Chris Gill and Bands
Coming soon
Chris Gill and Bands: bio's
Chris Gill (Me)
I started playing the guitar at the age of 12. Early influences were THE CREAM – THE GROUNDHOGS and of course JIMI HENDRIX.
Through a friend at school, I was introduced to PINK FLOYD who became an enormous influence on me, as well as being my favourite band.
My first gig was at the age of 13 playing bass with a Bedford UK band called THE EYES OF ELEANOR in the heady days of 1968...
As time went by, I played The Bath Festival, Stonehenge and Glastonbury with a myriad of bands... before moving to Texas. There I also played in several different bands largely touring the American University circuit.
After 5 years in the U.S I moved to Germany, playing with more diverse bands, and getting in to synthesizers.
Eventually, I moved back to the UK .For good.
In 1992 I worked with NICK MASON of Pink Floyd through our mutual love of classic cars, and this would be a life changing experience, and I was determined to get in to the studio and start recording an album. But it would be another 12 years before I got around to it.
At this stage in my life, I was making serious headway in the media as a Newspaper Photographer, then I worked for Channel 5 TV and moved to The BBC in 1997. It came to a clear choice one day that it was not possible to have an 18 hour day career and create the music I wanted to create. I actually started working with ADRIAN BELEW at this time and it just convinced me that I had to get back in to my music proper.
…Something had to give as my love of music had not diminished in any way…but my free time had! I quit the media and took some time out.
Eventually under the name of BAND OF RAIN in 2004 I released DEEP SPACE and a year later: GARLANDS. Both to critical acclaim...Thank goodness.
In 2007, I joined forces with BILLY FLEMING on drums and SHARON LESLIE on vocals, and we recorded ARTS & ALLUREMENTS, in Wales -Norfolk and the Forge Studios in Oswestry England.
Sharon wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies as well as performing the vocals.
Upon the release of A&A the three of us decided to put a live band together, but it would be almost 16 months before the right line up came along, and even then the band split up after only a handful of gigs at the end of 2007.
I took a break for a while, and recorded some vocal tracks for MOOCH on the DR SILBURYS LIQUID BRAINSTEM a real spacey album.Feauturing people like Cyndee Lee Rule and Bridget Wishart...
Later recording the vocals for Mooch’s follow up album 1967½ - and a third called 1968a released March 20 2009.
The 1960’s series of albums are as they suggest, 60’s psychedelia, a bit of a departure for me, but I really enjoyed doing it, especially as I am not known for singing!
I also completed recording the vocals for a fourth Mooch CD entitled "The Pagan Year" This was released in Spring 2010
As well as Band of Rain, I play for a space rock band called THE NONEXISTENT...mainly impro, we do however have a double CD out.
It has been my pleasure to have been working on BECK SIANS new album called “LUMINOUS WINGS AND UNSEEN THINGS” Beck is a really amazing singer / songwriter, and she and I did some collaborating on the album…
So thats kinda where I am coming from,whats next?
I live in The Welsh Mountains with my Wife Kat and dog Tess .