Andy Greaves & Les Gillon have been synonomous with the Calder Valley music scene since the early 1980s. True local music legends and lovely guys too. Come along to hear them in conversation as they discuss their life in music and what performing for all these years means to them. This is a free event.
As child in 60s Liverpool, when it seemed that everyone wanted to be in a pop group, Les learnt his first guitar chords from his dad. When his elder brother Pete formed a band after seeing Free in concert, Les joined on bass, age 13, and started playing his first gigs. As well as spending his teenage years in various bands on bass and guitar, he also performed solo in folk clubs. He moved to Hebden Bridge in 1980, and joined Fez which had been formed by his brother Pete and Jerry Barker.
In 1985 he set up Piece Hall Music along with fellow band member Steve Edmondson, and the shop soon became a hangout and hub for local musicians. During this time Les was also giving private guitar tuition and playing commercial music gigs, while studying for an Open University degree.
In 1996 he was appointed of Head of Music at Burnley College and then in 2003 he took on the role of Head of Music University of Central Lancashire, where he oversaw the development of experimental music, interdisciplinary performance, dance collaborations and other examples of cutting-edge research. He was part of the team that set up Preston Jazz Festival and chaired its committee for several years. After being awarded his Doctorate, Les began publishing his own research, as well as writing and editing a number of academic books on music and the arts.
Alongside his work for the University Les played a wide range of music with a variety of bands. The Alt-rock band Fez was a fixture on the local music scene for decades. He also formed the folk/acoustic trio Greaves Taylor Gillon with Andy Greaves and Becky Taylor, played in the backing band of Americana /Country artist T-Bone Jones, and was reunited with brother Pete in the The Fevertees
Les left the University in 2023, after being diagnosed with a serious illness. Now restored to health, thanks to the NHS, he has returned to his roots as an independent musician and is as active in music as he has ever been. He leads the acoustic band Les Gillon & The Agents of Karma, plays in the alt-folk band Ghost School, the jazz ensemble Ruth Gardziel Trio and improvisational collective Fire Tower Four.
Andy Greaves is a veteran of the Calderdale music scene, a singer, multi instrumentalist, songwriter, poet, and vibrant live performer whose career has spanned several decades and musical genres. After first performing as a teenager in folk clubs in around West Yorkshire playing mainly traditionally based material, he gained attention as a member of Halifax based post punk band Chinese Gangster Element in the mid 1980s. The group garnered recognition from influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel for whom two sessions were recorded.
Following his time with Chinese Gangster Element Andy has continued to evolve musically, exploring genres ranging from punk to country and his first love, traditional British folk music. He currently co- leads the American roots influenced band The Tragics, known for their exuberant live peformances. He is also the flamboyant front man of rock band Edward Molby and one third of traditional and contemporary folk band Ghost School. He also performs as a solo artist and poet, maintaining an active presence on the local music scene.
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