MEET THE BAND
WEST MEMPHIS
Have you ever wondered why Memphis is mentioned in over 1000 songs? It’s because it’s been the centre of Rock and Soul for nearly a century. Our band West Memphis, bring fantastic Rock and Soul classics to your venue, performed by seasoned musicians with that wonderful soulful sound of our namesake city.
From Linda Ronstadt to Ray Charles, Etta, Orbison, Cash, Credence….you get the vibe.
We pride ourselves on our consistent sound quality, from the powerful vocals of Sue and Mimmo, to our fabulous lead guitarist Dave and rhythmic drummer John, with great keys and bass, all live with no need for recorded backups.
Our audiences love us, or at least that’s what their telling us, and if they are not up dancing, their vibing or singing along to our songs. We keep the volume just right.
We’re currently spreading the love at a variety of venues in Sydney– from craft breweries to pubs to many RSL clubs, and the venues are happy.
We’re known for our great sound and different repertoire (definitely not the same old stuff). Let your venue be the next one to experience the amazing sound of West Memphis!
A word on backing tracks…
A lot of ‘covers bands’ use backing tracks for various reasons. West Memphis don’t use any backing tracks as we prefer the feel of a live band.
Tempos can change in a song and sometimes you need to improvise an ending and yes - we make mistakes as all musicians do. We’re keeping it real because we believe that music should be performed live - as it was intended!
Imagine the pressure on bands in the 60s that didnt even have multi-tracks!
It’s a challenge but it’s very rewarding in the end.
MEMBERS
MIMMO - BASS
I first picked up a bass when I was 15
He hasn’t put it down since. :)
“My mums family were in many 60s bands and I have great memories of seeing my uncles play Beatles songs in Nonno’s garage.”
At weddings I’d be the kid annoying the band guys and I’d be at home saving all my money to buy 45s and I remember my first album purchase which was one of those compilation records like 20 Dynamic Hits or the one with a bum cheek on the cover!
I took up bass and decided that I wanted to be like Paul McCartney cause he looked like he got all the girls. My first ever band Spartacus Wrench still reforms for school reunions and since then I’ve been in covers acts, tribute bands such as Doobies Eagles show, Agent 69, Go Cat Go and a few others.
My time in Go Cat Go was a great experience as we would dress up, dance and perform as The Blues Brothers, Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison and even Elvis! It taught us a lot about stage-craft and improvising live on stage as well as audience participation.
Now in my late 50s I love performing with West Memphis to create different styles like country, blues, salsa and rock. It’s very much a band family that loves to create music together which is infectious to any audience – young or old!
SUE - VOCALS + KEYS
From as far back as I remember, my brother was my idol. He always played cool music and of course, I wanted to be cool like him. So, as the annoying little sister, I would play songs on my piano and sing along to Foreigner in the family dining area, but some of my family thought I sounded like a wailing cat.
I took up classical piano at an early age and learnt to sing along with Linda Ronstadt, Foreigner and Cold Chisel. I knew I was on the right track when there was no difference in pitch between the recorded song and my vocals. Call it “free vocal lessons”. I would sing entire albums as practice. There would be many weekends, where I would sit at the piano and sing and have groups of neighbours sit on my front fence for a free concert.
My brother joined the band Headfirst in the mid 2010s and i filled in when the old keyboard player left. When I volunteered to sing a few songs, I became one of their lead vocalists. I cut my teeth on performing in public with this band. I love belting out a rock song by The Angles or Duran Duran, but I’m equally happy singing swing and a sweet ballad.
I saw an ad in BandMix and noted that some of the material was what i was looking for. They needed a keyboard player who could back up the main singer. I auditioned for West Memphis and we clicked straight away as we all enjoyed playing the same musicall enjoyed playing the same music. West Memphis is my “heart” band. I’m very fortunate to play with musicians and humans that to me are really and truly my dear friends.
My favourite artist of all time is Eva Cassidy. This artist could transform a cover into something completely new and sometimes much better than then original. Eva was taken too early and recorded a catalogue of covers that in my opinion were sometimes better than the originals.
Eva had the passion and conviction to make every song her own with no need for fancy effects or even harmonies. She was the consummate singer/guitarist/soloist.
I’ve been a professional in HR for many years so dealing with people is my strength. What I love is the people connection with music - i think we transform our everyday “selves” through music where we can communicate and connect through our songs. My dream gig is probably a lazy Sunday arvo belting out swing and jazz tunes to a chilled crowd with the occasional dance song thrown in for good measure!
MATHO (JOHN) - DRUMS
Matho (John) is the heartbeat behind the impressive sound of the band West Memphis, he’s a versatile drummer with the ability to handle the subtle styles that are the bedrock for the band to build upon.
Matho Speaks:
From a young age, my connection to rhythm was undeniable. I started as a child playing with mums knitting needles and became a versatile drummer. I can also knit a mean sweater!
The first band that I was in was called Javelin -they became the resident band at The Cabana Restaurant/Nightclub in Hamilton, near Newcastle.
I remember borrowing drums for the audition because I didn’t have my own. By playing dinner music and then dance music I acquired the skills to adjust the volume of my playing, a skill that many drummers struggle with – this comes in very handy when we’re asked to perform at very low volumes due to dinner crowds and private functions.
After a long stint with Gemini and the Marshall Brothers, I learnt a lot of styles that bring a wealth of versatility and creates a point of difference for West Memphis.
Whether it's a heart-racing rock anthem, a groovy funk track, or a soulful ballad, the adaptability that I was fortunate to learn shines through, enriching West Memphis's musical profile.
I was born in Scotland which (according to Mimmo) makes me feisty and thrifty. I certainly have a passion for music but “No, I don’t play bagpipes”.
DAVE - LEAD GUITAR
My family was very musical. As a group of cousins, we used to hang out backstage at my dad’s reception lounge whist my uncle played drums in the band and everyone else’s dad was bussing tables as waiters. Inevitably, we started our own band when I was just 10. We played weddings, festivals, cabarets, you name it. I’m fortunate in that I found my passion early in life and my parents supported that.
My first non-family band was formed in high school with Mimmo (see bass/vocals) and we’ve never parted company since. We have trod the boards all these years, honing our musical and stage-craft skills along the way.
Fast forward to 1989 when on tour we watched “this is Spinal Tap”. This band has been an inspiration to me and in fact my number one value in life is taken from this film – “have a good time, all the time” - which for me means enjoy what you do, or in another way, don’t do what you don’t enjoy. I bring this philosophy to my daily life and to any gig I play.
Before a show and during the breaks you’ll find me interacting with the audience. I’m an extrovert like that. And on stage its hard to keep me still. I love music and the joy it brings people and I like to think my enthusiasm is infectious.
When asked to join West Memphis I hadn’t been playing for about 18 months. I joined because I thought the music was original and different and certainly a different style to anything I’d played before. I can truly say in this band I am playing my best musically, enjoying the challenge of making a multi-guitar song work with just one guitar and learning to play different styles.
I hope that shows through in my performance.