all about us

about the band

Guilty Plea have all their own equipment, including lights. All we need is a space to set-up, an audience and the rest usually follows.

For more information on the areas we cover, our availability, prices and the like, drop us a line.

So, meet Pete, Mark, Darren and Les. This, boys and girls, is Guilty Plea.

pete — voice

There's a new singer in town. Goes by the name of Pete.

Originally from Cork, (that's in Ireland for the geographically challenged amongst you), Pete's been singing since childhood. He started out in school plays and musicals, then stopped at 15 because his voice broke and he discovered the joys of smoking.

Then, when he was 27 (and presumably off the fags), he started singing again after he moved over here and hooked-up with Dave and Angie, who were performing together as "Take Two".

Pete's influences are The Who, the Rolling Stones and 60s stuff in general.

Pete doesn't currently play an instrument, but he quite fancies the idea of learning to play the bass. (Best not tell Darren.)

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mark — guitar

Based on a true story.

I started playing guitar many years ago after thinking "I could do that", so I bought an old chipboard guitar and ended up with no fingerprints…

As the years went by, there were slight improvements in the skills and then the equipment. I joined a band when still at school. Played St George's Hall and several assembly performances. (Kids can be so cruel.)

I was around when Manson's Guitar Shop threw open the doors for the first time. With no overheads and a massive credit card limit, I ended up with the guitar and amp still in use today.

Everything was mothballed for about 12 years and the Tele really ended up under the bed. Until January 2007...

It's been mentioned to me that I have been playing the same old stuff for donkey's years and it was always going to be unleashed on the general public one day. It was also said that if I'd done this 20 years ago like I should have done, then I would have retired by now and you wouldn't have to put up with me today.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

My influences are everything between John Lee Hooker and AC/DC. Throw in Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Robert Cray and Pete Townshend and you get the picture. Blame me for the Quo, too. Enjoy!

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darren — bass and backing vocals

Started playing geeeetarr again in 2000 and after playing live in front of 30 experienced guitarists at a music academy one day a year later at the Phoenix Centre, Exeter, he got the bug... big time. He's been playing since 2001... guitar that is.

Then Darren took the plunge and sold his Fender Tele and took up bass. The rest, as they say... is a tool used in snooker.

Darren's influences are Cream (especially Jack Bruce), Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Chuck Berry.

Darren's currently using a shiny, new Ibanez 5-string, a Fender bass and a Laney stack. When he's not playing them, they adorn his living room wall and Darren can be found prostrate in front of them in silent worship (presumably fully clothed, but who knows?).

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les — drums

Some say he is the Guilty Plea equivalent of The Stig and that he can pound out a paradiddle with no hands, sticks, and just an enigmatic smile. All we know is, he's called Les.

Les started playing piano aged 8, then accordion, and then guitar. At this point he realised he wasn't actually any good at any of them, so took up tub thumping instead, aged 12.

At 14, he auditioned and was selected for the Devon County Youth Orchestra and the County Wind Band, with whom he did a short tour of France. (Les won, 2-0.) At 16, he left school, gave up playing and didn't pick up a pair of sticks again until about five years ago.

Les' influences are Gene Krupa, a big band drummer from the '40's, Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), Simon Kirk (Free/Bad Company) and Animal (The Muppets).

Les is currently using a Premier Artist Birch 5-piece, with a mixture of AAX and HHX cymbals.

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