Phil Barker (vocals)
Phil thanks Aaron for driving him to practice for the last 18 months; his daughter Lulu for saying this CD sounded like Daddy only better; Vera Kleins subtle encouragement (hmmm, not crap); everyone who came to our shows and was so generous in their drunken enjoyment; and The Hellbenders for letting me join.
Chuck Smeeton (bass)
Chuck thanks Kelly for getting as excited about my rock fantasties as I do; Jackson and Makenzie for appreciating that loud is often good; all current and previous members of The Hellbenders and The Piemen (RIP) for much musical fun and friendship. Chuck provides the bottom end with Rickenbacker & Fender, Acoustic Image, Phil Jones Bass, Epifani cabs, Tech21, Jim Dunlop, Boss, Demeter, Prescription Electronics, Daddario, Bayou Audio and George L.
Aaron Cliff (guitars)
Aaron thanks my family for letting me have my head in the clouds; my friends for keeping me on the ground; my fans for Well, it didnt suck; and finally my fellow Benders for being far better than they will ever allow themselves to believe. Aaron rocks with Ibanez & Gretsch, Marshall, Kelly, Alesis, Roland, Gator, NY Pedalboards, Daddario, Jim Dunlop, Behringer, Rocktron, Planet Waves.
Ben Willson (drums)
Ben thanks his friends, past bands and a decent dose of Heavy Metal at a young age for providing inspiration and the Hellbenders for inviting me to join the band. Hit a drum. Now hit it again, hard this time - see which one sounds better, hmm..? Ben uses Tama and Roland Drums, Yamaha effects, Zildjian, Sabian and Paiste cymbals, Evans heads and Pro-Mark 747 sticks.
Influences
The Clash (Joe Strummer), Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, G.Love & Special Sauce, Sublime, Paul Weller, Hunters and Collectors, Dance Exponents,
Lou Reed, The Strokes, Screaming Blue Messiahs, Lloyd Cole, Steve Vai, Rob Zombie, Robert Smith, Brian Setzer, Charlie Parker, W A Mozart, Trent Reznor, Van Halen, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden.
The Hellbenders are a Sydney, Australia, based band established in 2004. The band features Chuck Smeeton (bass), Aaron Cliff (guitars), Phil Barker (vocals) and Ben Willson (drums). Primarily a covers band drawing on material from the stuff we have loved since the late 70s, we play to fulfil rock stardom fantasies we are too old to actually achieve (unless we make it big and can support our wives and children in the style to which they are accustomed nah, buckleys chance of that!)
To all my friends, Thankyou to all the artists & bands that have been contacting me & asking me to produce a radio single for them. I have now uploaded my show-reel of some of the artists & bands I have produced lately on my profile.
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