The Unusual Suspects

 Born into a musical family, Neil has been singing and playing musical instruments since the tender age of 3, when he learnt to play the pedal board of his Dad's electronic organ!  He has appeared in many musical theatre productions over the years, including Bugsy Malone, Fiddler on the Roof, Scrooge and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He trained for 3 years with the Southern School of Popular Singing, and has performed as principal vocalist in Musical Review shows at the Strand Theatre in London, The Pavilion in Bournemouth, The Mayflower in Southampton, and the Blackledge Theatre and City Hall in Salisbury.  He has produced and directed Musical Theatre Reviews for past and present stars of the West End at the Blackledge Theatre in Salisbury, and is delighted to be a founder member of the band!  Neil has previously been an Airman, an Electronics Engineer, a Tour Manager, a Police Officer, a trainee Hot Air Balloon Pilot, and has now settled as a Professional Singer and Voice Coach!  He has a full range of musical influences from the legendary Stevie Wonder, to Michael Ball, Colm Wilkinson and Michael Buble.  He finds it a pleasure being the front man of 'The Suspects', as he enjoys the diverse range of material, and most important of all, the band members are his best friends!'

 Mitch was allowed to join the band only after he'd promised to give up his teaching career and become a test pilot!! With rock, punk and indie roots, he'll give most types of music a whirl but draws the line at manufactured girl and boy bands. He loves the buzz of playing in the Unusual Suspects because they are a truly entertaining live act with a wide-ranging repertoire from the 1960s to the present day. As part of the band's 'engine room', Mitch plays a Fender Jazz Bass through a Laney hardcore amp with subtle or trouser-flapping results as required!!

 Graham (known as Dan) is an indie boy at heart and listens to guitar driven music by bands like Oasis, Supergrass and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.  He loves the musical diversity of The Unusual Suspects and really enjoys the wide range of material the band covers.  Favourite guitarists include Larry Miller, Gary Moore, George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix. Graham was a fighter pilot in the RAF for 16 years and now works as the Chief Test Pilot for an aviation company based in Bournemouth.  He plays a left handed Stratocaster through a Mesa Boogie amp and contributes both rhythm and lead guitar. 

Having left the armed forces where he was working as helicopter test pilot, Andy now flies jets for Cobham Aviation Services. In fact his new boss is the Chief Test Pilot at Cobham – that’s right, Dan the lead guitar player, a fact that causes the band much amusement ! Andy predominantly plays the saxophone but also adds other brass into the music with the trumpet and harmonica. The band is his passion and basically provides his social and recreational life outside of a busy family that includes a very patient wife, 2 boys and a princess. When not playing the saxophone, he likes to unwind on the piano on which he is ‘assistant’ teacher to his eldest son James.