11/07/2010:
Another good gig at Harrisons on Saturday, we had to do it as a five piece, as James had 'permission' to attend his stag night in the west country. We had enough material to put on a good show without him, but we will welcome him back for the next gig.
28/06/2010:
The band played it's first gig in Dave Charles home town of Evesham on Friday JUne 18th. It was a great gig and we have been re-booked for a further two gigs this autumn. This gig also featured the debut of a classic AC/DC song, You Shook Me All Night Long. Shame about the England result!!
16/05/2010:
After a bit of a lay-off, we retuned to the live scene with an excellent gig at The Turf. The crowd demanded more so we enjoyed giving three encores. They would have had us there all night!!
22/03/2010:
The band eased back into action at a gig in Shirley on Saturday,and will now be concentrating on adding a few more songs to our set list over the next few weeks.
26/02/2010:
Due to the bereavement of a family member of one of the band, we have had to cancel our forthcoming gigs at The Queens Head, Wolverley and Harrisons at Cannock. We will be back at both venues later this year.
14/02/2010:
The band donated their services totally free to help raise money for charity, at Alvechurch WMS Club. It was a great night and and the full house were 'up for it' right from the start.
01/02/2010:
A very enjoyable 'Burns' night in the wilds of Staffordshire. Nigel just made it in time, having driven half way to the gig, before he realised he had left his guitars at home!!
Oh forgot to mention. The band played four new songs for the first time live and we think they were liked by the crowd.
18/01/2010:
The band enjoyed a productive first rehearsal in 2010, and have added another 3 songs to the set list and a revamp to one of our existing. Can you spot the changes on our 'set-list' page?
Also we have started to pick some new material for improving the set as this year unfolds.
21/12/2009:
A great xmas atmosphere at The Captain Webb, as the band signed off for 2009's Pub-Rock circuit. We have been invited back for two gigs next year, with the later one an 'Xmas' gig in December.
14/11/2009:
The band played at two new venues in November. The RED LION at Shirley and The TURF St Georges Nr Telford. Both were very enjoyable and we have been invited back again for dates next year.
19/10/2009:
We played our most prestigious gig to date at The Roadhouse last Friday and I don't think there was anyone in the place who did not enjoy the show. We will be back again some time next year.
27/09/2009:
The bands autumn comitments started on Thursday with a gig at The Thorns, quickly followed by a Saturday visit to Harrisons. On both occasions the crowd were up for a boogie. Harrisons saw the debut of two new songs, Nutbush City Limits and Gimme All Your Lovin.
Both venues want us back in 2010.
01/09/2009:
After several weeks combined summer break, the band assembled for a cracking gig at The Hop Pole. The full house really enjoyed the night, just as much as we all did.
Anoother short holiday break is now under way, but we can't wait to start the autumn / winter period off with a bang at The Thorns. The set will have a few new songs added from our last visit.
06/07/2009
The Contraband provided the evenings entertainment at The Queens Head, Wolverley after the annual Carnival. Playing to the crowd on an open air stage. It was great fun and Robert Plant was in the crowd!
14/06/2009:
The Contra Band played at a 60th surprise party yesterday, at the aptly named ROCK VILLAGE HALL. It was a great venue and a great night. Sound problems during soundcheck was eventually traced to the hearing aid induction circuit. A note to remember in future.
07/06/2009:
The band played their first gig at The Venue nr Telford on Saturday. The owner was very pleased with what we did and asked us to play on New Years Eve. We were happy to say yes.
09/05/2009:
A true sign of a good band is being offered a repeat booking, so it's no surprise to see that the venues we have previously played to date, have asked us back later in the year.
There will of course be several new songs that will be featured in the second half of this year, a few lead vocals being handled by Dave and James.
04/04/2009:
Our new guitarist James Bateman made his debut at The Thorns last Thursday. We all enjoyed the venue and the feedback from the management was excellent. We hope to be back later this year.
