The Blue Collar Band
The Blue Collar Band is a versatile and tight 4-piece band portraying a happy bluesy and soul flavour.
Consisting of two versatile guitarists, bass and drums, a unique feature of the band is that all members of the band perform strong, soulful, bluesy lead vocals.
Blue Collar Band perform their adaptations of many obscure blues & soul numbers, however, they also add popular, well-known blues songs.
The versatility of the band allows them to play a wide range and style of blues; from the Memphis style of B.B. King to the Chicago feel of Muddy Waters, from driving blues-rock to jazz, swing and country style blues to rock-n-roll.
When performing known blues numbers like Sweet Home Chicago and other similar numbers from artists like Clapton & JJ Cale, the band definitely prefer to play their own arrangements which enables their own individual expression to be incorporated into the tune.
'Wails' (Andrew) Taylor, the band's indigenous, blind guitarist vocalist looks (and sounds) like RAY CHARLES and those legendary early USA bluesmen way back.
'Wails' has a natural gift as a vocalist and the other members are always amazed at how he can sing with so much soul and at the same time proficiently play guitar - without eyesight!
He also writes many original songs and is well known around Auckland (in fact he is a legend to many), having performed in a number of well known Auckland Bands over the decades and also has performed as a busker.
Phil Pritchard on lead & slide guitar is brilliant with the musical arrangements and has previously played with several world famous Bands (while living in Australia for 20 years).
Greer Wilcox plays both 4 and 5 string bass and together with Dennis, forms a really tight rhythm section.
Greer also plays Hammond organ and rhythm guitar.
Dennis Kingston the band's drummer says Greer plays on the mark and right in my pocket.
He, Phil and Greer also all contribute backing vocals in many of Wails's numbers.
For more details, please visit the band’s web site: www.bluecollarband.co.nz
