Once upon a time Michael Cockerham (guitars), Matthew Sugden (bass), Lee Winfield (drums) and Paul Cave (guitars) found themselves searching for conkers in a giant's ear lobe. "As we all have brackets after our names listing the instruments we play, why don't we form a band" said one cheeky member of the group. "That's a good idea but we don't have a singer" said another...A period of sub-Pop Idol weirdness then began as every talentless wannabe frontman in town turned up to audition for the group after reading ads in local guitar shops/the music press (These included a forty year-old ex-professional footballer and a gospel singer who's Mum rang up before the audition to lecture us on the perils of alcohol). Although there were a few good singers in the 40+ who tried out no-one impressed the band enough to be asked to join.
A year later, and just as the group were beginning to think they would never find a vocalist, a drunken nite at an Eighties club resulted in the four members randomly approaching a long-haired urchin who looked as out of place as they did;
"You look cool, d'yer wanna be in our band? Oh and can you sing?"
Thankfully the answer was 'yes' on both counts and The Voltaires were born in January 2004 with said urchin, Gareth Williams, on lead vocals. Since then the band have been locked in their studio writing more songs than you could shake a stick at (unless you're the owner of some sort of stick waving machine), venturing out occasionally, bleary eyed and unfamiliar with the world, to subject gig-goers to their Punk-Blues-Psych-Pop racket.
Epilogue: The giant went on to have several top forty hits in Belgium before retiring last year to promote world peace and sell sweetcorn.
The Voltaires now get their conkers from under conker trees - safety first kids!
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