In The Cage Biogs

The band

(keyboards)

Previous form: Trained from an early age on cello, self-taught on keyboards and bass. Spent 15 years in BBC sound engineering department, editing news bulletins and providing sound FX for radio plays. Also furtively composing music on tape machines and transcribing Genesis tracks on the orchestral Steinway during quiet spells. After a short attachment to the Radiophonic Workshop, undertook numerous commissions to compose incidental music and sig-tunes for radio and T.V. programmes. Now a freelance composer / musician recycling a misspent youth!

Favourite bands: Genesis, Yes, Focus, ELP.

First Genesis tracks: Firth of Fifth, Ripples, Mad Man Moon.

Equipment used:: Roland RD500 stage piano
Hammond L122 & Leslie 145
Mellotron M400s
ARP ProSoloist
Roland XP80
MXR Phase 100
Boss Stage 1 chorus unit
Electro-harmonix phaser
Behringer MX 2462 mixer
Digitech Studio Quad FX unit
Ernie Ball volume pedals

(bass, bass pedals, 12-string guitar)

Inspired by the likes of Tony Levin, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire and John Entwistle, I first started playing bass in the very late 80s. After some years of random plunking, the first song I learned all the way through was Metallica's "Enter Sandman". Passing through various bands encompassing pub rock, shoegazing indie, shouty punk and a Rush tribute band that never quite was, I joined Genesis tribute band Invisible Touch in the mid-late 90s and we had a lot of fun and never played Hold On My Heart. After a few years break I dug out the double-neck and bass pedals again to help out In The Cage. During the day I make computers do stuff.

Equipment used:: Rickenbacker 4001 bass
Shergold Cavalier Custom Double bass/12-string
Takamine acoustic 12-string
Moog Taurus I bass pedals
Trace Elliot SMX Dual Compressor
Tech 21 SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver
Ernie Ball volume pedals
Boss OC-2 Octave, OD-2 Turbo Overdrive, CE-2 Chorus pedals

Top bands:: King Crimson
Phish
Yes
Genesis
Led Zeppelin
Rush

(drums, percussion, backing vocals)

Equipment used:: 7-piece custom made "PEACE PARAGON" kit in Tangerine sparkle

I have been involved in a few bands on and off. In 1986 I was asked to do some recording for a new wave outfit by the name of "The Guitar Mungoes" (formerly "A Few Dead Babies" but all our mums complained). We played mainly our own stuff, with a few classics like Love Will Tear Us Apart / Tower of Strength (Frankie Vaughan!!!!!)

Next up was Summer Indoors 1988 to 96. Did a demo tape in 88 called "Funny Old World" - 8 tracks worth. Went on to get a CD deal with Dutch label SI releasing two CDs: "There's Orangie" in 1993 and "Songs in the Key of H" in 1995. Both sank without trace, but there was a buzz at the time.

In 1996 after Summer Indoors had sort of finished (it's a long story) I decided to have some fun, which SI was not always!!!!!! I joined a band called Xport (I know, dreadful name) which was a sort of indie / rock covers band playing the likes of Paul Weller / The Who / Charlatans / Small Faces / Oasis / Clapton, but only did this for about 18 months, then decided to take some time out. Had a break for a year or so.......................then I spoke to Trevor Garrard on the phone.

In The Cage 1998 to present (unless you guys have some bad news for me).

I am also in The Moscow Riley with Chris, formerly of Summer indoors and John Kirby.

(lead vocals, percussion, costumes, masks & props)

Equipment used:: Shure SM58 radio microphone
Zoom Vollmilch Herzen vocal effects unit
Sennheiser in-ear monitors
Player timbales
Daisy cowbell
Good Lord tambourine
Leather jacket
Cloak
Batwings
Head cage
Magog mask
Flower mask
Old man mask
Sabre

This is my first band (I heard that) although Patrick, a couple of mates and I used to get together and play some stuff. We called ourselves "The Sad Old Gits" - thank God we didn't get unleashed on the general public. My performing career started in theatre about twenty years ago; I performed in musicals, comedy and farce, then in 1998 I had a great idea, but decided to form a Genesis tribute instead. It was while I was shopping in Dorothy Perkins that I met Mark Jordan and......

