The Bogiewheels Band was born when someone took an old guitar along to pass the time waiting to bat for Wesley Cricket Club (normally didn’t have to wait long; our lot were useless) and found that our short-legged, broken-fingered wicket keeper also played guitar. We decided to form a temporary band to play at annual cricket dinners and were aptly named The Wee Willy Wesleys. We rocked the bails off at 3 different dinners with varying supporting artists. Our opening batsman once operated a smoke machine for the band wearing a WW2 army helmet, but that’s another story. And the name: well if your mother ever told you about a pram that was found in the Halifax area bricked up with the wheels stolen for a trolley, well we know who was responsible!
Recent band reviews: “underwhelming,” The Times; “overbearing,” The Observer; “absolutely average,” The Telegraph; “shit hot,” Calderdale Shopper; “ball-breaking music that made my knickers tingle,” Lady Thatcher
Simon
guitar, vocals, mandobuffoon
Born: Halifax
Die: Halifax more ‘n likely
Greatest achievement: football 6-a-side U12 Bondina Cup winning capt. 1978
Greatest disappointment: about four games into every new season supporting Halifax Town
Passions: The Shaymen (God love ‘em), music
Most difficult task: convincing bandmates that ‘The Bogiewheels’ was a good name for a trio
What is a bogiewheel? excerpt from Prof. A R Swipes Proper English Dictionary:
Bogiewheel n. axle revolving discs borrowed (with or without consent) from any neighbouring perambulator by conker-carrying, snotty-nosed, spanner-wielding kids to create a thing of speed and beauty: the bogie. Also see: ‘go cart’
Aspirations: to find out what all the knobs are for on our PA, to save the whale (or at least an otter or two), raise money for a charity race… sorry no… a chariot race
Jez
guitar, vocals
Son of a Romany traveller and a Peruvian mountain woman, I was brought up to appreciate the subtleties of obscure international folk music and so developed a style and rhythm all of my own. Whilst my odd gyrating and facial contortions sometimes leave my fellow band members and young children uneasy, I’m sure they, and you, will grow to love and embrace the stop-start beat, meandering lyrics, and sometimes quite astonishing uniqueness of my contribution.
You really must “see it to believe it” … and if you do, a pint of good hand-pulled ale is always appreciated.
Neil
guitar, vocals, 12-string
Started playing the ukulele at about 6 years old when my big brother bought a Suzuki № 6 guitar. Discovered as a teenager that walking the streets of Dunedin, NZ carrying a guitar helped impress the sheilas so became a 3 chord wonder for the next 30 years. Arrived in the UK and new next door neighbour turned out to be a brilliant lead guitarist, so tried to improve a little under his guidance. Never really touched a electric guitar until I was 40 (phew LIFE BEGINS)! We spent many a summer night playing music across the fence and became fencemates.
Influences… Led Zep (until Jimmy Page got just too good), The Stones, Neil Young and James Taylor.
Work as a driving instructor, married with one grown up son.
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