(c’75-date) Larry Miller (guitar / vocals), Andy Allen (bass) and Simon Baker (drums).
The Larry Miller Band amalgamated around Claygate born Miller who’d grown up in Esher, moved to Guildford, then Chiddingfold, and then Bowlhead Green – the Surrey Delta as it’s been labeled. He played violin from the age of seven to his mid-teens before switching to guitar after picking up his brother’s axe. Inspired by catching Rory Gallagher’s “Live! In Europe” and then live in Brighton, he formed The Larry Miller Band. His band struggled to find gigs in the early years, but rehearsed endlessly, often in Allen’s bedroom in a house he shared with David Morgan who was involved with The Vulgar Bros.
Jon Bicknell joined the band on bass in late ’79, which also had a new drummer in Calvin Brewer. They rehearsed at the Village Hall, Witley and played a number of gigs locally, including Bunters, Guildford. A visit to Chestnut Studios, Churt resulted in the recording of a 4-song demo cassette which Bicknell sent to Melody Maker, who gave it a positive review. The 17-year-old Bicknell was let go after getting his hair cut short, a crime to which Miller reportedly said, ‘No room for shorthairs in my band’. This was in ’80, a time when the band got involved with the Stonehenge Festival Farnborough Benefit to fund local band’s appearance at the event. The Larry Miller Band went ahead and joined those other local bands: Vixen, Lynx, The Vulgar Bros., Human Beings, Blue Unction, Roosta Boots, The Torpedoes, Animal, and Magic Pictures to play the Stonehenge Festival in ’80. When Rory Gallagher played the Civic Hall, Guildford in ’80 Miller was at the front, meanwhile his own band, on 18 October ’80, started a regular slot at Magnums, Basingstoke, returning on 8 November and 26 December, and where they played again on 16 and 31 January ’81.
Miller used to work at Alan Paine, Godalming – the same firm at which Jean-Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers worked – and colleagues there recall him composing songs, many of which made up ‘Right Chaps‘ in between packing jumpers. Eventually after selling a bunch of kit, they got a van and phoned the pubs and clubs across the south still hosting blues rock bands. The constant gigging led to ’83’s LP “Right Chaps” on new label Matinee Music [MATSIC007]. Miller used to work at Alan Paine, Godalming – the same firm at which Jean-Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers worked – and colleagues there recall him composing songs, many of which made up “Right Chaps” in between packing jumpers. Unfortynately, Baker had to leave the band after “Right Chaps” as he focused on starting a family, while the band was touring heavily. That touring included the Marquee, London opening for the Climax Blues Band on 3 April ’83, The Royal, Guildford on 16 April ’83, The Wooden Bridge, Guildford, supported by Genghis Khan, on 12 May ’83, back to the Marquee on 9 September, and The Red Lion, Brentford on 8 December ’83.
On 1 April ’84, the band hit the stage at the Marquee again and then on 21 April had Addlestone’s Seducer warm up the audience at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking. They were back at the Marquee on 24 May ’84. The Wooden Bridge hosted The Larry Miller band again on 10 August and 13 October ’84. The earlier date saw the band supported by Kalibre whose guitarist and vocalist John Rice, who had been part of the road crew for The Larry Miller Band for some years – there is a credit to him on the back of Larry’s first album, ‘Right, Chaps’ – managed to secure Kalibre the slot. Sandwiched between those appearances at The Wooden Bridge was the Marquee on 29 September ’84, were they returned to play on 10 January ’85. They also returned to The Royal two days later and again on 17 May ’85. We are also aware of an appearance at St. Johns Hall, Farnborough. The follow-up EP “Red Italian Boots” was recorded, we understand at Matinee Studios, Reading, but never released due to managerial problems.
Early in ’86, The Larry Miller Band performed at Sheffield University on 22 January ’86. That year, Miller also did guitar and vocals on a charity single with Scott Hunter and Nigel Tomsett. A few months later, the Larry Miller Band was the second act for the first day of The Reading Festival, on 22 August ’86. The band has since released several albums and done a number of UK and European tours. On New Years Eve ’96, they were at The Blues Tavern, Heath End (aka The Halfway House). In 2009, Miller played an amazing seven encores at the Cambridge Rock Festival and a declaration was made of a “National Larry Miller day”.
Baker rejoined the band before work began on “Unfinished Business” and bassist Derek White joined around the same time. The band added keyboardist Ian Salisbury a little later and “Unfinished Business” was released in 2010. A year after Miller released his ninth album “Soldier of the Line” a stroke in 2015 put him in rehab with a long-term prognosis that was unclear according to his management. An event that led to a benefit concert in 2019 featuring Bernie Marsden of Whitesnake and Del Bromham of Stray.
When Miller met Bicknell 25 years after booting him out, Miller apologized. Bicknell had joined Squire, a few months after departing The Larry Miller Band, where his trim was perfect.
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