Ayres (vocals, guitar)
Stewart Lucas (drums)
Andrew Thomas (bass)
Kevin Jenson (keyboards)
Matt Cotham (violin)
Adam Barley (double bass)
Mike Slee (guitar)
Country is a bit cool now but, believe it or not- in Cardiff at any rate, that wasn’t always the case. There, during the late eighties and early nineties the merest hint of a clip-cloppity rhythm and a jaunty, catchy tune was often enough to see a band being publicly flogged down Caroline Street. The Six Sided Men were a brave bunch then because (especially in their earliest incarnations) they were purty darn country and weren’t afraid to revel in it.
Ayres had been in Cardiff C-86 contenders The Third Uncles but (although they had been quite successful for an eighties pre-Manics Welsh band- signing a deal with Chrysalis and stuff) he had gradually tired of their rock bluster and had wanted to experiment with acoustic instruments and the country and folk idioms which he had always loved. Gathering together drummer Stewart Lucas (ex Statues of Us) and Adam Barley (double bass) The Six Sided Men (originally known as ‘Ayres and the Barley Crew’) performed their first few gigs at Meltdowns and discovered that they weren’t alone in liking that kind of acoustic stuff. Gradually the line-up expanded to include Matt Cotham on fiddle (Ayres had encountered him at a party, lost his number, and then he met him a few weeks later by chance whilst driving home from a gig one night and Matt was crossing the road at a pelican crossing! Ayres stopped the car and gave chase. Poor Matt was apparently terrified at first thinking he was going to be mugged!) and Paul White on electric guitar. After a while, however, Adam Barley announced that he wanted to disappear to travel the world and that’s what he did. (Nobody ever heard from him again!) Andy Thomas (ex-Pier) was recruited on electric bass and this line up proved to be very popular although, after a while, Paul left and was replaced by another guitar wizard- Mike Slee.
The band recorded an album ‘Riverside Moon’ and wowed audiences with their infectious tunes and foot-tapping grooves. A second album ‘Plugged’ followed as the band developed a rockier edge. The band split ( ever so amicably! ) in 1993. Their final appearance was actually on HTV’s show ‘The Electric Chair’. A few years later Ayres, Stew, Andy and Mike decided to reform as The Soda Men and for more on their adventures check out the soda men page.
Andy Barley is now a leading '5 Rhythms' teacher up Stroud way somewhere. Love the tunes. Sweeter than you is sweet as ever. Are your sure Pony of the New Day never got recorded? Anyhow - I'm supposed to be posting a plug here for
Only Me!
There are only 2 types of Music... One of them is Country and the other is Western! x
Thanks for letting me know about the exsistance of the Six Sided Men!
Can't wait to see this Video!!! x
