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The Grad Lads...
 Not
only is Gradbach the source of many a Scouting legend, it's also the birthplace of one of the most influential,
inspirational and creative musical talents to
emerge from the Allgreave area within the last ten years!
Starting out performing Skiffle gigs at
the Wild Boar pub in the early 1990's, inspired by their heroes Lonnie Donnegan,
Elvis and Brian & Michael, the original line up included Johnny 'The Voice' Pritchard
(rhythm guitar and lead vocals), Rob 'Fingers Bons' (pronounced 'bonce')
Harrison (more rhythm and singing), Phillip 'Tea Chest' Mellor (Percussion) and
Big Nobby Woodroffe (backing vocals).
The early band also attracted many
impromptu guest appearances from the likes of Gary Wardle and Will Ingleby (who
would later join the band), Simon 'Mavo' Davies, Adam 'Climber' Fox and many
others too crap to mention in these pages (but they know who they are)
"...No way to slow down!"
After a number of years lifting the
ceiling off the Wild Boar for packed audiences and the odd wedding gig and
private party, the Grad Lads discovered that greater volumes could be achieved
(as well as larger audiences) by 'plugging electric' into their instruments.
A trip to Jones' Music store in
Macclesfield, the acquisition of a Fender Stratocaster and some Peavey Speakers,
and the Grad Lads were re-born! It was then that Johnny 'The Voice' Pritchard
recruited Wag 'Wipeout' Wardle as percussionist, and the lesser talented though
incredibly good looking Will 'Ace of Bass' Ingleby to play....well......Bass
of course.
The Grad Lads at their
peak - playing "The Crag" in Wildboar Clough. From the left Rob 'Bons' Harrison,
Johnny 'The Voice' Pritchard and Will 'Ace of Bass' Ingleby. Out of view is Wag
'Wipeout' Wardle
The Grads went on from strength to
strength, adopting the Rose & Crown Pub as their base, rehearsal venue and
recording studio, and it was in this very pub that the band achieved its
greatest successes - entertaining huge appreciative audiences with their classic
Rock and Roll sets.
The band were occasionally joined by
Mav Davies to perform lead vocals on 'Wipeout', and Nobby Woodroffe would
regularly turn out to murder House of The Rising Sun.
It was a golden age and these golden
boys went on to play venues such as Pride Park and the Baseball Ground in Derby,
as well as a number of pubs and hotels in the Derbyshire and Staffordshire area.
As often happens, circumstances
conspired to curtail the band's activities - principally the birth of 5 children
between Harrison and Ingleby, and Wag got a new car. Johnny Pritchard, the
creative talent behind the Grad Lads is still a regular at Gradbach, where he and Bons Harrison regularly thrill audiences with their inimitable acoustic set
("Those were the days my friend....!")
...and if you're lucky - very, VERY
lucky, maybe you'll turn up at Gradbach on one of those rare and special occasions that
the Grad Lads reform and belt out their old hits from the Tractor Shed!
"John's voice makes me
cry" Chopper Bramwell
"Raw music like you've
never heard" Spoony Freeman
"When I hear those
opening bars to Locomotive Breath, it sends a shiver down my spine"
Frosty The Snowman
"Johnny Pritchard oozes
raw talent" Mrs Pritchard
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