Married I got married to my wife Gráinne in June 2007 at Peel Castle in the Isle of Man, where she is from. Gráinne plays fiddle and is an expert Manx dancer and ceili caller. We're a festival romance come good!

Children One - Frank was born in February 2009 and loves to smile.

Pets One crazy Manx cat called Tunnag, which means 'duck' in Manx. Instead of a tail he has a duck's arse!

Places you have lived I grew up in Bridgend. I lived in Cardiff for a couple of years while at university. I spent a year with Grainne and our friend Stuart at a large house with a stunning garden in the countryside village of Llanhennock. From there we moved to Caerleon, where we lived above The Bell Inn for six months and enjoyed great food, real ale and even a weekly folk session!

Current location of residence We now own and live in a nineteenth century miners cottage in Risca near Newport.

Hobbies/interests I've always loved reading, particularly epic fantasy, and I also enjoy a good film. Despite doing it for a living I still find playing and writing music exceedingly enjoyable!

Favourite food Gráinne's home cooking and the entire menu at La Randonnée, a restaurant in Brittany that the band regularly visits.

Favourite film(s) Tough to choose from so many, but here's a few: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Gangs of New York, Shawshank Redemption, Anchorman, Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love, Green Mile, The Prestige, Finding Nemo, Finding Neverland.

Favourite book(s) The Lord of the Rings trilogy & The Silmarillion by Tolkien, George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice & Fire' series, Magician by Raymond E. Feist, The Empire trilogy by Feist & Janny Wurts, David Gemmel's Troy trilogy, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the Harry Potter books by J.K Rowling. I must try some non-fiction sometime!

Instruments you play I play piano accordion, guitar and sing. I've been playing accordion on and off since I was very small, but seriously got into it when I was seventeen. I first picked up a guitar around the age of fifteen having avoided it until then despite, or perhaps because dad played one! My first instrument was the electric keyboard, the good old Casio Tonebank, which I began learning at about seven years old, paving the way for future accordion antics. My accordion is a Saltarelle 'Clifden' 60 bass, which is a great accordion for tune players who like a button accordion sound and don’t aspire to being a one man band.

Musical studies/qualifications I have no grades or qualifications in music beyond A-Level, although I did manage a whole semester at the Royal College of Music and Drama in Cardiff before dropping out to pursue a career in music. I didn’t want to be a music teacher anyway.

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician Being exposed to live music and musicians from minus nine months definitely contributed! I grew up in a welsh folk dance team, Dawnswyr Gwerin Penyfai, and my parents took me to festivals and concerts with them all the time. My keyboard teacher Owen Sendall encouraged me to play and to enjoy playing. Early influences in folk music were Moving Hearts 'The Storm', Sharon Shannon, Lunasa's first album and 'Fused' by Michael McGoldrick. Having only really played welsh dance tunes beforehand, I learned a lot about tune-playing by listening and playing along to these last two albums.

Favourite musical artist/group(s) The Beatles, Radiohead, Rufus Wainwright, John Mayer, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Muse, The Killers, John Williams.

Favourite album(s) See works by the artists above plus a special mention for Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. Ooooooolaaaaaa!

Most memorable Mabon gig you've played We've played some great gigs - Cwlwm Celtaidd, Aviles Festival in Asturies, Llangollen International Eisteddfod - but I'll never forget our concert in the university in Tapachula, southern Mexico. They were screaming even as we walked on stage and afterwards we spent an hour signing autographs and having pictures taken with audience members. It was like being in The Beatles for a night!

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! Missing the ferry home from Brittany because our soundman John's car blew up on the way to the terminal. That's not the funny bit. Unfortunately it was a holiday so we had to wait around forever while John's breakdown company tried to find a Breton mechanic who would pick us up and tow us to the terminal ready for the next day's crossing. The wait was excruciatingly lengthy and before long our lembas rations were no more than crumbs around Iolo's mouth.

Once we finally got there we went to the information desk to try and book a hotel in town for the night. Having played at an artichoke festival in the area previously I joked that the hotels would probably all be booked up for an asparagus festival or something. Sure enough there was no room at the inn and we ended up with two rooms in a hotel way out of town (a hotel which ended up being rather creepy, and two rooms which ended up being a double double for myself, Grainne, John and Sue and a single for Iolo!). As we were leaving the ferry terminal Gráinne spotted the poster for 'Fetes d'oignons', a festival of onions which was taking place in Roscoff that very week!

