BIO
ANDREW T. IRVINE
Born on April, 9th
1969, Raised in Webster NY,
I received a bass guitar for my 12th birthday. My life has been full of music ever since that day. I have played thousands of gigs and contributed bass and guitar tracks to over 25 full length albums, all of which I am very proud. My music career taken me all over the US, and also to Canada and England. I estimate that I have been a member of 50 bands. I now reside in Winter Park, CO. Over the years I have experienced spectacular highs and devastating lows. I have been blessed with wonderful opportunities and been dealt my share of disappointments. All of these challenges are what add up to my life experience. I would not change a thing. From this life experience I am able to draw inspiration and creativity, a gift for which I am eternally grateful.
STYLES: AGGRESSIVE FUNKY ROCK BASS, BLUESY FUNKY ROCK GUITAR
CURRENT ROSTER OF BANDS THAT I PERFORM WITH REGULARLY THROUGHOUT COLORADO:
|
ANDY IRVINE BLUES COLLECTIVE |
BASS |
BLUES |
|
WAPITI JAZZ PROJECT |
STRING BASS |
JAZZ |
|
JUICEBOX |
LEAD GUITAR |
70ŐS SOUL, FUNK, R&B |
|
THE ANDREW IRVINE BAND |
BASS/GUITAR |
ORIGINAL, SPIRITUAL , ROCK |
Spry Junior High Gymnasium, 1983, hard rock and metal band GRAY HAVEN performed for students and faculty.
Red Creek Inn, Rochester, NY, 1985, I attended a Stanley Clarke concert with my mom where I was invited to sit in with the band. A fearless 15 years old, I oblige.
Apollo Theater, Harlem, NY, 1988, Monroe Community College Jazz choir, NOON FLIGHT traveled to NYC to open the Live At The Apollo Show.
Oak Tree, Rochester NY, 1988, I landed a gig playing with James BrownŐs tenor sax man Pee Wee Ellis.
Bitter End, NY, 1989, experimental pop band CLANG was invited to perform a showcase at the New Music Seminar. The show was recorded by MTV and portions were aired on ŇThe Week In RockÓ show. Clang would return to NYC and perform at CBGBŐs later that year.
Tampa Theater, Tampa, FL, 1990, CLANG relocated to Tampa and was immediately invited to perform at the South East Music Conference. The group would go on to receive awards for Best Pop Band and Best Song Writer at the Tampa Bay Music awards.
CLANG followed with two critically acclaimed albums: Pol Pot Pie in 1992 and The Curse Of Clang in 1995. In addition, CLANG recorded full length albums with falsetto king TINY TIM, PRISONER OF LOVE, and shock rock performance artist GG ALLEN. After seven years of touring, recording and label showcasing CLANG disbanded.
The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa, FL, 1996, instrumental jazz fusion trio BEANSTALK opened for Brian McKnight to a sold out crowd.
The University of South Florida Jazz Festival, Tampa, FL, 1997, BEANSTALK was invited to perform and was featured with Gerald Albright and Kevin Eubanks.
London, England, 1997, I was hired to play bass with John Wesley. We traveled to England and recorded the critically acclaimed Emperor Falls album.
1998 and 1999 BEANSTALK would tour almost without rest, playing in 70+ cities around the entire US and logging over 275 shows per year. During this time the band released four independent full-length albums: Synergy, Trading Paint, Live at Magnolia Fest and Playground. Hundreds of bootleg recordings also exist due to the bands open taping policy. Personal frustration [mostly due to my growing problems associated with alcohol] and unrealistic expectations caused my abrupt departure from the band.
Irving Plaza, NY, 1999, singer-songwriter John Wesley hired me for a tour. In New York, we played the final show of a successful east coast tour that also included shows at the 930 Club in DC and TLA in Philly.
Winter Park, CO, 2000, I accepted a job as an agent for a small booking agency. I planned to take much needed time off from touring. After three months of this job, I quit and formed the psycho-funk-fusion trio THE FREAKS, and began performing in the area.
Winter Park CO, 2001, I attended a concert by funk jazz group Carlos Washington And The Amazing Giant People. The following day I auditioned with the band and joined them shortly afterwards.
Jackson Hole, WY, 2002, GIANT PEOPLE played two sold out shows at the Mangy Moose for New Years.
In 2001 and 2002, I toured consistently with GIANT PEOPLE performing hundreds of concerts throughout the US. For a year I relocated to San Diego, CA. There I lived with Cuban guitarist Ignacio Arango, a man who had a great influence on me. I believe that this period in my career exhibited some of my funkiest playing. I also began to compose a large number of tunes, eight of which eventually became regular additions to the GIANT PEOPLE concerts. This time would prove to be very difficult and painful for me. Alcohol was taking its toll on me and on those around me. I decided that I had enough and returned to Winter Park to be with my now wife Kay and to seek necessary help for my drinking.
Winter Park Resort, Winter Park, CO, 2003, 80Ős metal tribute band HUGE IN GERMANY debuts for the highest elevation rock concert at 11700 ft. Hundreds attend.
Winter Park, CO, 2004, I formed a partnership with singer-songwriter Eric Olson and formed pop rock group STEREOMAID. We immediately began performing and recording demos for a future album release.
