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Little Stampede formed in Bristol in autumn 2005. Combining jumping Ska beats, growling Blues vocals and driving R&B horns, this eight-piece dance band samples everything from trad jazz to dancehall, serving up their own unique brand of Ska-Blues.

“Tom Waits plays Ska”

Front man Jonathan Alderson was raised on a diet of early Blues. After years of Classical training, he developed his trademark throaty growl fronting a Nottingham jazz band and has never looked back. Since his early teens, Drummer Andy Todman played in various indie-rock outfits in Bristol and Reading, before teaming up with Jonathan to form Little Stampede.

Bassist Paul Grimshaw and guitarist-come-hip-hop-DJ Giles Fox completed the original line-up. With the addition of jazz saxophonists Dan Stone and Lara-Marie Insull, the band began to develop it's distinctive horn-heavy sound.

The dulcet tones of drum-and-bass vocalist Lindsay Berresford were introduced to counter Jonathan’s timber-saw voice. In 2007 the horn section saw the arrival of Sue Dawson on trombone, bringing the band up to eight.

“The young and hairy audience loved them” – Venue Magazine

Little Stampede started out playing house parties, street parties and guerrilla gigs across the South West. They systematically played their way across top Bristol venues such as The Croft, the Fleece & Firkin and Mr Wolf’s. Along the way they’ve gathered a strong local following; home gigs always see the dance floor shake.

In 2007 they played the Rootstock Reggae festival in Belgium before recording their first album Dancing Feet at Bristol’s Basement Sounds studio. They’ve just begun recording their second album of all new material; expect it some time in the autumn. In between recording, the band plays a residence at Mr Wolf’s in Bristol and is preparing to get crowds moving on the summer’s festival circuit.

Little Stampede, May 2008