Rob Bates

Biography of Rob Bates – Keyboards, Guitars

1981 to 1982 – Tension / Halcyon

Rob grew to regret the granite guitar

I was asked to join my first band at the age of 15 by Ian Memmott, my best friend’s older brother – not because of my consummate skill on the piano (Grade 1 no less – well you can’t get less if truth be told), but because I was the only person he knew with a portable keyboard (an old 60s organ – probably worth a fortune on the retro market now, if only I’d kept it). So despite the fact that I hadn’t touched the piano since the age of 11, Ian steered us down the Progressive Rock route, centred around his genuine skill of course – there can’t be many bands whose first cover was King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man. A fortnight after forming we’d made a two song demo tape and entered the TSB Rock School championship. Amazingly we got through to the Regional Finals, and suddenly realised we had another two weeks to get a 20 minute set together – so in true Prog Rock style, our three minute demo song became a 20 minute epic of meandering guitar solos, two verses and a chorus! Needless to say, we didn’t win. Andrew joined after a few months to provide some proper vocals, and we moved towards more traditional heavy rock. Changed our name to Halcyon in early 82 for self-protection (the drummer wanted to change the name – nobody argued with Higgy!). Played a few gigs at the school, and disbanded when the older guys left for college.

Members

Rob Bates – Keyboards
Adrian Cavinder – Bass
Philip Higginson – Drums
Ian Memmott – Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Scattergood – Vocals

Most notable achievement – Regional Finals of the TSB Rock School competition – one song, 20 minutes!

1982 to 1984 – Amethyst

Adrian and I wanted to form a new band at the school, and luckily discovered that two of our friends could play guitar and drums. After a brief flirtation with the terrible name Psi-Phi, and me on lead vocals, we discovered another friend, Dave, who could actually sing and be a front man. Quickly changed our name to Amethyst – more in keeping with our Heavy Metal sound – wrote some songs, learned some covers, and played a few gigs at school (including playing the theme song from Fame for the local primary schools – as a reciprocal favour for the very supportive head of music at the school, John Sheldon!). During this time I taught myself to play the guitar (after a fashion), and started alternating between guitar and keyboards for different songs. Adrian got “bored” after a year and left: he was firstly replaced by Yobber (real name lost in the mists of time), who left school after a couple of months and was replaced by Janet, who played the bass in the school orchestra in lieu of a proper double bass. Janet was a very nice, quiet and shy girl who stunned us all by turning up to her first gig in skin-tight leather trousers! Unfortunately she went on to pursue a career in Accounting, so her brief taste of Rock ‘n’ Roll excess was stifled – such a waste. Disbanded when we all left the sixth from and went our separate ways.

Members

Rob Bates – Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Adrian Cavinder – Bass
Mike Dillon – Drums
Dave Jones – Vocals
Jamie Quirk – Guitar
Janet Urmston – Bass
Yobber – Bass

Most notable achievement – Blowing up the guitarist with a pyro at one of our gigs (he survived – his trousers didn’t).

1990 to 1991 – Pagan Lords

Despite spending four of the intervening six years at a traditional hotbed of rock bands, it wasn’t until after my time at university (and a late night rambling conversation) that the Pagan Lords came into being. This was instigated by my friend Tony, who had never been in a band before, but had always wanted to. I already knew that our mutual friend Nick was a drummer (with his own kit!), and Tony knew Chris had played bass before. We started writing songs in a Goth-Punk style (Tony’s choice) round at Tony’s house, and his housemate Martin bought a guitar and joined in. Put together enough for a gig, but we just weren’t good enough to play it! I then made the mistake of trying to improve the band by suggesting a personnel change – despite agreement from the others, the band fell apart after the dirty deed was done, and I was left with the blame – never again! (Tip: just let bands fizzle out, go off and join another one, avoid confrontation when friends are involved…. oh, and never start a land war in Asia).

Members

Chris Adams – Bass
Tony Aldridge – Vocals
Rob Bates – Guitar, Keyboards
Martin Blayney – Guitar
Nick May – Drums

Most notable achievement – Wrote one song about being happy!

