ALL BLACKED UP

Current Line-up
LISA McDERMOTT: Two and One Row Melodeons.
ALISTAIR GILLIES: Saxophones, Recorders and Whistles, Hammered Dulcimer.
BAZ PARKES: One and Two Row Melodeons, Harmonica, Caller.
BILL CADDICK: Electric, Acoustic and Slide Guitars, Singing.
RAY ARCHERr: Acoustic & Electric Bass Guitars.
NICK BECK: Electronic and Acoustic Drum Kits. Triangle.

All Blacked Up were formed in 1986 by members of the border morris dance team The Ironmen from Ironbridge, after they stood at the back of a ceilidh with their arms folded saying to themselves "we could do that....."
25 years later with some changes they still are!

The bands name comes from the longer 'All Blacked Up and Nowhere to go' which refers to the black faced border morris team the original members belonged to - it must have seemed a good idea at the time!

Inevitably such a name has got shortened to All Blacked Up - and frequently ABU. Occasionally people with their politically correct antenna turned to ultra-sensitive question the name and suggest that others might be offended by it - but the one section of the population with whom the band has never had a problem is anyone who is coloured - in fact they have been invited to perform at a fantastic Ghanaian wedding for which Baz wore the Jalaba he bought when visiting the country.....

Nick and Baz are founder members, Alistair joined in 1988 after Devious Roots [formerly The Carbolic Smokeball Company] stopped gigging, Paul Havel was the founding melodeon player [with Baz he used to play in the Wolverhampton band Tettenhall Dick] and Lisa joined when Paul left in 1995. Ian Gill and Ken Speller were the original guitarists and Dave Baker started playing when Ian left with Squirrel replacing Ken. Phil Speight played bass before Ray and Bill replaced Dave on guitar also bringing singing for dances into the bands set and the line-up up to date.