THE BAND
Welcome to the Trigger Happy website! The history of Trigger Happy is somewhat chequered – the true origins are lost in the midst of time; however we cut our teeth on the club scene at Twyford Social Club near Winchester. 80% of the band is based in the Hampshire area – the other 20% based in Richmond in Yorkshire (yeah we know, we know…).

The line-up consists of:
Mark Knowles - Vocals
James Walker - Lead Guitar
Mike Allison - Rhythm Guitar & Vocals
Tim Matthews - Drums (South)
Phil Upton - Drums (North)
Sean Allison - Bass

Mark Knowles (Vocals) – Mark's life is a sad, sad story!

At the age of three he was deserted by his Father, Sakomoto - a well respected Samurai Warrior - after discovering that Suki T'ard, his beautiful Geisha wife had a sordid affair with Colin, the owner of a local sushi bar, some 9 months prior to Mark being born. In a fit of rage, Sakomoto beheaded Suki with one swift fling of his 900 year old Sword which was sharp as fuck! and then himself committed Hara Kiri, leaving the fledgling Mark alone, cold and frightened.

He was found, crawling around the streets near Tokyo, by some Tibetan Monks. They took him to their monastery high in the Himalayas, where Mark would spend his next 6 years in an orphanage there.

At 13, Mark fled the Orphanage and made his way through the shark infested mountains, to end up in Hong Kong, where he studied music and singing at the University of Wang King. After his period at Wang King came to an end, he decided to take up a career in the armed forces where he served as a rear gunner in the Salvation Army. He entertained the troops on many occasions with his unique singing voice - some say it is the voice of an Angel!! We say it is the voice of an angle iron beam being chewed up by a rotavator!

However, it is this voice that kept him alive for all those years. Through two world wars, and a botched vasectomy, Mark finally made it to our green and pleasant land, where his dream of becoming a singer in a rock and roll band was to become reality.

After pleading with Mike Allison of Trigger Happy for almost a year, Mike finally gave in and gave Mark his dream shot! - of being the front man of Trigger Happy.

Without Colin at the Sushi Bar, I wouldn't be telling this story.

Did Mark make it as a rock and roll singer? You decide!!


James Walker (Lead Guitar) – Single and chilled with blue eyes and big dick!
James Walker, never without a grin or a curious thought, is the true Trigger band member. Born in Newcastle, Staffordshire, he gained an interest in music from his cousins extensive record collection, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Metallica. It all led to him properly picking up the guitar when he was 15, his first being a wholly unglamorous Montgomery Ward catalog special accompanied by a shoe box with 4 inch speaker for an amp.

After picking up a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, James experimented by mixing and matching guitar parts to find his perfect sound before falling for a Steve Vai signature Ibanez Jem 7V. In a determined (and successful) effort to upgrade his equipment, James even took a shift at Burger King to get the cash together for his first Marshall amp. Around that time, James also co-founded Rent a Hero with Chris Thomas, a key vocalist from London.

A keen student of his instrument even today, James followed his first 'Kill 'Em All' tour by taking lessons from Joe Satriani, and embarked upon a passage of guitar self-education that took in jazz, blues and classical styles. Indeed, education has always been James’s answer to potential burnout. After the marathon 'Pull the Trigger' album tour ended in early 2006, he immediately took a break to get pissed with his friends at Keele University.

James continues to bring not only a dazzling array of lead guitar parts to Triggers music but also some savage rifferey, having started sharing 6-string duties with Mike during the 'Trigger' era.

James’s gear:


Mike Allison (Rhythm Guitar & Vocals) – Born and raised in the pit and power station belt of good old Yorkshire – life was hard back then slogging down’t pit, but we were hard lads and proud of it. Me and me mates used to nut coal out of seam – drills is for poofs!!

At the tender age of 17, I realised one cold and windy night that it wasn’t just for pissing through. I had a dream of becoming a rich girls plaything. The only way I could see of achieving this was by becoming a rock guitarist, so I squandered all me hard earned cash on some guitars.

Never did learn to play properly, and the only time rich girls speak to me is to tell me to fuck off!! ……………. We do however have our own following of ‘Trigger Chicks’ - I love 'em!

Mike’s gear:


Tim Matthews (Drums - South) – Born in 1970 in Southampton. Started hitting mums pots and pans when he was 3 and as far as the rest of the band are concerned they reckon he would play better with the pots and pans!!! Has played along with all the greats in his time, Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Stones, The Who and many other class acts but always had to stop by 7.00 pm as his Mum said the record player was always on too loud and his younger sister needed to get to sleep. Was head-hunted by "Mad Mike" Allison, budding lead guitarist, to form the now legendary Hampshire rockers "Trigger Happy".

Always the joker, he finds nothing more satisfying than forgetting parts of his drum kit and asking friends and family to run around after him, picking up the equipment that he has 'forgotten' whilst he supps a pint at the venue. Tim also looks after security arrangements for the band, choosing to see how far he can shove drumsticks up the noses of 'beered-up' punters who think it's funny to fuck about with the band's gear! All in all, a bloody nice bloke, dedicated family man and D.I.Y enthusiast. Wanker!


Phil Upton (Drums - North) – Much to the annoyance of his parents, Phil has been banging things since he was aged 5!

Progressing from biscuit tins and cardboard containers, his first real kit comprised just a Snare drum and small cymbal when he was 10. By 12 this had been upgraded to a second-hand Ajax kit, which his Dad re-sprayed blue, and was his first gigging kit - well 1 real gig!

The teenage years saw the inevitable growth of stubble, bell bottom trousers and cow bells. The latter not on the kit but worn round his neck. How we enjoyed the 60’s and early 70's... Various attempts were made at forming bands which resulted in his first public performance with Peppermint Rainbow who were successful in winning a local talent contest going on to be placed 5th in the South East finals.

Early 20’s saw the arrival of a Pearl outfit but the onset of parenthood meant that the sticks, and the kit, had to go in favour of nappies and a vague attempt at being responsible.

Nearly 30 years later, and in the midst of his own mid-life crisis, Phil plucked up the courage, bought a nice new Yamaha kit and started playing again at the Sunday night jam sessions held in Richmond. It wasn’t long before he was back up to speed and playing regularly in a number of local bands.

Whilst all musicians have dreams of playing with their hero’s or hearing those magic words at a big concert – “our drummers hurt himself, is there anyone here that can play?”, The Blind Boys of Richmond enables Phil to live out his fantasy. Well one of them anyway...!

Phil's gear:

Yamaha Stage Custom kit in natural wood finish including:

Sabian Cymbals including:

Istanbul

Vater Los Angeles 5A sticks
 


Sean Allison (Bass) – Lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire. He started playing the bass guitar back in 2005, having bought a ’62 re-issue US Fender Stratocaster from Mike Allison (see above). However he quickly learned that there was no way on earth he would ever be able to play it – mainly because his fingers were too fat! Sean then followed the logical progression of fat-fingered guitarists and bought a bass instead...

He practices remotely from the rest of the band (soft southern shandy drinking puffs) by listening to CDs in the frozen north and practices to them; he then turns up on stage with the rest of the band on a pre-arranged date (hopefully with the same play list as them) and the show begins.  He can be easily spotted on-stage as being the miserable one stood at the back...

Sean travels anything up to 300 miles for a gig with the lads, even if he does end up banging on about the fact that he is only getting 40 quid for the gig and it has cost £70 in juice, not to mention the kebab on the way back to Mick’s house....

Can regularly be found in the Town Hall Pub in Richmond (YORKSHIRE) on a Sunday night with members of his other band The Blind Boys of Richmond (www.blindboys.co.uk).

Sean's gear

 


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