Band History

Band History

The first public airing was in March 2001 at the Beaufort Arms, and it was here that the band gained it's name. In truth the name given to the band was Biffin's Bridge, which was chosen by the audience that night who were given a few choices to vote on! Scholars of naval slang will know that Biffin's Bridge is a somewhat risque name for a band that aspired to entertain wedding crowds and so over the next year the prefix was dropped to leave the The Bridge.
Begging and borrowing PA equipment, The Bridge gigged pubs and clubs around Gloucestershire and recorded their first demo CD, ironically back at DB studios in Stroud. The band continued this way for two years and started to develop a reputation as a good party band. The band web-site was also launched in 2003. Progress seemed to hit a brick wall when Ian announced in the autumn of 2003 that he was leaving to work in New Zealand and that his final gig was going to be the Christmas special, appropriately enough back at the Beaufort Arms. At this point there was real doubt that the band would continue, but following much discussion it was decided to advertise for a new drummer. There were lots of applicants for the position, but none seemed to fit the bill until the band were approached by Mark Millward in November 2003.
Mark, known by all as Milly, joined the band in January 2004 and worked hard to learn the established material. Milly fitted into the band perfectly and due in no uncertain terms to his enthusiasm, the band started to perform much more regularly and focus on providing entertainment for weddings. The band recorded a second demo CD, back at DB studios, in 2006 and really started to establish a strong reputation in the Gloucestershire area.
It was a difficult decision when the band decided in the summer of 2006 that to expand their repertoire they would advertise for a keyboard player. It could have been a real gamble especially when the standard of response was initially very poor. There was one respondent who stood out however, and Nigel Bunce joined the band in September 2006. Nigel had an enormous amount of experience and equal measures of talent! His first gig later in September, was a real watershed for the The Bridge as it became clear that the band had arrived at a perfect mix.
Between 2006 and 2010, the band performed at hundreds of occasions both in the UK and abroad. Highlights such as singing for a birthday party on a ship in Stockholm Harbour and performing for the locals of Krakow, mark out this period as the band’s most successful to date. 2008 was to see the band take to the road... literally, with it’s very own set of wheels. Like all good band vans, it has its very own individual style! With the sheer scale and work of continually improving the band’s performance it was decided to engage the services of professional sound engineer, Tony Lloyd. Running his own P.A. company, Astralsound, Tony (Alan to the band!) proved invaluable in improving the quality of the band’s performance.
April 2010 was to mark another change for the band with the departure of Ben. A true performer, Ben always gave a 110% in performance and left a very large pair of shoes at the front of the stage to fill, (obviously this is a metaphor...he had perfectly normal feet...if rather turgid on occasions). Stepping into the aforementioned, and highly polished shoes was Barry Greening. Barreo had plenty of varied experience in local bands & as a solo artist and was happy to front the band with a tremendous charisma and a great voice. The first outing with the new front man was an occasion that will live long in the memory. Not a man to show any nerves, Barreo already had four members of the audience in grass skirts and dancing up on stage by the third song of the night. The band had entered a new era!
July 2010 took the band to the North East, with a performance at Flynn’s in Newcastle. With the assistance of local sound engineer Kim Watson, the band quickly had the locals on their feet! With a great night had by all the band were duly invited back!
August 2010

The Bridge as a band has existed for over 10 years. It has evolved over time with the current line-up including two of the original members. This page plots the chronology of the band!

The origins of the band began as all great bands do over a pint or two, in the summer of 1999. Guitarist Frank Moran began talking with near neighbour Ian Shepherd (original drummer) about music and they vowed that they would get a band going. Like most conversations about starting a band, nothing then happened for a year! In January 2000 Ian then met up with bass player Mark Nye at a recording session at DB studios in Stroud. Both were under whelmed with the artist they were recording for, but exchanged telephone numbers. It was four months until the two spoke again, when following a further party, Ian organised for the three to meet up. Bobby Macdonald, who had sung with 80s show band Billy Badger & the Set, with whom Frank had played guitar, joined them. The four met at what was to become the band's spiritual home, The Beaufort Arms, in Cheltenham and planned to establish a covers band. Without a name at this point the fledgling band started to rehearse, but without a great deal of focus until the Christmas of 2000 when Bobby announced that he wasn't able to put the time in to rehearse and as such was going to leave the band, still without a name.

The band didn't wait long for a new voice as Ben Perkins joined in January 2001. Ben, a long time friend of Mark, had sung with some blues outfits previously. The new line-up gelled very quickly and within a month had a set of material ready for gigging.