Guy Thomas - legendary bass player.
Currently with the Vulcan Creedlers. Line up:
- Guy Thomas: Bass Guitar / backing vocals.
- Martin Whitehead: Lead Guitar / Rhythm guitar / backing vocals / harmonica / keyboards.
- Mike Simpson: Lead guitar / stun guitar / rhythm guitar / backing vocals.
- Chris Dis Grace: Drums, cowbell, and a lot of cymbals.
- Mark Sandra Ravenscoft: Vocals and funky dance moves.
Thomas (with Whitehead) previously played with Spinal Taff (2002-2008), before that, The Rock Doctors 2001(famously headling the Oxenbourne Free Festival), and King Groover and the Rimshots (1998-2000).
Live equipment
edit- Principal bass: Thomas' main bass for stage work is a custom built (by Thomas) Jazz-style bass. The traditional neck pickup has been changed for a Precision-type pickup. The neck is a left-handed Double Eagle neck. The body, in solid maple, has been finished in deep metallic cobalt blue (nitrocellulose).
- Rickenbacker 4001 bass: Thomas also favours the use of a mid 70's 4001 Rickenbacker bass, and a later 80s 4003 modified Rickenbacker. The 4001 bass was originally used by Paul McCartney's roadie for use on 70's Wings tours. Being right handed, the roadie needed an instument matching Sir Paul's left handed 4001. It wound up in Abbey Road studios as a session instrument, where it was eventually sold as part of a job lot when Abbey Road was having a clear out. The guy who bought it all from Abbey Road, cherry-picked what he wanted and sold the rest (including the 4001) on Loot (good ol' days prior to Ebay!), when Thomas bought it, needing a lot of remedial attention, including the new pickup.
- Custom built Triple neck (bass, lead, 10-string necks) Spinal Taff paint Job.
- Amplification: Since 1998, Thomas has used a Peavy TNT160 bass combo, and a selection of Ashdown equipment.
- Bass Overdrive pedal.
- Boss In-line Tu-2 tuner.
Thomas has always tinkered with instruments, building a Welsh triple neck, for use with Spinal Taff, as well as a custom paint job on Dave Brock of Hawkwind's Westone (guitars) Westone Paduak-1 guitar with the Warrior on the Edge of Time LP cover.
Originally, Thomas had painted a cheap and nasty bass of his own, with the Warrior cover, Brock had seen a picture of it and liked it. Thomas then painted his own Paduak-1 in the same style, and Brock, even more impressed commissioned Thomas to do his too.
Thomas's Paduak got damaged, with the neck pocket suffering, so it was converted to a bass, but because of the new pickups etc, the body had to be re-finished, so a decision was take to custom paint the Doremi_Fasol_Latido LP cover instead. A Westone Thunder-1 bass neck and pick up was used for the conversion. On the Westone Guitars forum, this instrument has been nicknamed the "Thunduak-1". Incidentally, Brock's Paduak was sold on Ebay in 2008, for over £3000.
Discography
edit- The Silence of the Fans
double live CD, Enterprise Records, 2000. Featuring Thomas and Whitehead, but with additional contributions from James Jordan (guitar), Simon Zoller (guitar & vocals) Jeff Groover Brundish (drums), and Ian Sticks Armstrong (drums).
Videography
edit- King Groover and the Rimshots, Enterprise Winterfest, 1999 120mins
- The Rock Doctors, Live at the Oxenbourne Free Festival, 2000 60mins (alas all footage is missing)
- The Rock Doctors, Enterpise practice sessions, 2000, 120mins
- The Rock Doctors, Petex 2000 - 60mins (organisers pulled the plug because of noise complaints)
- The Rock Doctors, Holborn 2000 120mins
- The Rock Doctors, Live in SE london (secret venue - for fans only) 2001, 125mins.
- Spinal Taff, 2001, Enterprising BBB sessions. 90mins
- The Sensational Vulcan Creedlers, 2009, January tour rehearsals 120mins
- (too many to mention) Vulcan Creedlers live gigs, post-2008
Winter Tour
editJanuary 31st 2009