Pat Leith: Alto, Tenor sax<>
Bob Atherton: Bass <>
Jon Bently: Drum Kit, Percusion, Didge, Vocals <>
Andy Chanillor: Keys <>
John Hatfield: Guitar <>
Sophie: Vocals <>
Sounds Like
Playing tennis with lard. Well sometimes it does. But some how the msuic takes a morphous quality that has potential to go many places that other bands dare not. Slipper has a varrible set of limits often dictated by the environment and head space. They adapt. From wall flower to suicidal hologram the message fluctuates.
Main style - it has to be said - is a rock-quasi jazz thing tending to prog - we don't care we just love releaseing our emotions freely.
Based in Bristol in the South west of the Britain Slipper has been thumping around for a few years with a number of friends floating in and out. I just love it when Lenny from Breakbeat era, or Bill the dude or the beautiful Sophie joins us live on stage for a Jam. It increases the potential as nerves stress. It improves the hearing too. As we're all playing the same game, forgiving the odd fummble and backing each other up. It's all happening so quick in real-time - it's a real rush at times. Between the players there are years of musical experiance. influences are quite broard from the various inputs from band members. Some have a passion for Rock others for Funk but some how we meet in the middle of no mans land and shell each other with a dialogue of tones. I guess it's a Rock jazz thing that's improvised half the time. The band likes to experiance different musical caverns, some dark and some light, in fact to any style it takes itself. The trick is to listen and relax but grab those potential extremes that flit by. Themes have reoccured and of those some have been arranged. The rest is improvised. Truth is when there's something new it usually comes from Andy on keys or Bob's vintage "how much did it cost" bass. I can never start anything - I just suck up the others ideas and creep along as best I can.
Well since Sohpie left we're just instrumental but it's still evolving and the set never remains static.
The band has been running as a project for 3 years. For bookings and further info,studio takes: slipperinfo@blueyonder.co.uk.
Just to let you know about an extra-special New Root gig on Saturday 31st May @ The Croft, Bristol.
We're doing a headline set featuring Visual Projections from VJ James Bragg and everyone gets a FREE copy of our new 'Sick of Me' EP on the door. Venue Magazine described it as '...an extraordinary sound...a sort of power pop/goth/rock opera hybrid...the most exhilarating thing we've heard all week'.
There also support from Sally-Anne Langton - 'one of Bristol's most promising singer/songwriters' - plus Special Guests. All for £5. You can buy tickets in advance from www. thenewroot. com
Thanks and hopefully see you there on Sat 31st May!
I am just letting all our friends know about recent news.
Our new limited edition CD is going fast. You can order it on our myspace page.
We had a very successful gig at the Bristol Jazz Society at the White Horse in Bedminster, Bristol on Thursday, and we have a video of the second set. Check it out on our page.
Hope to you see you sometime at our regular gig in Litton, Sommerset if you can make it. As the gig is simulcast on the Internet and in Second Life, even our friends in America can now come to the show!