Favourite Genesis song: Can-Utility and the Coastliners.

First Genesis album: A Trick of the Tail.

First Genesis gig: Knebworth 1978.

(lead guitar)

Equipment used:: Gibson Les Paul Standard
Marshall TSL 122
Digitech 2120

First Genesis tracks learnt: Return of the Giant Hogweed, Firth of Fifth - my audition pieces for ReGenesis!

History: Played cello for a year or so at school. Bought my first guitar in 1992 for about 50 quid.

Previous bands: Various original bands, 10 piece wedding/function band, a showband that played all over UK and was lucky enough to do some gigs in Dubai. I was also lucky enough to be asked to play in the John Hackett Band and just to make it even better Steve Hackett joined us on stage for a couple of numbers at some of the gigs.

Current Bands: This one, a couple of pub bands and another early Genesis tribute band!

Also doing guitar for an amateur theatre production and teach part time at a music school.

The crew


lights	stage manager	sound	lights

The history

The following was scribbled on the back on an envelope during a drive to a gig. It is supposed to honour those past members who helped us become what we are today. Sorry about the handwriting, Julian driving, kept swerving the van about the road while shouting at us.

1998
Band Name Decision
GENESIS 2 (nah!)
REGENSIS (already used)
GENESIS OF THE DALEKS (already used by BBC)
VAN HALEN (already used and not much to do with Genesis)
IN THE CAGE (a favourite track)

Line up
Trevor Garrard (vocals)
Richard York (keys)
Mark Jordan (drums)
Patrick Heron (guitar)
(Bass) – looking

1999

Richard left keys – last we heard, he was looking after the UK interests of Italian tribute band Supper's Ready. Keys replaced by Piers de Lavison who is very good at sorting people out. Found bass player Richard Whitehead. Also known as Rogey, and Sir (Ricken) Backer, Richard enjoyed a pint or five an hour, and his trick in latter years was downing a pint in one while playing a particular part of the "The Knife". Some people were impressed. Julian Garrard joined as crew humper. As we had no crew to hump, he humped himself.

M2 Productions took over management of the band. M2 were Manir Donahue and Mark Rae. The latter was particularly active and lugged stuff about. This arrangement fizzled out when Manir went on to manage ReGenesis and Mark started playing keys.

Andrew Hanson joined crew. He helped Piers (his flatmate) with moving stuff about, and kind of got more involved.

2001

Piers left keys to join ReGenesis and then (as well) G2 Definitive Genesis. Suddenly we had no-one to sort us out. Piers was replaced by Mark Rae, previously band manager. Mark could play anything as he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of music and perfect pitch. Along with Mark we got Chantel Sankey (formerly part of the ReGenesis crew and now married to Mark!) as crew.

2002

Richard left bass to emigrate to Australia (how far CAN you go to avoid us?). Now plays about 100 gigs a year in The Beat, a Beatles tribute band. Click here for a personal review of Rogey's time in ITC. Richard was replaced by Shaun Hunt who was a perfect gentleman and very good at sorting people out. He travelled halfway across the UK for rehearsals. To amuse himself en-route he made up his own West Country rhyming slang which has now been published by five quid note books (which is rhyming slang for "Deb's and the kids publishing" in Shaun style) and is available from no good bookstores.

Band name changed to Genesis in the Cage. We had doubts about this, but were fed up with being billed as In the Cage with absolutely no reference to Genesis at all. We had goths turning up expecting some fetish show.

2003

Nick Fletcher joined as sound engineer. Nick used to run a venue in Cambridge and is probably the sanest of the band despite the fact he is a total party animal. Vanessa Cooper also started hanging about with us a lot, selling merchandise and moving stuff.

