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Pete Best : Drummer

Roag Best : Drummer

I was born in Liverpool. The son of Mona Best (the mother of Mersey Beat) and Neil Aspinall (the man behind ‘The Beatles’) and my brother is of course Pete Best (the man who put the beat in ‘The Beatles’) Haymans Green, our family home, was and is a music haven- housing ‘The Casbah Coffee Club’ which as a venue was the catalyst for not only ‘The Beatles’, but Mersey Beat also. So it was no surprise that all roads led to the music industry.

I began playing drums at 15, guitar and song writing followed shortly after. My first group ‘Watt 4’ cultivated a huge Liverpool following and interest from ‘Rough Trade Records’. We Said “No”, ‘Echo and the Bunnymen’ said “Yes”, and that was that. I farmed a lot of my material out at the time and one of my songs went to number one in eighteen countries. However, I didn’t get the credit or the money. I know how that works now, knowledge is a powerful thing.

Later I formed ‘The Patriots’ who signed to The Big City label and had the ‘Marvellous’ EP released. We toured the UK and Europe for a number of years, eventually disbanding. The group ‘The Bible Code’ followed afterwards. We had two near misses with one track going to the final choices for the feature film ‘51st State’ and the other with the feature film ‘9 ½ weeks’.

In 1988 I joined my brother Pete in forming ‘The Pete Best Band’, for whom I still play and write for today. We have toured the world extensively, appeared on numerous TV shows and released four CDs; ‘Live at the Adelphi’, ‘Back to the Beat’, ‘Once a Beatle Always’, and ‘The Casbah Coffee Club’ Most recent is our first album of original material ‘Haymans Green’, due for release in September 2008.

Besides this I wrote the best selling book ‘The Beatles, The True Beginnings’ and produced the TV documentary and DVD ‘Best Of The Beatles’. I have also played alongside Billy Kinsley (‘The Mersey Beats’), Kenny Parry (‘Liverpool Express’), Gerry Marsden (‘Gerry and The Pacemakers’) and George Harrison in a very enjoyable jam session at his home in Henley.

At the present I am also in the process of writing and co-producing two other artists signed to ‘Casbah Management’, and working on three other book titles. Like my fellow band mates, I received an honorary doctorate in 2007. I like to think of myself as an enthusiastic realist. Let the good times roll!

Phil Melia... Mojo : Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Vocals and Harmonica.

I was born in Liverpool; My Grandfather was a jazz drummer, which I guess is where I got my first rhythms' from outside of the womb! My Dad is pitch perfect Elvis, and my Aunt Flo, Doris Day, that's where I learned about singing.

I used to sneak into a bar at the end of my street when I was 11 to watch 'Farons' Flamingo's', an original Mersey Beat star and after playing guitar under my bed sheets for three years, at the age of 14, got on stage with Faron and performed three songs; 'Johnny Be Good', 'Gloria' and 'What I'd Say', two of which I still play with 'The Pete Best Band' now!

My first proper band, apart from small ones I'd formed with school friends, was 'Mojo Filter': four young lads dedicated to unknown or lost Beatle songs, 'The Kinks', 'The Rolling Stones' and 'The Monkees'. With 'Mojo Filter' I toured Japan, Holland, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the UK. We acquired a deal with 'Chiswick Records', and released "All of the Time".

Soon after, the band split, and since then I have done many thousands of gigs, sessions and projects with various bands including 'The Ruthless Rap Assassins' (EMI), 'Mind, Body and Soul' (Polydor) and 'Jimmy Cauty' (The KLF). Jamming is my passion and I had the chance to jam with Les Paul in New York City.

I have played and toured with 'The Pete Best Band' for 10 years now and hope for 10 more. Being part of this band and recording this album is one of the best experiences of them all.

Paul Parry : Guitar, Bass Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards.

Born in Liverpool, England, I began writing songs and performing professionally at the tender age of sixteen with a club house band in a biscuit factory.

During time out to study for a teaching degree, I gigged with a jazz band on the college circuit to make ends meet and when times were really hard, got a job as an assistant baboon keeper in a safari park. This was an experience that would prove invaluable in later years when I joined 'The Pete Best Band'. It was while at college that I appeared in the iconic British television quiz show, University Challenge.

Soon after qualifying as a teacher, I became a founder member of a Liverpool group "Thunderboots" singing lead vocals, playing bass guitar and writing and producing most of the material. Our band went on to win the first ever 'Battle of the Bands' contest in Liverpool and, following a deal with 'State Records', released singles that included "I Remember Lucy" and "You Know Better Than That". Both were radio Luxemburg Power Plays.

There followed sessions with Chrissy Hynde ('The Pretenders') and Mike McCartney, and appearances with Georgie Fame, Neil Innes and Monty Pythons' Mike Pain and Terry Jones

My next move was to London where I landed a job playing bass guitar with the band "Stepping Razor" (a slang term for a Jamaican gangster!) and released several tracks on the renowned "Rough Trade" independent Label.

On my return to Liverpool, I sang lead vocals, played bass and toured with my own band 'Big Sky' and also took on the role of musical director "Cabaret" at the Neptune Theatre in Liverpool. After organising various events at the annual Matthew Street Festival and working with 'The Harrisons' and 'The Four Georges', I joined 'The Pete Best Band in 2004.

I have recently been awarded an honorary doctorate in Rock and Roll from The Rock and Roll University of New York. When not touring with Pete Best, I spend time in the studio working on new material for the band and other up and coming artists our production team is involved with.

Tony Flynn : Rhythm Guitar, Vocals.

Born in Liverpool . I left school and found music. My first gig was at a local rest home where we used a Christmas tree as a mike stand and a chest of drawers as a PA system (it's a long story). I formed a band consisting of 2 Beatle heads and 2 punks... We only did 2 gigs when the second one put the nail on the coffin as we were beaten in a talent competition by a 6 year old girl.

I then left home and joined the Redcoat parade, actually, I’m glamorising this, I was the assistant entertainment manager (there was two of us) at Sunnyvale holiday camp in Rhyl. Thankfully, due to the rundown manner of the place my face fitted in.

I left there, came home, and was a singing chicken for about 9 months. Moving swiftly on, our old band reformed because the punk heads had been playing our songs with much praise from fans so we realised we actually had something. We performed as many gigs as a band could over a space of 23 years. We reached levels that some bands could dream of, and it was a great learning curve for what I was about to face.

The band came to a natural end: when you’ve tried every avenue it’s time to move on. And that I did. I began my new career in music. I also went to college during this period and studied recording. a few years ago I joined up with ‘The Pete Best Band’.

I consider myself to be a pretty good rhythm guitar player, but I like the fact that I am noticing my own improvements. I have been writing songs since I started to play guitar and I like to think of myself as a melodic writer with a blend of harmonies and a touch of sarcasm.

Some of my highlights include: Performing with Neil Flynn (‘Crowded House’), releasing a vinyl version of my song, meeting Ray Davis (‘The Kinks’), performing at ‘The Everyman Theatre’ Liverpool as Lennon in a play called ‘Best’, and Shacking up with Pete Best for a week in California..

Future Highlights; Releasing Album… counting money. I have been awarded an honorary doctorate in Rock and Roll from The Rock and Roll University of New York.