20/03/2009:
GIG UPDATES: Please note that the Queens Head date has be rearranged for Saturday July 4th. Also The Old Mill in West Bromwich, has changed hands and the new owners have cancelled all live music bookings.
16/03/2009:
Paul Batterton played his final gig with the band at The Wishing Well on Friday the 13th of all days. But whilst it may have been 'unlucky' for some, it turned out to be one of the best gigs we have done so far. A great and appreciative crowd, who must have not fancied watching Red Nose on the BBC. A very good gig for Paul to bow out on.
01/03/2009:
We had a great time playing our first ever mid-week gig at The Harvester. A very good crowd for a Wednesday, who certainly enjoyed having a good old boogie. Look forward to going back later this year.
12/22/2009:
We are pleased to have our new guitarist James Bateman on board. James teaches guitar at Mathew Boulton College and obviously has a good musical pedigree. He takes over from Paul and he is looking forward to making his debut in April. He will also be the new 'youngster' of the band.
09/02/2008:
Contraband played their first ever gig in Telford at The Fountain. It was a very good night and the fact that the gaffer is a 'sax' nut made it all the more enjoyable for me. It was also a pleasnt change to have a 10min drive home afterwards.
22/12/2008:
The band concluded 2008 with gigs at The Wishing Well and played their first ever gig at the Queens Head, Wolverley. Dave played on both occasions.
A few new songs were performed for the first time, namely, I Feel Good, Run To You and Kiss Me.
We all look forward to returning to action at the Hop Pole in January.
22/11/2008:
The band are pleased to welcome David Charles in to the band on guitar and backing vocals. David has returned to playing live, after a break of about 15 years. David will eventually replace Paul, who will sadly be leaving us due to increased work commitments by the middle of next year.
12/10/2008:
The band returned to playing live after a very long summer lay-off, to The Hop Pole. The decent crowd were impressed and entertained. We can't wait for the next one.
11/09/2008:
The three new DEMO tracks mentioned below, have now been recorded and are downloadable from our MP3 Music Files page. I think it's fair to say, that we are very happy with them.
12/08/2008:
The band are working on three demo songs that should be completed over the next few weeks. RESCUE ME, TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN and the chart topper MERCY.
08/07/2008:
Second Warm - Up gig
A successful second gig at Harrisons Sports Club was enjoyed by a decent crowd. The band expect to play again there again early 2009.
07/06/2008:
The Contraband play their first gig
At the Windmill Lye. We all enjoyed the set that included FIVE new songs. We have been asked back for a date to be confirmed in October.
Note: The band recently recorded Black Velvet using their own studio and are pleased with the results. (See Downloads)
26/05/2008:
Mandy Reaches Final of Song Contest
A friend of Mandy's recently suggested Mandy should enter a song contest in Telford because some decent prizes were up for grabs.
At first Mandy was not keen, but her persistent friend eventually talked her into it, so Mandy entered "Just for a laugh". However, she got through the heats and semi-final and then on into the final. I popped along for moral support and was quite impressed by at least seven of the ten contestants, in fact it must have been a tough call for the judges.
Pleased to say Mandy turned it on and made second spot, that won her a nice cash prize. Not bad for a few songs.
8/03/2008:
Welcome to THE CONTRA BAND
It became evident that two key members of The Bootlegs were finding it increasingly difficult to commit the necessary time to the band.
Guitarist Jon Lighting had a separate role in indie band The Brascoes, who have been trying hard to get signed to a recording contract. This entails lots of gigs and rehearsals and it probably came as some relief for Jon to step down. We wish him all the best.
Singer Allan Sharpe was finding combining a band plus work and family commitments quite difficult. I'm sure he will be back singing again when he 'recharges his batteries'
So moving on, the remaining members, Barrett, Batterton, Minett & Stone, fronted by Mandy Nuttall will be arriving soon. The addition of a male vocalist to share duties with Mandy is almost in place and we hope to add a second guitar in the near future.