Shaun left in true rock 'n' roll style to "spend more time with his family", and concentrate on running progressive rock festivals. He now plays in a prog covers band called The ProgS which also includes ex-ReGenesis keyboard player Doug Melbourne. Shaun was replaced by Maurice Hendricks who makes his own guitars, boxes for the band, very nice furniture, combs, lamp shades and chilli-free chilli.

Mark Rae left the band to pursue a new career with originals band Sanctuary Rig. He remains band webmaster. Mark was succeeded by Henry Dagg. What is not in Henry’s biog is that he has been a dalek for the BBC, and that he built the band's rehearsal studio.

2004

Mike Heron joined as crew as we had more stuff to lug about (mostly Henry's keys). Alec Morris asked if he could join us as lighting engineer. He got into lighting because of Genesis in the first place.

2005

Mark Jordan leaves band to dedicate more time to driving trains. Mark was replaced by Paul Paige, who had auditioned for Invisible Touch. As Invisible Touch were also looking for a keyboard player, Piers helped in the audition. It is a small, incestuous world.

In the spirit of Spinal Tap we have our fill of drummer incidents: Jamie Fisher (ex Regensis, currently playing with Sphere³ and Sam Fox) depped for us a couple of times when our drummer broke his ankle after playing football. Back spasms 2 hours before a gig and Jeff Walker from G2 biked across London and pulled off a gig splendidly. When Mark Jordan leaves to dedicate more time to driving trains, we field test several drummers (Phildas Bhakta, Paul Paige, Matthew Shaw, Andy Smith) without any resulting drop in the quality of performance - just rather a lot of rehearsals. Andy Smith joins the band as drummer towards the end of 2005.

2006

We thought we'd lost our sound engineer Nick to a job in France, but he keeps using gigs as excuses to regularly return to England, we hope to do play in France to share in travelling. Bassist Maurice leaves to spend more time making guitars and to be a rock legend. We wish Maurice all the best, and shall miss his chilli-free chilli specials and his on-tour porridge. Replacing Maurice, we welcome back Shaun Hunt, the West country's answer to Jean-Paul Gautier - anticipating his continued fashion advice. Henry rewires the entire band and builds a very strange musical instrument for a solo in 'Mad Man Moon'. We enjoy the support of Steve Puddick who gets us some great gigs. 2006 gig celeb attendees include Tony Banks - who writes his name in the dust on Henry's keyboard (see photos), Chris Evans, and Piers de Lavison.

2007

13 gigs this year and a very mixed bag of fortune. Our second gig of the year was scuppered by Trevor losing his voice, the gig was highly successful, it's just that we didn't play it. After this lukewarm start, the Mick Jagger Centre event was really very good indeed, and then the bass player walked straight after a Putney gig! We swiftly bagged ex Invisible Touch bassist Tony Burton to replace Shaun, and Andy Gray (also in ReGenesis) is a pretty familiar face as to assist with Patrick's family responsibilities (by playing guitar not feeding the baby on his behalf you understand). We had great fun in France at a hippy festival and were delighted to be back in the Ferry, Glasgow which is now back up to full gig volume following some initial new neighbour noise complaints. Sterling work by Henry with his enormous organ (collection), Andy on drums, and Trevor on vocals throughout.

2008

The year starts with some line up changes. A welcome return to our original drummer Mark Jordan whose train driving schedule is now more flexible than previously – goodbye to quiet drums. Andy Gray becomes full time guitarist while his predecessor Patrick takes over management duties. Also, Kurt joins us as sound engineer.

We play our 9th gig at the Half Moon Putney, a couple of private parties and concentrate in bedding in our new players, and learning new material. Trevor's attempt to look more like Phil Collins by sticking on a false beard goes badly when much of the hair gets caught in his throat. A big international tour planned for the summer with (at present) unconfirmed gigs either side.