Russ (Guitar & Vocals)

My influences are Hank Marvin from the Shadows, Richie Blackmore from Deep Purple, Jan Akkerman from the Dutch band Focus, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix and everybody else who is brilliant.

I picked up a guitar at the age of 13 and played my first gig in 1972, with my school band at the Christmas party. In 1973, we supported Trapeze at the Devonshire Suite as a result of a cancellation. I joined rock band Straight Edge, an early venture, then decided to start practicing and joined blues band Old School in 1983. They were the biggest influence of my career. Anything worth knowing, I learned from my days with Old School. It was with Old School, I bumped into Dawn Trader, with whom Ric was playing. It was their farewell gig.

Towards the end of my leaving Old School in 1995, I formed Steelyard Dog in 1993, where I was in my element playing rock. Also in 1993, I played bass with Jimi James as a Vagabond for a month and he sacked me cos I was S***!

In 1996, I joined Jake and Elwood Blues Brothers and travelled a good portion of the world, playing blues and soul and drinking beer. We were the backing band of Jake and Elwood and we were also the support band known as the Accelerators, performing classic soul music until 1999.

I went on to form Free and Company in 1998, a Free and Bad Company tribute band, taking lead vocals and playing guitar. Ric joined the band in its final year in 2005. Free & Co reformed for some dates in 2011.

I did some club work, then went onto form Krusade in 2006. I also joined Pete, in ‘The Ruf and Reddy Band’ in 2009 when his guitarist left. 

Ric (Bass)

Colin Hodgingson from Trapeze and Glen Hughes from Deep Purple are my influences.

I started playing live in 1974 with a band called Lazy. Then I played with Spoonfull and joined Dawn Trader in 1979. We were the up and coming rock band from Nottingham at the time. My most memorable time during this period was when we played the Marquee in London where, we supported Def Leppard, The Sweet and Krokus.

I have also Jammed with Bernie Marsden from Whitesnake and Pete Haycock from the Climax Blues Band. During the final year Dawn Trader were together, I was also playing with Fire Brigade and continued to do so when Dawn Trader split in 1986. At the Dawn Trader farewell gig, Old School were the support band where Russ was the guitarist.

I continued to play with Fire Brigade until 1989 then went into retirement. Russ asked me to join his band, Free and Company which was a tribute band to Free and Bad Company. The band split in 2005, then in 2006 Krusade was formed where I rejoined Russ and with current line up. Free & Co reformed for some dates in 2011.

In 2009, Dawn Trader decided to reform to, celebrate their 30th anniversary with some of the original line up, but with Pete, drummer with Krusade (not in original line up). Dawn Trader performed some more dates in 2010 and continue to perform today. Check out the Dawn Trader website

Check out YouTube video on You-Tube page of Dawn Trader playing with Bernie Marsden at Rock City Nottingham 1982 & Dawn Trader at Rock City 1981.

Pete (Drums)

My biggest influences are John Henry Bonham - Led Zeppelin, who is THEE drumming deity, Cozy Powell (rock solid), Ian Paice (legend)-Deep Purple, Neil Peart (sublime)-Rush, Buddy Rich (Unsurpassed)-Jazz and finally because I’ve never had a lesson in my life, I met up with these two men and they both gave me great advise, the great Eric Delany-Jazz Big Drummer and Dave Kear alias Charlie Chuck-drummer/comedian. 

I was always a restless child, tip tapping and generally being very noisy. At the age of 9/10, I started to get interested in girls and I really liked the look of the majorettes in the local juvenile Jazz Band, strutting their stuff in little mini skirts, so I decided to join as a drummer.

To my surprise, I almost enjoyed the drumming as much as watching the girls and soon became hooked on playing anything that made a noise when ‘hit with sticks’. I stuck with the marching band until I was 15/16, at the same time developing a love of rock music. My mates & I formed our first band at the age of 14, playing a bit of Quo, Lizzy, Sabbath etc.

At the age of 16, I played with several local bands in the Mansfield area with many of the local ‘muso’s’ of the time, several who are still around now. It was around this time I got to know Russ, who was working at the local coal mine where I was and we obviously got on, because we shared our love of music.

Throughout the 80’s, I played with many local bands such as Bad Axe, Sundown, Powerpack, Sacrilege, Karen & the Kittens and many more, playing mainly Rock and Blues, It was during this time I was involved in quite a bit of session and recording work with various artists, with one of the most memorable, drumming with Brian Connolly of the Sweet. The best time I had though, was touring America in 1984, with a Rock and Blues band for about 6 months, enjoying all the excesses of ‘gud ole Rock’n’Roll’.

I met up with Russ again not so long ago after he saw me in my other outfit, ‘The Ruf and Reddy Band’. He asked me to fill in for him when his drummer couldn’t make a gig. The rest, as they say, is history. Russ also played in ‘The Ruf and Reddy Band’.

I didn’t realise at the time, but I have shared the stage many a time with Ric in his days with Dawn Trader and Fire Brigade. I have also played for Old School a couple of times - not sure if Russ was with them at the time.