The Persuaders

The Persuaders - About the band - Booking information

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

The sound you hear is the raw live sound of the sixties with no backing tracks. They have an 8OO watt self-contained PA system, EX88O Drum Rise and five large backdrops.

The band comprises:

Derek Telfer	bass/lead vocals	Burns, De-Armond 1967 Semer Valve 50
Paul Fallon	Rhythm guitar/vocals	Burns (Hank Marvin style) Tanglewood Memphis Laney Combo
Nathan Futo	Lead/rhythm guitar/Backing vocals
Paul Tilley	Percussion

They play in clubs/ pubs and larger venues, and are available for any private function (indoor/outdoor). They can play a selection of sixties music between sets. They normally play two sets of 45 minutes, in duration, this can be adjusted by prior arrangement. There is an eighteen minute taped introduction to the band, which includes sounds, news items and snippets from the sixties.

Derek Telfer (bass/vocals)sad sixties nut, formed The Persuaders in April 2000. It is his vision to recreate the sound, look and feel of the sixties. Derek started out 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 60's 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. He started up several bands: 'Hysteria', Strange Bru' (now known as 'After Dark') and 'Matchbox'. Then he birthed 'The Persuaders', bought incredibly tight 60's style suits, lava lamps, guitars, wigs and the rest is history.

Paul Fallon (rhythm guitar/vocals) 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 were 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 60's so Derek blatantly took advantage of this and press ganged Paul into joining his 60's tribute band, The Persauders in April 2004. Paul has been brainwashed by Derek into thinking that The Persuaders are 'a great little 60's 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…

Nathan Futo "I had just turned eighteen and left music college when I came across an advertisement in the local paper."

SIXTIES SHOW BAND HUNTS FOR LEAD GUITARIST

"Wow!" I thought.

Poor unsuspecting Nathan turned up for his audition dressed in a Beatle outfit his mother had ironed only half an hour before and clutching a guitar he had borrowed from a pal because the one he really wanted still had two days left on EBay.

"It was the best thing I ever did," states Nathan. "It really was the best thing I ever did."

A hissing noise spits from the tape machine.

Nathan yelps and then quickly adds: "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't passed that audition."

There is muffled silence on the tape followed by a tiny voice pleading "Can I go home now?"

Derek hits the stop button and continues: "He really did look the part. A good job really because he was absolute rubbish on the guitar. Well we took pity on him and a large non-refundable deposit before showing him how to sit wedged between the Tardis and the PA speakers so as not to fall over when we went round sharp bends."

After eight weeks Nathan's parents reported him missing. At about the same time a young man answering Nathan Futo's description entered a music shop in Stockton and bought a genuine Gretch Tennessee Rose guitar. He already had two Fender Stratocasters (due to some administrative error) but when he played that excessively polished rosewood Gretch through a VOX AC 30 and Boss GT-8 effects pedal - he effectively sealed his fate.

And let that be a stern lesson to any musician wanting to join The Persuaders!

Paul Tilley (drums) 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.

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