1991 to 1993 – Twelfth House

After rekindling our desire for playing in a band, Nick and I asked around our mutual friends and found the talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known to mundane earthlings as Ken Bearman, who brought along a bassist and guitarist, and our astrological band name. We soon had enough songs to play gigs, of which there were many – most at Birmingham University – and we gelled together pretty well. Popular enough to get asked to support “name” bands at the university.

Members

Rob Bates – Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ken Bearman – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Paul Blackman – Bass
Nick May – Drums
Dan Rogers – Lead Guitar

Most notable achievement – The successful first Finstock Farm gig – in a field with a scaffold-rigged stage, huge PA and a load of lights.

1992 to 1994 – Love Commandos (Mk 1)

When the first Finstock Farm gig was being planned (by mutual friend Ian Ward – grandiose schemer, chemist and all-round danger to human safety), it was clear that Twelfth House on their own would not be sufficient for such an event. Rather than be sensible and find a band willing to play support, we decided to keep it to people we knew, and form a one gig band playing standard heavy rock covers. Three rehearsals later we were playing a one hour set, and we went down a storm. Having enjoyed it so much (I got to play guitar solos – wa-hey!), we decided to do some more occasional gigs. Of course we stuck to the principle of minimal rehearsals beforehand (no more than four), but we did change the set each time, and ended up with quite a large repertoire – even managing a two hour set for one gig.

Members

Rob Bates – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Paul Blackman – Bass
Neil Horsburgh – Lead Vocals
Nick May – Drums
Paul Moody – Occasional Saxophone, drinking at the bar when due on the stage

Most notable achievement – Full one hour gig with drums, amps, PA and lights in Neil’s average-sized living room, including guest appearance by an 800cc motorbike driving through the house.

1994 – Love Commandos (Mk 2)

Nick and Paul emigrated from Birmingham (Nick to Hong Kong then Australia, Paul to Maidstone) and were replaced by Andy on drums and Ken on bass. We drafted in Mike on guitar to fill out the sound. All was great in rehearsals, with Mike showing what a talented guitarist he was. The first gig was a bit shaky – but then so are most first gigs. The second gig was a completely different story though – the “Disastrous Farm Gig” – worse even than the fabled Bad News “Disastrous Paris Hippodrome Gig”. The famous ‘L’-shaped stage (in a barn this time, not a purpose-built stage), coupled with a severe case of nerves for Mike, and a pitch-shifter with a mind of its own, led to the worst gig I have ever played (by a long way). Never before had I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me; never before had I longed for a power failure to stop us in our tracks; never before had I wanted to wake up in the shower, with it all just a bad dream. Needless to say, the band fizzled out soon after.

Members

Rob Bates – Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ken Bearman – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mike Douglas – Lead Guitar
Neil Horsburgh – Lead Vocals
Andy Hubble – Drums
Paul Moody – Occasional Saxophone, hiding in the hay

Most notable achievement – Finishing the set without being lynched.

1998 to 2004 – Love Commandos (Mk 3)
Ken, John and Andy approached Neil and I about reforming the Love Commandos, and we jumped at the chance (thanks guys!). In the great Love Commandos tradition the aim was to play good rocking covers to whoever would listen, although this time we decided to be a little more adventurous, and a little more modern with the choice of songs. Playing with power and passion, loud and fast, and as tight as a Scotsman who has lived in Yorkshire (that’s Neil by the way), we’ll take you to heights of aural pleasure (… end of plug). Recently adding a few originals to the set we’re in danger of becoming a serious band, but we always intend to have fun, so come along to a gig – you’ll never have a better night out (… alright, now it’s the end of the plug).

Members

Jon Attfield – Lead Guitar
Rob Bates – Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ken Bearman – Bass, Backing Vocals
Neil Horsburgh – Lead Vocals
Andy Hubble – Drums

Most notable achievement – The next gig.

2004 to Present – Love Commandos (Mk 4)

Members

Rob Bates – Keyboard, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ken Bearman – Bass, Backing Vocals
Neil Horsburgh – Vocals
Andy Hubble – Drums
Richard Price – Guitar

Severity