Favourite Mabon album track Gower Flotsam in Bordeaux.

Favourite Mabon piece to play live The Buck Rarebit.

Married Yes

Children One

Pets A mad dog called Belle. People think she’s vicious but she’s only bitten 9 people and three of those were postmen.

Places you have lived Leicester, Penarth, Abergavenny, York, Nottingham, London then Abergavenny again. Abergavenny is best.

Current location of residence Just outside Abergavenny in a little village called Clydach South.

Hobbies/interests I walk most days (mainly with my son on my back and Belle on a lead). I used to play tennis but the rest of my life is getting in the way of that for now. I love eating - in and out. I am looking forward to a bit of surfing over the summer.

Favourite food Japanese Food, Indian Food, Welsh, English, French & Italian. I love Salmon Sushi, Goats Cheese, Parma Ham with Parmesan, fresh tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar (plus Basil), Scrambled Egg from my parent’s chickens, home cooked Durban Chicken, a good roast dinner of Goose or Duck, Salt Marsh Lamb, Welsh Black Beef Steak, Smoked meats & fish from the Black Mountain Smokery near Crickhowell, Venison, Aubergine Babaganoosh, The Chips in the Angel Abergavenny, The Smoked Chicken and Bacon Panini in Café 18 Crickhowell, A dish of Rabbit and scallops wrapped in Panchetta that I once ate at the Walnut Tree near Abergavenny, Craswell Pie from The Bull’s Head Craswell, good dark chocolate, my wife’s bread toasted with butter, olives, capers, Sea Bass (try the Whole Bass in The Pearl of The Orient Cardiff Bay), anchovies, Perl Wen Welsh Brie...

Favourite film(s)
Hmm tough one. I guess Shawshank Redemption is on the list.

Favourite book(s)
Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Instruments you play I play the violin. I dabble with some instruments but not well enough to mention!

Musical studies/qualifications Grade exams and a degree in music from York

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician My first inspiration to play the violin was my big sister who is one of the finest musicians I know. My mother, father and step-father are musicians too so that has helped. Mind you, the first person who made me think seriously about playing the violin for a living was my chemistry teacher John Sharp. He used to run a folk club in my school.

Favourite musical artist/group(s) Egberto Gismonte, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Dylan Fowler, Lau, Cahill & Hayes, Stephan Grapelli...

Favourite album(s) Currently Cahill & Hayes Welcome Here Again

Most memorable Mabon gig you've played Probably Celtica Festival - playing on a stage on the side of Mont Blanc with views of the glacier - magic!

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! One of my most memorable Mabon experiences was a session at La Randonnée, a restaurant outside Lorient. After a blow-out meal and a couple of glasses of wine the tunes started flowing. Pretty soon the locals had joined us (including a couple of local table-dancers) and were Fest-Noz-ing around the room. Good food, good wine, good company and great music - it doesn't get much better than that!

Favourite Mabon album track Gower Flotsam in Bordeaux.

Favourite Mabon piece to play live File Under Biddley

Places you have lived Raised in Garmouth, Morayshire. Then Edinburgh, then Newcastle, then back to Scotland.

Current location of residence Technically Scotland now, via a few other places along the way.

Instruments you play Wooden Flute

Hobbies/interests My '73 Beetle (still alive and under my ownership at time of writing! ;-) ) Tea.

Favourite food Ratatouille, anything Thai, Crepes, Flan de Bretagne, Curry & Smoothies (the later two not together).

Favourite book(s) My diary, because I would forget to put my shoes on in the morning without it.

J.S Skinner's "The Scottish Violinist", any of the Marshall Collections because wherever I am, and whatever I am playing, they always remind me of my first music and home.

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician My Family, James Alexander and Fochabers Fiddlers, The Beatles. Catriona McDonald, Flook, Alistair Anderson, Boys of the Lough.

Favourite musical artist/group(s) Changes regularly, but currently while I am writing this - Aly Bain/Ale Moller duo, Jan Garberek, Hariprasad Chaurasia, all the guys involved in "One Fine Day...", Dites 34, Mozart, ...ah I can’t possibly list all my favourites.. there are loads more!

Favourite Mountain Ben Rinnes - Because on a clear day you can see all of Morayshire from the top. And you can see really far East towards Aberdeen, South, and East past Inverness. Magic.

