The Persuaders

The Persuaders are a four-piece sixties-style music band specialising in sixties music from the years 1958-1969.

Their stage presentation is the raw live sound of the sixties. The band plays in clubs/pubs and larger venues and are available for any indoor/outdoor private function.

A performance is usually two sets of forty-five minutes live music, with recorded music between sets if required. There is an eighteen-minute taped introduction to the band and an eight-foot screen to re-enact the sights and sounds of the sixties, a life-size replica Tardis (room permitting), drum rise, stage backdrops and light show.

Prepare to be transported back to the sixties...

The band comprises:

Derek Telfer (bass/vocals)
Derek formed the Persuaders in April 2000. It was his vision to recreate the sound, look and feel of the sixties in a music band. Derek stumbled onto his musical path as a drummer in Return Ticket where he swears blind that Chris Rea came to one their gigs (a likely story). They wrote their own rock music and Warner Brothers offered them a recording contract - then wisely took it away again.

Disillusioned with the life of a rock star, Derek stopped playing altogether until he auditioned as a drummer with sixties band Striking Back in 1989, supporting bands like Freddy and the Dreamers and the Swinging Blue Jeans. He found he could sing like Frankie Valley but hidden behind the drums no-one realised it was him. This prompted Derek to learn bass and sing at the same time so he could stand at the front and sing ridiculously high notes. Eventually he birthed 'The Persuaders', bought incredibly tight sixties style suits, lava lamps, guitars, wigs and the rest is history.

Paul Fallon (rhythm guitar/vocals)
Paul began his love of music with a Christmas present at the age of six - a record player and some old Beatles Parlophone singles.

He continued this love affair with music through school and college and discovered he was rather good at it. From 1996-2001 he played drums with various bands but continued to learn guitar. In the Spring of 2002, Paul co-founded Beatles tribute band The Beatlemaniacs who are successful in the UK and played many performances at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, home of the original Beatles. He left the Beatlemaniacs in the winter of 2002 to concentrate on solo projects. Paul loves the music of the sixties so Derek blatantly took advantage of this and press ganged Paul into joining his sixties tribute band, The Persuaders in April 2004. Paul has been brainwashed by Derek into thinking that The Persuaders are 'a great little sixties band, performing a mixture of the top pop records from 1958-1969, with a few extras thrown in'. Had he known in advance what the 'few extras' were going to cost him he'd be a richer man today!

Steve Dowson (lead guitar/vocals)
Steve began his musical career many moons ago with oddly enough a strange fellow called Derek Telfer. Steve's parents suspected that Derek was a bad influence on their second born child - and they were absolutely right.'Snake' and 'Biggles' followed by 'Reg Potts and the Arcadia Tea Room Dance Band' were just some of the musical groups Steve got roped into.

After that small blip Steve played in a variety of what we call 'proper' sixties bands, went solo for two years and played in the acclaimed duo 'Switchback'. Then he jacked it all in for a rash of geeky computer courses. The sixties were well and truly behind him (or so he thought).

Then one night Steve was unlucky enough to bump into Derek. Some would call it fate, some would just sympathise; Steve's wife took out a better life insurance policy. Derek casually mentioned that their young guitarist, Nathan had to leave the band for a short time. Steve doesn't remember much about that conversation except that when he woke the next day he was playing lead guitar in The Persuaders, spending criminal amounts of time working on The Persuaders website and taking endless phone calls every time Derek got a new idea for the band that was going to cost Steve serious amounts of money. Several weeks went by. Steve bought ear plugs and managed to track down Nathan to 'hand back the mantle'. He vaguely remembers Nathan saying, "Didn't Derek tell you I'm not coming back?" but by then it was far too late.

As Steve has discovered: The Persuaders have ways of making you join...

Paul Tilley (drums)
Paul uses his own words to describe how he fell into the hands of The Persuaders: "I was told I was an ugly baby. In fact I was so ugly my Mother used to feed me with the aid of a catapult. My Grandmother used to tie a piece of meat round my neck so next door's dog would play with me. My father would take me down the docks to teach me how to swim. The swimming bit I found quite easy, but getting out of the sack was a nightmare. We were a poor family, at one point we could not afford clothes. I well remember saving my meagre pocket money and sending off for a hat for me to wear so I could look out of the window.

It was at this point that I decided to shape my future. I started playing the drums at ten, by half past I had mastered them. This was also about the time I heard the voice of God. "Make yourself ready. A great band are in need of a drummer." "

I am ready my Lord," I replied. "Show me the way." "Not you yer snivelling TIT," he said. "You're going with the Persuaders."

And so it came to pass twice weekly that thousands hundreds dozens 9 sixties fans (and two of those were roadies) were transported back in time by The Persuaders to enjoy a truly groovy experience.

All Songs

To find out more about the Persuaders call Alan 07721 634181 or