Lisa's love of rockabilly and all things rockin' began many years ago when she was first introduced to the scene by the Grimsby Band The Prowlers and in her first journey into this hep-cat world she was the singer with London all-gals rockabilly band, 'Helles Belles'. After seeking out and roving around all the great London rockin' clubs Lisa later moved back up north and continued her singing career with the fabulous 13-piece soul band, 'The Rumble Band', touring the country with them for four years. During this time in conjunction with her professional acting career Lisa gained many singing roles in UK touring production shows (Prisoner Cell Block H - The Musical, Dusty Springfiled tour "I Only Want to Be With You, UK No.1 tour as Tammy Wynette in "Queens of Country" and worked on occasional session work including backing vocals on The Stranglers album, 'Coup de Grace' and demos for a leading Nashville producer. Most recently Lisa has been backing singer for Joe Longthorne on the 2007 UK tour.
Television roles include: Casualty, City Central, Cops, Roger Roger, My Summer with Des, Coronation Street, Olivers Travels, Manhunt, Children’s Ward and Holding the Baby. Lisa also appeared alongside Michelle Collins in the premier screening of the B.A.F.T.A. nominated television adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s “The Illustrated Mum”, playing the role of Miss Hill. Lisa has appeared in 5 episodes of “Coronation Street” and also the controversial 'singing with her mouth full' KFC Commercial, now made infamous for the most complaints ever received!!
Since 2004 Lisa has been the bubbly, R'n'B lead vocalist for the mighty rockin' orchestra, 'The Cat Pack', supporting Chuck Berry & Little Richard along the way and bringing her fabulous vocal talents to the attention of Raucous Records and receiving many rave reviews for her tracks on The Cat Pack's 2005 album, 'It Aint What You Do'. Along with members of another previous hot rockin' band, 'The Big Heat' which Lisa was part of, she has now created this new band which is a cauldron of rockabilly, Voodoo vibes and jiving giants and is known as Lisa George and the Pedalos – yep, and behind every band name there's a story.
Who I'd like to meet: Meet The Band
Richard Blanchard (Drummer)
Rich has been musical director of the mighty rockin' big band orchestra, The Cat Pack for the past six years. In in this self-imposed torture-chamber of a ride Rich can't get enough of, this journey has included supports for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Red Imps (on numerous occasions whilst trying to get to matches before a gig and in it's own delivers another torture-chamber he just loves coming back to for more pain), performances at many of the UK's leading swing / jive events, away games at stupid places like Torquay United and two albums on Raucous Records - 'Everybody Wants To Be A Cat' and 'It Aint What You Do'. Other releases on Raucous include Rich on piano with The Big Heat ('Boogiemen') and on drums with the Cathouse Creepers ('Fast Lane'). Along with two stints with Phil Haley & His Comments (including recording the album 'Everybody Needs To Rock' on Preston Records / Australia), Rich has toured the rockin' circuit extensively throughout the UK and Europe including the Summer Jamboree (Italy), Cruise Inn (Holland), Rhythm Riot, Jiving Jamboree, Jitterbug Ball, Burnley & Colne R'n'B festivals and supports for the Stray Cats, Restless, Jools Holland and Lonnie Donnegan among many other events, weekenders and really diabolical away games like Sheffield United (6-1 loss in the first leg of the Coca Cola Cup a few years ago), Barnet 6-0 (this was actually at home in around 1991 and only the fact he got to kick the ball back into play from the stands made it a slightly enjoyable evening), Grimsby away 3-0 / Christmas 2006 when no-one looked at least bothered to play in snow & ice, and the Millennium Stadium (where the Imps TWICE got done over in the play-off finals in 3 years) – oh, by the way – don't EVER mention the play-offs... Rich has also performed and recorded with Charlie Gracie, Albert Lee and The Drifters, Market Rasen Under-16's & North Leeds 5-a-side maestros and has been part of several rock'n'roll theatre shows including 'Rave On', 'The Elvis Collection' & 'Legends Reborn', as well as 'West Side Story', 'Showboat', 'Me And My Girl', 'Annie', amongst many other Am-Drams which surely have nothing to do with Rock'n'Roll, do they...?!
