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Three mainstays of the Teyn scene for decades: a gentle tribute and a recognition that, in particular, Gerald and Simon, along with compadres, many of whom have moved on geographically or from the mortal coil, changed the face of the local folk scene and brought it out of the realms of quasi history lesson (usually involving milk maids or similar) and into something like the real world.‘LIVING PROOF’ was formed in Northamptonshire in the latter part of 2023, when three members of the defunct blues band Rough Justice got together to play some acoustic music. A trio of well-seasoned musicians who sit down, the members of band compose the majority of the repertoire, which reflects their interest in the world around them, relationships real and imagined, and their love of rock, blues, swing, and country music, plentiful alcohol, and a healthy dose of mild silliness.
GERALD CLARIDGE (guitar, fretless bass) is the oldest member of the band by a good six months. He is a stubbornly proud left hander, and is currently on a quest to remember chords he knew fifty years ago.
Some of his ensembles have included:
Oddsocks, The Celebrated Ratliffe Stout Band, The Phippsville Comets, Asha, and Tickled Pink. As a songwriter he’s mostly optimistic, apart from songs about Brexit and Donald Trump. His first solo album, Staggering, was only available on cassette: the songs were catchy, and in modern day parlance we’d say they’d give you an “ear worm,” but, sadly, in those days it was a “tape worm,” which wasn’t nearly as pleasant. He has released several albums of his songs since then. Gerald is also an experienced barn-dance caller, but his own dancing skills have more in common with those of a zombie with delirium tremens. He enjoys being a member of Living Proof, a boy band with an aggregate age well over two hundred years. Gerald enjoys bourbon with coke, and experimenting with different lengths and shapes of his prodigious beard.
KEVIN McNALLY (dobro, guitar) is the youngest and shortest member of the band, and he challenges this appearance by exhibiting premature baldness and the wearing of Cuban heels. He prepared for Living Proof’s
sedentary stage show by playing for the preceding 8 years with ‘The Old Grey Dogs’, a bluegrass band who were similarly seated. His journey to this current musical mayhem began in the early ‘70’s as a singer in the Peterborough rock and pop band ‘Pipedream’. He spent the 90’s playing gigs and festivals with his blues bands Stumble and later Red Dog. Two of the CDs that he recorded in those years are doing sterling service as coasters all across Europe and the USA, and the royalties accrued from them were enough to buy half of mild one Christmas! He has played rock and pop, jazz, blues, country and bluegrass across three continents, so welcomes the chance to sit down in good company to play the music he loves. Kevin is in charge of the millinery arrangements of the band, he is a ferroequinologist, and his continuing membership is threatened by the fact that he has on several occasions been seen drinking sparkling water.
SIMON LOAKE (guitars,bass guitar, mandolin, harmonica) is quite large. He played his first paid gig in 1964, as lead guitarist in a “beat group” called The Strangers. He was very young, and considerably shorter and lighter than he is now. As a band member, accompanist and session man his musical journey has taken him through pop, rock, folk, disco, blues, gypsy and trad jazz, and psychedelic ambient music. It has taken him to many European countries . It has also taken him through Guinness, real ale, cider, wine, whisky, Earl Grey tea, far too much port, and other things he’s not prepared to talk about. He has been a freelance presenter and producer with the BBC, a festival sound engineer, record producer, concert promoter, and just about anything else connected with music that would prevent him having to do a proper job. When not with Living Proof, he plays lots of strange stringed instruments in the pan-European band Lebedek, undertakes occasional solo gigs and has recently released two solo albums. He is frightened of spiders, his favourite colour is black, and his favourite drink is large.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Garibaldi Hotel, Bailiff Street, Northampton, NN13DX, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
