliant selection of 50s hits, superbly played by the talented band; lead singer Steve suavely brought back the art of true showmanship in a frontman. Our audience were off their feet, benches pushed back and dancing away halfway through their first song, and it was a stellar finale to our performance showcase event. We would gladly book The Bandits again - or catch them at another venue!
Pat Cash, Dark Fabrics
London, UK
info@banditsmusic.co.uk
bookings@banditsmusic.co.uk
07501 082 606
