User:Seanp wiki/sandbox/Scavengers (UK Band)

The New Scavengers are an English Rock/Pop band founded originally in London, UK as The Scavengers when Sean Pearce received a Bass guitar from his new Wife, as a present for Christmas, 1995. Upon returning to work in the New Year, 1996 he inquired with work colleagues ""What the hell do I do with this, now"? Australian co-worker Richard Hooper, a seasoned and keen amateur guitarist, resolved to have a jamming session to teach Sean "what the heck" he could do with his newly acquired bass. Subsequently Richard turned up at the Pearce abode one Saturday afternoon in early 1995 with his Red, headless XXXX Guitar, and amp; plus a handful of CDs by his favourite artists - mostly obscure Australian "three-chord" Pop outfit Rat Cat... Richard introduced Sean to the very basics of "this is in Key A", just play the root note "A" etc. along to the beat... Sean had the bug and "practised" but, like most of the formative Sex Pistols (one of his hero bands of youth), was completely talentless in identifying "the chord / root note" of any his favourite songs / artists. Being a complete Workaholic and "Hobbyolic", Richard started laying out "Tab" to many songs for Sean to practise.

Word spread around the office, and another close co-worker, Barry Judkins said that he too played guitar as a hobby - and had some formal classical guitar training. It was suggested that we get together at a convenient location and have some fun! The then newly acquired, but not yet fully occupied of their employers was chosen as a suitable venue for "rehearsals" and Wednesday evenings were chosen as a suitable day. Richard worked fervently to put together some Tab sheets of musical choices (of his taste). Thus the trio commuted with their instruments every Wednesday, and started "practising" after 5PM... Company directors turned a deaf ear, but for some reason a small band of groupies formed of Karen Orr (Richard's then girlfriend), Eleanor Judkins (Barry's Wife) and Trish Chambers (Fellow Perthie and office administrator). The impracticalities of commuting, not only with instruments, but the amps & leads etc. lead to Richard bringing in an old Hi-fi from home, and "the group" made their first purchase of a small analogue mixer from Maplin for £25... Hence, Two guitars, a bass and microphone were mixed down into the Aux-in on the little old hi-fi, which had lived its life to that point with Easy Listening and AOR (Australian Oriented Rock!) A small Sony portable CD player provided backing tracks. That little Hi-fi really was not up to the job of the load put on it, and soon started to sound rather more distorted than it aught to; without any guitar effects pedals! The original speakers of the Hi-fi soon gave up the ghost, and another co-worker (Tony Pritchard) supplied an excess set of Wharfdale speakers, which were gratefully received. Inevitably, everything was still just a little too quiet - and there was no desired 11 to turn the amp up to!

So the group went on their first "Scavenge" to the nearby X-Electrical in Islington to purvey their goods... The best they had in any kind of budget was a rack-mounted PA amp by 'H|H', which had probably not seen action since the 70s; was hastily purchased to give those Wharfdales a little more oomph.

Band members
Current members
 * Barry Judkins – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1996, 2020–present)
 * Sean Pearce – bass (1996, 2020–present), mixing &amp; arrangements (2020–present)
 * Steve Vaughan – vocals (1996, 2020–present), keys (2020–present)
 * Joseph Pearce – guitars, backing vocals (2020–present)

Former members
 * Richard Hooper – lead guitar, vocals, drum programming, arrangement, workaholic (1996)
 * Mr Bong! – drums, strings, piano (1996)
 * Karen Orr – lyrics, roadie (1996)