Pete Rout:

Cajun Accordions, Melodeons, Drums, Percussion

Pete grew up in Belstead near Ipswich and started playing melodeon when he got interested in morris dancing at university.

He became hooked on Cajun music after seeing Ira Bernstein performing with Evo and Jemmy Bluestein at the Walton festival in 1987. He formed Herbal Remedies with John in the late 1980s and was a founder member of Grand Mamou in 1992.

For more on Cajun music see Pete's article BON TEMPS ROULER – A PERSONAL DISCOVERY OF CAJUN MUSIC.

John Tomlinson:

Guitars, Concertina, Bass, Drums, Percussion

John hales from Yorkshire and moved down to Suffolk in the 1980s. He has experimented with electronic as well as rock music but was introduced to folk music via guitarists like Martin Carthy and Richard Thompson.

He played with Ipswich barn dance band Spit and Polish for many years before forming Herbal Remedies with Pete in the late 1980s. He was a founder member of Grand Mamou in 1992.

 

 

Vicky Moss:

Fiddles

Vicky attended Cheetham's music college where she learned classical violin but was also exposed to Irish folk music while growing up in Belfast.

John met Vicky when she was playing for Danegeld, an Ipswich-based morris side. Grand Mamou had recently formed and were on the lookout for a fiddle player. Vicky fitted the bill perfectly.

 

 

Chris Holifield:

Chris left the band in 2006 but still plays with us occationally.

Octave Mandola, Bass, Guitars, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Whistles, Percussion

Chris started playing guitar at the age of 12, later moving onto mandolin and then the bouzouki after hearing Donal Lunny's playing with Planxty. He played in rock and folk bands at school and university but didn't get serious about gigging until he formed WYSIWYG with Pete Jennings and Howard Matthews in 1986. Chris also played in Even The Fruit with local singer songwriter Helen Woodbridge, then The Raingods, a jangly indie pop band.

Chris met John at the Ipswich folk club and Pete when Herbal Remedies played at his wedding. Chris played occasionally with the Herbals and when that band folded, he formed Grand Mamou with Pete and John.