Telluride, CO, 2005, I was asked to play at the Blues and Brews festival with Houston based Singer Diunna Greenleaf. Also on the main stage that day, Maceo Parker and Robert Cray performed. I played several more blues festival with Diunna the following summer and continue to play with her regionally.
Fox Theater, Boulder, CO, 2005, pop rock band STEREOMAID opens for UK based art rock band Porcupine Tree. This night serves as a reunion for me and my old friend John Wesley who is currently playing guitar with Porcupine Tree.
Having become actively involved in a twelve-step program for alcohol, I have been enjoying a much happier life of sobriety. I have a great deal of gratitude for all those who helped save my life. My spiritual growth continues one day at a time.
Through my recovery process, I began to write songs based on all of my life experiences. I am amazed at the amount of inspiration that has come to me as a result of life-changing events. I have completed the material for two full-length albums: the first to be titled Time To Give It Back, and the second to follow called In My Skin. This collection of music is best described as spiritual funky rock. The song lyrics are about love, hope, faith, fear, insecurity and loneliness. The material is intensely personal, yet most people can relate to the ideas to their own experience. In 2006, I will travel to Tampa and NY to enlist the services of several musician and producer friends for the completion of TIME TO GIVE IT BACK.
ANDY IRVINE ORIGINALS SONGLIST
Time to give it back
All of our dreams
Heaven has a heart
Let it swing
Outside
Drift
In my skin
As far as my eyes can see
Taking comfort
Shaky
Who you are
Keeping on for you
Sing this song
My best friend
What I know now
Whole lotta nothing
Pistol ballerina
Ecstasy
A piece of rope
In a lonely war
Reach out and grab it
Just a breath away
Recovery
Trouble Trouble
Rain and snow
You got a job
ItŐs all in your mind
The next right thing
Highway 40 boogie
Scat Scat
Gooseneck mama
Ramble Ramble
Blue in the face
In America
Casual
Rumble seat
The peoples groove
HERE IS A BASSIC DISCOGRAPHY:
|
CLANG |
POL POT PIE |
1992 |
|
CLANG |
THE CURSE OF CLANG |
1995 |
|
BEANSTALK |
SYNERGY |
1996 |
|
BEANSTALK |
TRADING PAINT |
1998 |
|
BEANSTALK |
LIVE AT MAGNOLIA FEST |
1999 |
|
BEANSTALK |
PLAYGROUND |
2000 |
|
TINY TIM |
PRISONER OF LOVE |
1994 |
|
GG ALLEN |
WATCH ME KILL |
1995 |
|
JOHN WESELY |
CLOSING OF THE PALE BLUE EYES |
1995 |
|
JONH WESELY |
THE EMPEROR FALLS |
1997 |
|
ANNA O |
SUGER POP |
1999 |
|
ANNA O |
HORSES GOD AND THE PERFECT KISS |
2002 |
|
PAT FOY |
SOUTH FLORIDA ROOFERS BLUES |
1997 |
|
CRASH MITCHEL |
KANTANKEROUS |
1999 |
|
PETE HOULE |
ALL HITS ARE GREAT |
1998 |
|
PW FENTON |
LIKE TEARS IN RAIN |
1998 |
|
SARASOTA SLIM |
HUNGRY MAN |
1997 |
|
SARASOTA SLIM |
BOURBON TO BEALE |
2000 |
OTHER ARTISTS I HAVE RECORDED WITH:
I have also recorded with the following artists: MAGGIE COUNCIL, BLIND WILLY JAMES, DIAMOND TEETH MARY, HIPPO, GRAVITY KILLS [REMIXES], THE BEASLYS, and FRAN SNYDER
INFLUENCES, INSPIRATION, AND INTERESTS
BASS: Steve Harris, John Paul Jones, Geezer Butler, Stanley Clarke, Louis Johnson, Jaco Pastorious, Bruce Thomas, James Jameson, Lemmy, Rocco Prestia, Rodney [SKEET] Curtis, Bootsy Collins, Cliff Burton. Paul McCartney, Michael Anthony, Cliff Williams, Larry Graham
GUITAR: Freddie King, BB King, Albert King, T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Muddy Watters, Chuck Berry, Ritchie Blakemore, Vivian Camble, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Randy Roads
SONGWRITERS: Steve Harris, Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy, Warren Zevon, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Carlos Washington, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Jimmy Paige, Paul Reller, Rob Halford, Glen Tipton, Al Stewart, James Brown, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bob Marley
INSPIRATION: Abraham Lincoln, Tom Osborne, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr, Bill W, Ernest Shakelton, Tony Dungy, Bruce Smith, Ignacio Arango, John Lynch, Leo Fender, The United States Constitution, Dr. Suess, Peaks And Valleys Club, Nebraska Football.
OTHER INTERESTS: Spending time with my fiance Kay Swanson and our dog Lilly, driving heavy machinery, [I work days at a gravel pit], restoring old Chevy pickup trucks, I currently have two in the works, a 1968 Step Side and a 1969 Short box Fleet Side, fishing, camping, skiing, motor cycles, mountain-biking, building my custom 800cc Arctic Cat snowmobile, mules.
INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT:
G&L L5500 Bass, SWR bass amps and cabinets
1977 Fender Telecaster, 1968 Gibson ES335, 80Ős Schecter telecaster
Fender Super Reverb, VOX AD50 guitar amps