Favourite Tea Usually in the morning, a stout black tea with some milk does the trick. Something like Assam, or even a blend of Assam and Darjeeling would be good. - always with a little milk in the morning. However, this is usual only for the UK. For some reason, in France it's nice to have a lighter kind of tea, without milk, in the morning. Perhaps a light Ceylon or even if the mood suggests - a Darjeeling on it's own. I don't know why, but it’s just like that.
So, for mid morning, usually a repeat of whatever I had for breakfast. Just before lunch, a peppermint tea or green tea settles to stomach nicely. But mostly I prefer to wait until later...
So, for "tea time" - the exact time of which is the subject of much debate - (anywhere between 3-4 I feel is acceptable), personally, I like either a good Earl Grey (without milk, and maybe if no-one is watching with a slice of lemon), or if it's been a particularly strenuous day, then a hearty pot of Lapsang Souchong (sometimes blended with little Darjeeling), never fails to raise the morale. This being said, I have recently discovered Russian Caravan - a very indivual tea, not unlike Lapsang, if a little more subtle - and this goes down very well, at this time of day.
Later on in the day, I often revert back to a blend - or if I have drunk too much black tea already, then some Camomile usually aligns the senses again.

Favourite Tea Emporium The Granger Market tea stand, in Newcastle, has the most amazing and diverse range of teas. Friendly staff always willing to help you with your decision, coupled with a selection that will have you pondering for hours what to buy, makes it a must - if you are passing though.

Favourite film(s) Lord of the Rings, Jeeves and Wooster TV Episodes, Poirot etc...

Favourite album(s) Anything by the Beatles, anything by Eric Clapton, Ozan Trio live, Alasdair Fraser - Return to Kintail, Nitin Sawhney - Human, May Monday, The first Lunasa album, Capercaillie - Delirium / Crosswinds, Boys of Lough - Da Day Dawn, Actually this is too hard a question, because my answer changes on a daily basis!

Most memorable Mabon gig you’ve played Tapachula, southern Mexico - for almost overwhelmingness (is that a word?)
Vannes, Bretagne - for the surroundings and setting
Magia Celtica, Italy - for natural Beauty
Festival du Conrouille Quimper, Bretange - For many reasons, including the Flan!

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! Gig at base of Mont Blanc, with Celtic Warriors in the audience!


Favourite Mabon album track / live track Any of the forthcoming album material - It’s been really exciting working on some fresh material recently, and developing arrangements of Jamie’s tunes together, through concert experience. We are all really looking forward to recording this music, when it’s finished, for the forthcoming album!

The Forzh or Ridiculous thinker, are always great fun to play, especially if there are a few fest noz fans in the audience!

Married To Sarah for 32 yrs. We met in college in Barry, South Wales in 1975, got married in 1977.

Children One - Jamie.

Places you have lived Born in Pontypridd, brought up until 16yrs old in Bargoed, in the Rhymney valley, educated at Lewis Grammar in Pengam, then moved to Cwmavan in the Afan valley, near Port Talbot, where my parents still live. Set up home in Bridgend when Sarah and I got married and have lived there ever since.

Current location of residence Built our own house in 1995 and I am still finishing it. Mabon rehearse in the basement and even recorded our cd "Ridiculous Thinkers" there, bringing in loads of recording equipment and driving Sarah mad for weeks on end! Incidentally, I’m still driving Sarah mad.

Hobbies/interests When not touring, I like cooking, whilst listening to my vinyl, tape & CD collection.

Favourite food I will eat anything and love to try new foods when on tour with Mabon(Mexico was a highlight, and a lowlight!). I also agree with Jamie - the food at La Randonnée, a restaurant in Ploermeur, Brittany, is just wonderful!

Favourite film(s) The first film I remember seeing is Ben Hur and I still enjoy it. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is probably my favourite.

Favourite book(s) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Dune are joint top.

Instruments you play The guitar is my main instrument(Sarah says I have too many!), but I also own a 5 sring banjo and a hammered dulcimer which was made for me by Chris Harries of Old Cwmbran.

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician My father played guitar in the house when I was a kid and my parents used to sing all the time. I grew up with American folk music - Burl Ives, Pete Seegar, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee earlier, and then Bert Jansch, Ralph McTell, Dylan, Donovan and others. I simply had to play and had to be a musician. School, teacher training college and various jobs just got in the way and delayed the inevitable.

