Phil Martin

                                                    

Phil Martin is a well respected violin, electric violin, viola, acoustic and electric guitar player with a great voice too! He lives for his music and has played (and currently plays) in several other bands - some who've been in the charts! Phil is a melodic and sensitive improviser. His fun loving, team spirited nature is perfect for Kindred Spirit. He also has a great sense of humour, which you can see from what he says about himself below.

Phil’s early years
"I was taught the violin by Mr and Mrs Bellinger from the age of 8 and played in their children’s orchestra until I left school. At Uni I fell amongst Morris dancers, some of the most Rock & Roll people I’ve ever met. Rock bands inevitably followed. My mum gave me my first guitar lesson at 13; before then I had mimed with a cardboard replica in a rudimentary Gary Glitter tribute band. Ten years later I finally played a proper electric guitar in public. I was allowed to do backing vocals in bands because I used to be able to sing like a lady, a skill I learnt in church choirs.

The musician Phil became
“Singer, violinist and guitarist, (I can also get a sound out of various instruments including viola and stylophone) teacher and composer, I play solo 
as the Languid Balladeer ‘butchering’ well-loved songs in the words of a butcher… so it may be a compliment.

http://www.philmartinmusic.com/home.html 

Phil’s previous bands

Red Harvest 1984 -1990
Dr Millar and the Cute Hoors 1988-1992
The Shanakies 1991-1995
Defrosting the Fridge 1991-1994
Appeared with Swill and the Swaggerband and The Men they Couldn’t Hang.

Phil’s current bands

The Bitter Springs (who have accompanied Vic Godard as the Subway Sect)
The Long Decline
The Talesmen
Jowe Head and the Demi-Monde
Valerie and her Week of Wonders

These all feature original material that veers between rock and folk

Phil also plays fiddle in Fire in the Mountains (a successful barn dance band) 
Phil also plays guitar with Retro Knights (an eclectic covers band).

Compositions

- Christmas No. 1: A short musical based on the Nativity story. This has been performed twice at St Paul’s Brentford. I have had 
interest from other Churches.

- Original material for the Languid Balladeer performances.