Geoff Murrell

I am a singer/musician who plays mainly bars and restaurants in the Almeria region of Spain, both solo, in the duo ‘m&m’, in the newly formed duo ‘Los Desperados’, with the classic rock band Stiff Upper Lip, with the Beatles tribute band ‘Beatles in Rock’, with the Anglo/Spanish rock band ‘Letsi’, with the pop, rock, soul, blues and ska band ‘Rewind’, and most recently the newly formed rock band Contraband. Phew, busy, busy!

In my youth I sang with various local bands but gave it up in 1976 when I moved away. It wasn’t until around the late 1990s that I decided to get back into live music and answered a newspaper ad for a singer for a new ‘progressive rock’ band that were forming in the Reading area. I auditioned and got the job. We called the band G-Mark, and it was a semi-pro venture as all the guys, including me, had day jobs. We played original material that we wrote ourselves, with some covers, and developed a good local following. We played at various functions in and around the Thames Valley area, including weddings and parties, and some decent sized venues, including South Street Reading. 

Playing original material is rewarding, but I wanted to sing songs the audience knew. I moved to Abingdon Oxfordshire in 2004, and answered an ad in an Abingdon music shop for a singer for a rock covers band. I auditioned and got the job, so that began my five year stint with Oxfordshire’s premier rock covers band ‘Nameless’. We were very popular and busy, and during those five years I had gigs most weekends, Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2007 I got a call from the old bass player in G-Mark, who had disbanded, and he invited me to join a Who tribute band they were forming called ‘Who Are You’. I have always loved the music of the Who so I went along and ended up joining them. I decided to keep on with Nameless, so for the next year I juggled engagements with both bands and was able to successfully fulfill both roles. ‘Who Are You’ have played some prestigious gigs, including South Street Reading, Brighton Pier and the Who fan club convention.

In April 2009 I was forced to give up both bands when we moved to Canillas de Albaida, in Spain, although I did return to the UK in June and September 2009, to play gigs with ‘Who Are You’ when my replacement in the band was unavailable.

In November 2009 I got together with two other ex-pat musicians in the Competa area of Spain and formed the acoustic trio ‘By The Way’. We were together for about a year and played many local venues, performing our mix of acoustic, pop, folk and rock. After ‘By The Way’, I played in a trio called ‘MPG’ for a couple of years, and we enjoyed a good deal of success locally. https://www.facebook.com/MPGtrio/

During this period, I decided that it was time to go alone and got myself some solo gigs using backing tracks, and on some songs my guitar. Since then the act’s gone from strength to strength, and I’ve expanded my repertoire to a point where I can offer a broad variety of songs and styles, and even offer a whole night of exclusively Country music, Rock music or Beatles music for example, and most recently I have performed a night of Songs from the Shows. I sing a wide variety of music, from swing to rock, pop to country and soul to folk. This variety is my hallmark, something for everyone.

We moved from Malaga to Almeria province in 2015, where I continue to do my solo show and where I have become involved in various musical collaborations. First there was the band ‘Stiff Upper Lip’, a four piece rock covers band, which we formed about four years ago, and is still going strong.  https://www.facebook.com/Stiff-Upper-Lip-219960941691887/?tn-str=k*F Stiff Upper Lip also has an alto ego ‘Beatles in Rock’, formed at the end of 2017 to gig as a Beatles tribute, same band members, just exploring our mutual love of Beatles music.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1941476922791809/

I have always enjoyed playing as a duo, so a little later in early 2016, I got together with a terrific pianist called Jim Mackie. As you might expect, with a name like Mackie, Jim hails from Scotland and is one of the best boogie-woogie piano players you could ever hope to meet. We met at an occasional musical evening called ‘Traveling Acoustic’, which meets at various venues, at various times, all very fluid. Anyway, we agreed to try out some music together, and hit it off from day one, Jim on keyboards and vocals and me playing a little guitar and singing. Since then we’ve played occasionally, but regularly, doing specials such as Burns Nights, Christmas shows, as well as mixed music sets and our popular Rock’n’Roll Revues.  https://www.facebook.com/mackieandmurrell/

During 2017, I had started rehearsing with a Spanish drummer, and a couple of other guys, with the intension of forming a blues band. That band didn’t materialise, but I stayed in touch with Antonio the drummer, and later when they were looking for a singer for another rock band, they contacted me, and I was delighted to join the Anglo/Spanish rock band that became ‘Letsi’. https://www.facebook.com/Letsi-457112711888642/?modal=admin_todo_tour  We have played regularly over the last two years, and have gone from strength to strength, now with two fabulous lead guitarists, giving us unique possibilities.

At around the same time I had been singing regularly with a very talented female singer called Charlie. We decided to formalise things and give our duo a name, so we formed ‘Bliss’. I think we were very good, but unfortunately Charlie had to leave Spain for the UK, so Bliss was short lived.

About a year ago, I was asked by ‘Bongo Bob’ and Andy (drums and sax) if I’d be interested in forming a pop, rock, soul, reggae, ska and blues band. Things had gone a little quiet gig wise, so I accepted and the five piece band ‘Rewind’ was born. https://www.facebook.com/rewind.spain/?modal=admin_todo_tour I’m pleased I said yes, because Rewind have proved very popular, and have kept me busy for most of 2019. They are great fun, and having an accomplished sax player, we are able to offer a varied set, and something different.

My good friend, the lovely Carol George has been singing locally for a few years, and we have been joining each other on a few duets, regularly over the last year or more. We’ve been told often how well our voices go together, and as we were doing more and more collaborations, we decided to make it official and formed Los Desperados. Most of the material we do is sweet harmonies, so the Desperados name is a bit of a joke, but we were photographed under a neon advertising sign for the beer of that name, and we liked it so much, that’s what we called ourselves.  

So to bring this story bang up to date, as of December 2019. The very talented husband and wife team of Rich and Mel, lead guitar and bass respectively, had been playing in an excellent trio called K3, with Colsten Pils, our superb drummer from ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ and ‘Beatles in Rock’. Rich was doing most of the singing, but decided he’d like to concentrate more on guitar, without the distraction of vocals. Back in the summer of 2019, while they were in the UK, they asked me if I be interested in joining them in a four piece line up of the band, so ‘Contraband’ was born. We have been rehearsing hard and have gigs lined up for Jan 2020, so watch this space.

Finally, I am involved as part owner of a new local radio station called Breeze 97.7 https://www.facebook.com/groups/553806162128749/  As I write we are about to go live on the internet, with FM transmission to the Almanzora valley area to follow very shortly. This partnership with Bobby Gray and Geoff Feelgood is an exciting departure for me, and one I am looking forward to very much. Bobby and I have also formed a gigging partnership called ‘Sing and Spin’, for events where a live singer and DJ are required, where we are just the ticket, as they say. We did our first gig together very recently, a Christmas party for a local ladies group, which went very well. We also have a booking for New Year’s Eve, so that seems a suitable note on which to conclude this biog, for the moment. See you all in 2020!