GO KID MUSIC - AL START

Al is lucky to play with a great bunch of musicians...but who are they and what instruments do they play? Let’s introduce you to everyone... 

Carol Levi plays anything with strings! Acoustic and electric guitars, banjo and bouzouki! She plays every style of music I can think of…rockabilly, bluegrass, folk – you name it! Carol has played in some really well known folk bands and toured around the world. She is so clever she even makes guitars by hand! So far she has made two amazing and beautiful acoustic guitars that she plays at live shows. One day Carol is going to set up her own workshop and make instruments, I hope she makes me my very own handmade ukulele! 

Deb Shurvell plays the mandolin in the band. The mandolin is a tiny, light sounding instrument that is tuned the same way as a violin. Deb can also play the violin, guitar and ukulele and is a great songwriter with her own album. We have been great friends and played in bands together since 1988 – our first band was called ‘When She Calls’ and featured Linda Game on the fiddle and mandolin – we played all over the UK! 

Deb and carol live in beautiful Bramber near Steyning in Sussex and have the coolest wood cabin in their back garden! We often rehearse there and Deb makes us a mean cuppa and slice of cake! Here’s us at the cabin, which has now become a legend of the folk music scene in Steyning as they host regular Cabin Sessions for songwriters and musicians. 

→ Check out Carol & Deb’s new Americana/Folk roots band The Cheer Up Mollys HERE. 

Michèle Allardyce plays the drums and all kinds of percussion – congas, cajon, shakers, even the spoons! She can play all kinds of different rhythms and studied percussion at music college. She plays in a Samba band too. You won’t get Michèle to sing anything, but boy, does she belt out the funny shouty bits in the kids songs! She looks a picture in her big black beard when we do the pirate show!! 

Emily Jonson plays the bass guitar and sings brilliant harmonies. Emily is Carol’s daughter so music runs in the family – she can play just about anything! Emily loves traveling like her mum, and has picked up musical styles from all around the world. She also plays in a Samba band and can play all kinds of other instruments. Emily is the tallest beastie in the band and we have to fold her in half to get her in the car! 

Bill Melis sometimes plays the drums. Bill has been my friend for many years and we have worked together as playworkers, taken our families on camping trips together and played guitar and drums in his man-cave! Bill will feature more and more on our new recordings and at live gigs as we can’t get enough of his groovy rhythms and terrible dad-jokes! 

Tony Bryant is the drummer on ROBOT and a new member of the gang. He runs Sunny Studios in Hove and is a great producer as well as musician. 

Kaile Lucas also played bass guitar and accordion on the album ROBOT. He's a talented puppeteer and we toured together as Bobble Hat Theatre Company on the project Not Today, Celeste by Liza Stevens.