MEET THE BAND
NIGHTTRAIN STARTED OFF AS THE BOSWELLS BIG BAND BACK AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM BEFORE NORWICH CLOSED ITS BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE, BOSWELLS, IN FAVOUR OF A COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY RESTAURANT. AS THEY SEARCHED FOR GIGS ELSEWHERE THE BAND DECIDED TO BECOME NIGHTTRAIN. OVER THE YEARS THE BAND HAS SEEN MANY DIFFERENT FACES COME AND GO BUT STILL RETAINS TWO OF ITS CORE MEMBERS RICH AND JOE.
WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HAVING A REGULAR LONG-STANDING LINE UP OF GIRLS AND BOYS, WHICH MEANS WE FORM A CLOSE BOND AS FRIENDS AND AS MUSICIANS, ALLOWING US TO PUSH THE FORMAT OF OUR COVERS BEYOND THE STANDARD AND MAKING US SOUND UNIQUE AND DIVERSE
RACH
LEAD VOCAL & HARMONIES
RACH HAS BEEN SINGING SINCE HIGH SCHOOL STARTING AS A BACKING VOCALIST AND QUICKLY BECOMING LEAD VOCALIST IN THE SCHOOL BAND.
SINCE LEAVING SCHOOL, RACHEL HAS BEEN PART OF A COUPLE OF BANDS AND DUOS AND HAS BEEN WITH NIGHTTRAIN SINCE EARLY 2012 AND ENJOYS EVERY ASPECT OF BEING IN THE BAND.
SUZIE
TENOR & ALTO SAX
SUZIE TRAINED AS A CLASSICAL CLARINETTIST BEFORE MOVING OVER TO JAZZ SAXOPHONE, PERFORMING IN BIG BANDS AND SWING BANDS IN SHEFFIELD WHERE SHE STUDIED. AFTER MOVING BACK HOME TO NORFOLK SHE TRAINED AS A MUSIC TEACHER, AND TAUGHT FOR SEVERAL YEARS BOTH PERIPATETICLY AND IN THE CLASSROOM.
SUZIE NOW WORKS AS A CHILDREN’S AND FAMILIES WORKER FOR A LOCAL CHURCH AND HAS A BLAST PLAYING SAXOPHONE FOR NIGHTTRAIN.
RICH
GUITAR & VOCALS
SUPERANNUATED HIPPY, RICH, HAS FINALLY HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MUSIC HAS MOVED ON SINCE “HIS DAY”. PROG IS APPARENTLY A DIRTY WORD, SO TO ALL OUTWARD SIGNS HE’S INFLUENCED BY “CATS” FROM THE SAME ERA BUT WITH AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUND – NAMELY FUNK AND SOUL. (NOWT WRONG WI’ THAT! - ED) PRESENTLY HE’S BEING DRAGGED, KICKING AND SCREAMING, INTO THE WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.
ELLEN
LEAD VOCAL & HARMONIES
ELLEN'S LOVE FOR SINGING STARTED YOUNG, SPENDING HER CHILDHOOD PERFORMING IN AS MANY SHOWS AS SHE COULD BE INVOLVED WITH, WHICH EVOLVED INTO WRITING MUSIC AND SINGING AT LOCAL VENUES WITH OTHER MUSICIANS.
AFTER SPENDING A FEW YEARS TRAVELING AND STUDYING, WITH MUSIC TAKING A BACK SEAT FOR A WHILE, ELLEN JUMPED BACK INTO HER LOVE OF MUSIC BY JOINING NIGHTTRAIN IN 2021.
REACH
TENOR SAX
FOLLOWING 10 YEARS OF CLASSICAL PIANO TRAINING RACHAEL WAS GIVEN HER GRANDMA'S SAXOPHONE AND HAS NEVER LOOKED BACK!
SHE WENT ON TO STUDY MUSIC AT UNIVERSITY AND HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF VARIOUS JAZZ BANDS, FUNCTION BANDS AND CHOIRS.
SHE HAS A MASSIVELY ECLECTIC TASTE IN MUSIC FROM JAZZ AND BLUES TO FUNK, POP AND ROCK SO IS NOW LOVING GETTING TO PLAY A MIX OF ALL THE BEST TUNES IN NIGHTTRAIN!
ANT
DRUMS & FUNK SCREAMS
FAMOUS KEITH MOON QUOTE RUNG TRUE WITH HIM FROM EARLY ON,"I TOLD PEOPLE I WAS A DRUMMER BEFORE I HAD A SET, I WAS A MENTAL DRUMMER". SINCE THEN ANT HAS MOVED ON FROM POTS AND PANS AND NOW GROOVES ON A LIMITED EDITION TAMA KIT.
BEC
KEYS, VOCAL & HARMONIES
BEC MADE HER FIRST MUSICAL APPEARANCE AGED 6 AS GUEST TRIANGLE PLAYER AT A BRASS BAND CONCERT. THIS KICK STARTED A LOVE OF BANDS AND SINCE THEN SHE HAS PLAYED IN WIND BANDS, BRASS BANDS, JAZZ BANDS AND SUNG IN CHOIRS.
BEC HAS ALSO TAUGHT MUSIC PRIVATELY AND IN SCHOOLS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. SHE IS NOW LOVING BEING PART OF NIGHT TRAIN.
CHRIS
TRUMPET & COWBELL
CHRIS' FIRST BAND WAS THE 1980'S ONE HIT WONDERS PIGBAG. WITH THEM HE TOURED EUROPE, JAPAN, THE USA AND APPEARED ON TOTP TWICE!!
WHEN THEY SPLIT IN 1983 HE PLAYED ON VARIOUS RECORDING SESSIONS (INCLUDING FIESTA BY THE POGUES) BEFORE GOING INTO TEACHING.
AFTER THE SOUND OF 30 CHILDREN IN A ROOM WITH 15 KEYBOARDS HAD NEARLY DESTROYED HIS SANITY HE GAVE UP TEACHING AND MOVED TO RURAL NORFOLK IN 2019.
JOE
BASS, PA & MANAGER
JOE LEARNT BASS BY THROWING HIMSELF IN THE DEEP END AND LEARNING RHCP BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC. THIS GAVE HIM A GOOD APPRECIATION OF FUNK AND ROCK AND LOVE OF FLEA. HE ALSO RUNS THE BAND DAY TO DAY, ITS A TOUGH JOB TO ORGANISE EVERYONE BUT THE HARDEST PART IS GETTING THEM TO DANCE AS WELL AS HIMSELF...