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The Band

Roger Melcher (lead vocals & harmonica)

born 17th march 1964

profession: electrician with own company

start singing and playing harmonica at 16

Influences:

Muddy Waters, Steve Marriott, Dr Feelgood, Lee mc Bee, The Rolling Stones

James Harman, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Duke Ellington

Bands:

1982-1992: Stoker as Vocalist

1998-2001 Five Pack. First band with mastermind Roland Meyer on guitar

The Winklepickers

2001 – 2002 first lineup as a Rhythm ‘n’ Blues band with Roland Meyer, Paul Keltesch (dr) and Michel Mangen (bass guitar)

2002 – 2006: Roland Meyer, Sylvain Schrantz (bass ) Tommy Lehnert (dr)

2006 – 2009: Roland Meyer, Paul Lebrun (bass), Tommy Lehnert

2009– until today: Roland Meyer, Paul Lebrun, Paul Neuen (dr)

Background vocals on cd for nazz nazz, gollo steffen

Gigs as guest harp player for the Sayre Brothers Bluesband, the Little Bluesband, Out of Tune

Equipment:

Harmonicas: Hohner, Silvertone

Amplifiers: Homebrew tube amps 5,15,40 watts, Weber Speakers

Mics: Shure Bullet, JT 30

it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing

Roland Meyer (guitars)

Born in 1963, started to play the guitar at the age of 13.

Bands:

Highliner (1st schoolband)

Driving Force

The secret life of Raufaser

Pause (Wife & Kids & House & …)

2nd Breath:

Out of Tune

Five Pack

Then he got the blues:

The Winklepickers (since 2001)

www.roland-meyer.lu

Equipment:

Keep it simple: Fender & Marshall

Paul Neuen (drums)

Born November 1963, since early days fascinated by the drums, the cool moves from the drummer, the sound, the shiny chrome and the ingenious mechanics (hi-hat pedal!) …

Wanted to start playing drums at the age of 9, but got forced to play bugle/fluegelhorn, … just because there was no need for a drummer in that music school at that time …

  • What instrument would you like to play?
  • Drums Sir!
  • Sorry boy, momentary no need for a drummer in the Marching Band, you’ll play the bugle …
  • … ahem … terrific … !

Played bugle for several years in a Marching Band and Big Band but rapidly switched to the drums!

Bands:

Red Rose (1st school band & 1st concert on rockstage 1981)

Just Married (Luxemburg winner 1987 for “Printemps de Bourges” contest)

Robert Stephen Band

Stoker (1st time playing with Winklepickers singer Roger)

Bernie Z (Bernie Zeches, Thierry Kinsch, Sergio Soares)

Blue Swallow (Lyne Kuffer, Petra Lisa Bernard, Jos Seil, Dan Cremmer, Thierry Kinsch)

and since 1991 mainly Nazz Nazz (Thierry Van Werveke, Dan Kries, Fern Clees, Rico Winandy, Ander Thilges, Claude Kiefer, Dan Wagner, Claude Gorjanc) momentary not playing anymore, singer died in January 2009

Winklepickers since 2009

Influences:

The late 60’s early 70’s beginning of Rockmusic :

Beatles (White album), Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Doors, Who, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple

The 70’s Fusion/Rockjazz “phase”

Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Return to Forever, Al di Meola, Chick Corea, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, John Mc Laughlin, Passport , …

All time favorites :

AC/DC, Clash, Deep Purple, Motörhead, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Ray Vaughn,Stevie Wonder, Van Halen, ZZ Top

Equipment :

Kits: Ludwig, Yamaha, DW

Snares: Ludwig! (Supraphonic LM 411 6.5×14”, Bronze LB550 5×14”) sound as delicate as Vivaldi or as strong as a Mack truck

Heads: Toms Evans G2, Snare Remo Ambassador, Bass Remo Powerstroke

Cymbals: Zildjian, Istanbul, Meinl Byzanz

Hardware: DW pedals, Pearl-Yamaha-mix stands

Paul (Low B) Lebrun (bass & vocals)

Born August 1954 started playin’ guitar at the age of 10 and played in garage bands until the age of 17. Started playin’ bass after a short time as he got more and more fascinated by the instrument. After finishing school he got more and more involved in Rock music and had the opportunity to play with the local Rock heroes and to do some studio work as a session player as well as with various bands he played with as a regular bassman and vocalist.

Bands: Candy, Mainline, Luke Haas Gang, Luke Haas and Friends, Midlife Crisis, and most of all the Chis Birch Band, and many others.

Uses old Ampeg SVT amps and fat Hiwatt 200 and 400 valve Heads. Smaller locations get the bottomy Ashdown 500 Klystron sound. All Amps are used with various enclosures, but mostly 8 x 10 Ampeg or a Hiwatt 4 x 10 1 x 15 cabinet.

Basses used: absolute favorite: a custommade 35’ Hot Wire 51 XXL 5 string bass with Pyramid strings.

Other basses used:

Lakland 55-94 Deluxe, various Musicman 5 and 4 string basses, Wal 5 string as well as various Fender Precision and Jazz Basses, some old and newer Gibson T-Bird and RD Artist basses, Rickenbacker, Yamaha, Epiphone, Alembic, Auerswald, Hotwire Rocky Precision, Leduc basses. Mostly basses with a very distinctive and personal sound that really fit in the music and that like to be played hard.

Playing the bass is a matter of philosophy!

The older you get, the better you play!