Phil Ramsay : Trumpet / Melodica / Poetry / Ambience
Tim "Lo Lo" Lomas : Guitar / Keys/ Lead Vox
Paul "Pabs" Skelding : Drums / Percussion / Lead Vox
Luke "Black Elk" Martin : Bass / Vox
Influences
The Band likes: The Mighty Boosh, Flight Of The Conchords, The Cat Empire, The Slackers, Lobster, Beer, Steak, Pizza, Red Wine, Mushrooms, Women, Pubs, Bars in Belgium, sunsets, wood fires in fields, Jager shots and free things :)
Luke likes: Mighty Mighty Bosstones, 36 Crazyfists, Rancid, Miles Davis &; Immortal Technique
Phil likes: Pink Floyd, Syd Barret (R.I.P), Daniel Johnston, Tripped out psychedelia,
Tim likes: Manu Chao, Tom Waits, Toots and The Maytails, David Bowie &; Bob Marley.
Paul likes: The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, Manu Chao, Tom Waits &; The Beatles
Sounds Like
Chuck Berry and Madness having a fight with Manu Chao trying to break it up and the Chilli Peppers and a load of eastern European folk musicians watching n cheering it on...... with a twist of cheap red wine.
"One of the best live acts in the UK" - Music News "Infectious and soulful" – The Guardian Guide
"The perfect musical backdrop to a Tarantino soundtrack" – Virgin Radio
"If you don't leave smiling you must be dead or deaf" ***** - Ed Evening News
"F***ing awesome!" Dominick Diamond, XFM Scotland
The new way to have a truly good time has arrived! Having already conquered Edinburgh and London with their incredible live shows and unforgettable songs, and with a line up now crystallized and polished like a diamond, Big Hand are now ready to transcend their cult underground status and to take their unique brand of Zorbic ska music to the unsuspecting, hungry masses in every corner of the world…
Big Hand have shared stages with the likes of Feeder, Reel Big Fish, The Cat Empire, The Beat, The Automatic, The Sunshine Underground, The Herbilizer, Mum-ra, Neville Staples, The Selecter, The Mad Caddies, Bad Manners, Nizlopi, Frankie Miller, The Bhundu Boys, The Slackers, The Fat Cats, The Toasters, St. Petersberg Brass Quartet, Hayseed Dixie and Joe Walsh (The Eagles), as well as playing legendary venues and festivals throughout the UK and Europe including: The Astoria (London), The Cavern Club (Liverpool), The Trojan Sound System at Notting Hill Carnival (London), The Barrowlands (Glasgow) and Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh (Nationally televised live). Having recently rocked out an all star Halloween shindig hosted by goth director Tim Burton and his crew. The band also opened the Edinburgh Fringe festival 2006 to a heaving throng of media and performers. Along the way they have captivated a crazily diverse set of audiences, ranging from 20 to 10,000, including: high society fashion dos, hippy peace camps, university students, corporate parties, old-school skanksters, as well as various indie, funk, metal, punk, rock, dub and reggae club nights, not to mention providing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with song and dance every summer. Big Hand play every gig they can feasibly do (over 120 in 2006! and it's looking like they'll hit the 200 mark in 2007!) and are always asked back.
Big Hand have already started to stamp their mark on the nations airwaves as now 5 week record breaking winners of The Unsigned Clash on Virgin Xtremes 'The Edge' show as well as coverage on XFM Scotland's Music Response and Breakfast shows. Their recent recordings have also started to seep onto underground radio picking up plays on stations such as Talksport, Totalrock, Dundalk FM, Rebel Radio and Scooterist radio. Some of the bands early work has already been used in the primetime ITV drama 'The English Hareem' starring Martine McCutcheon, which aired nationwide in a prime time Christmas slot.
Over the the last 3 years, Big Hand have self recorded, produced and released the 'Wrong & Right' EP (April 2005) and the 'Dark & Light' EP (August 2005) from their 'Ruffhand' studios in Edinburgh and the 'Day & Night' EP - the 3rd and final of the set, recorded in SAE Studios in Glasgow. Over the summer of 2006 the band also managed to take a day to record a limited edition 7" (the 'Black & White' EP) which was released Jan 2007 and saw the introduction of Will Worsley (Cat Stevens Craig David, etc.) as the bands mixing engineer. Work is close to finished on Big Hand's debut album 'How About It?' in a secret North London location and is set for release January 2008.
Big Hand have 4 truly unique frontmen, from the "heartbreaking harmonies" and magnetism of the two lead singers, 'Lolo' and 'Pabs', to the manic hypnotic gravity defying antics and musical showmanship of bassist Luke 'Black Elk' Martin and Phil 'is he on drugs?' Ramsay. With dates confirmed throughout the UK from Glasgow to Manchester, Edinburgh to Brighton, Birmingham to Bristol and Inverness to London, and with a plethora of summer festivals on the cards and tours in Europe, Australia & America planned post album release, the four-piece are now set on world domination…
"Don't let them tell you you're unique" Phil, Tim, Paul & Luke (AKA Big Hand).
alright guys, was fuckin wikid catchin up with yas the other nite, hope to c yas in the west country agen soon, hopefully i'll spend more time inside the venue next time, much love
Hey phil and the gang its nicky the doorman from cabaret voltaire.We have a gig at electric circus on sat the 18th of july if your in the burgh.. would be good to see you all.
How About It?
Wong & Right EP
Black & White EP Vinyl
Online Now!