Aside from the rockin' scene Rich is a very hectic freelance musician and has worked with many artists including Lesley Garrett, Bucks Fizz, Georgie Fame, Danny La Rue, Darius Brubeck; orchestras and brass bands including Black Dyke Mills Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, National Festival Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, Ron Goodwin, Sir Neville Marriner; and many cruise ship, panto, TV & radio and summer season contracts. He is also a music examiner for the Trinity Guildhall examination board, drum-tutor, and most recently has been touring with Joe Longthorne and Peter Grant respectively, including the recording of the DVD, 'Joe Longthorne Sunday Night at the London Palladium' in 2006, and enjoying every single minute of working and being around the fabulous new talent that is Peter Grant.
Richard Blanchard plays Premier Percussion.
And follows the Mighty Imps through thick and thin (if you hadn't guessed already, poor sad b...) Up The Imps!!!!
John England (Guitar)
John has been playing lead Guitar in Rockabilly and Blues bands since he was out of short trousers (the same cannot be said of Angus Young). Hailing from that hot-bed of Rock'n'Roll talent Aldershot, J.D. played with Flo (of 'Jive Cats' fame) on her first ever gigs and taught 'Big Boy Bloater' his first guitar chords when Bloater was a mere sprat of 10 years old. Moving to Sheffield in 1983 John and fellow newcomer Steve Russell formed the seminal Rockabilly band 'The Slingshots'. After a brief brush with fame on Northwood records, the band went into semi-hibernation for a number of years returning in 1998 with the critically acclaimed Raucous album "Feels so Right". The Slingshots still Rock up a storm. In the intervening years John has honed his skill as a Guitarist, through his love of Blues music in all it's forms, in a number of different bands. Chief among these being "The Interceptors" (A band who played storming 50s and 60s R&B during the 80s and 90s) and the 'Hot Tamales' (A trio of musicians who still make an occasional excursion into the more rural sounds of the Country Blues). John has been lead guitarist The Big Heat for 5 years, John says "This band gives me the chance to return to my first love, the Red Hot Rockin' Blues of the 40s and 50s. Cats like 'Pee Wee' Crayton, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson were constantly reinventing the sounds of the electric Guitar. If I can capture some of their energy and innovation when I play, I'll be a happy man"
ADRIAN 'SHUIE' McKENNA – Rhythm Guitar
Born in 1971 in Glasgow, Shuie has had a musical career notable only for its length. And that's not very impressive itself.
Heavy scouring has located a few highlights- First public appearance at 10 years old, a good start. In 1991, played on the Blues Assassins album, 'Telephones and Taxis' and career is at lift-off. Album's limited appeal prevents early retirement. Worked with Jim Beattie, erstwhile guitar man with Primal Scream (hey, a name-drop already. Things are looking good.) on his SpireaX project. Shuie was replaced by a guy who then jumped out of a window, we think. Byrdsy/West Coast group, The Jakes, was next for the Shuie 'midas touch'. The group was a bit like Teenage Fanclub, minus the contract, profile, fan base, success etc.
By now Shuie was feeling a bit tired of the music business, so wisely took a sabbattical. And no Tibetan zen discovery quest could match the inner peace and chakra-alignment potential of an 18 month stint as a postman. Fully refreshed and brimming with tantric wisdom, Shuie selected the true path to fulfilment- backing an Elvis impersonator. Who couldn't grow his own sideburns.
Mistaking a cheese-wrapper for an address, Shuie moved to Leicester. The rock 'n' roll dream, five guys in a Transit, night club after fleapit, Bakewell tart for breakfast. Box Clever delivered. Add a horn section and a name change and a rather sweatily good beat group is embracing corporate hell. Lex Icon Corporation, all right.
How refreshing, then, to be invited to play rhythm guitar for Lisa on this record. It's going to be a real CD, that you can hold in your hand. That you can actually buy in an actual shop. Brilliant!
JONNY WOOD - Bass
MICKY DIXON – Pedal Steel
Lisa George and the Pedalos's Friend Space (Top 2)