Favourite musical artist/group(s) The Beatles amaze me to this day and I never tire of listening to them. You can only imagine the impact their arrival on the scene made on me as a 10/11 yr old in the early sixties - wow! However, Roy Harper has always been my favourite artist and I’ve seen him more times than I remember over the last 40 yrs!

Favourite album(s) Easy - The Beatles' Sgt Pepper and Roy Harper's Flat Baroque & Berserk!

Most memorable Mabon gig you've played Jamie's words go for me too - the university gig in Tapachula on the Mexico/Guatemala border was an experience I’ll never forget. Can’t wait to go back!

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! Travelling to gigs can be a long and boring experience and my particular favourite moments happen during Mabon's Tour Water Game, played by all members of the band in the car or at airports worldwide. The object of the game is NOT to fall asleep, because if you do, you know you’re going to wake up with a wet patch in an embarrassing place. Will Lang recently took a catnap backstage and had to go onstage looking like he’d just wet himself! Sounds a very silly game .........and it is!

Favourite Mabon album track Gower Flotsam in Bordeaux.

Favourite Mabon piece to play live Easy On The Reels - never fails to get the audience up dancing.

Children None

Places you have lived Lived in Llantwit Major until I was 11 where I attended Eagleswell Primary School and Llantwit Major Comprehensive School for one year. Then stayed in Carmarthen for a year before moving to St Clears where my parents still live. There I attended Queen Elizabeth Maridunum Comprehensive School. After my A levels I moved to Cardiff and lived in various student houses while I studied for my degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Current location of residence I currently live in a house in Harrowby Place located in Cardiff Bay with my Sister.

Hobbies/interests When not playing music I enjoy going to watch gigs and the theatre. I enjoy history and carpentry and generally having a good time with my mates.

Favourite food I love trying new foods but also enjoy Pizza but my personal highlight has to be going home for my mother’s Sunday dinner, especially her Yorkshire puddings.

Favourite film(s) There are many but the Godfather, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Spinal Tap and the Shawshank Redemption have to be up there.

Favourite book(s) The Narnia Series, Harry Potter and any good horror story.

Instruments you play Bass guitar and Double Bass.

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician My first ever instruments were Trumpet and Piano which I played in Primary school. I then moved to playing the Euphonium. I enjoyed playing these but the real spark for me came at the age of 17 in secondary school when the school band said they needed a bass player. I said I would give it a go and instantly fell in love with the instrument. From that moment on I knew I had to play and decided to study at RWCMD where I picked up the Double Bass for the first time. During my time there I met many great musicians who helped my love of music grow. These people include Paula Gardiner, Horacio Fumero at the Conservatori Liceu in Barcelona and Dudley Phillips to name but a few.

Favourite musical artist/group(s) Guns and Roses, Led Zeppelin, Buena Vista Social Club, Leadbelly, Lonnie Donnegan, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, The Prodigy and anything on the Motown record label.

Favourite album(s) Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction.
Michael Jackson - Thriller.
Pretty much anything on Motown.

Most memorable Mabon gig you've played The university gig in Tapachula in Mexico is something that will always stay with me.

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! Hearing the phrase many times "We're only out!!!"

Favourite Mabon album track Schindig

Favourite Mabon piece to play live The Whisky Burp Reels.

Married 3 years happily married to one Rachel Pressley, a Manx missie chatted up in a festival in 1992, I think, and lured over to Wales to be my girlfriend nearly a decade later. Rachel drank too much after a Mabon gig in Cromer a few years back and popped the question by accident - the rest is history.

Children Watch this space!

Pets Holly, the nicest Jack Russell in existence. Keeps me walking a lot and laughing often. Primary function is to cuddle the missus when I’m out or away working, which is far too often.

Places you have lived A country boy at heart, brought up in a field in the Vale of Glamorgan. (There was a house on the field, by the way.) I’m told I spent three years "at University" in Swansea, though my memories are vague, ahem. Lived in Cardiff too for a short while before seekng greener pastures again with Rach.

Current location of residence Pontyclun, a pretty cool town about 25 minutes from more or less everywhere. We bought an old terrace house here last year in need of much love. Nearly finished two rooms already, it’ll all be looking lush by about 2018.

Hobbies/interests Music, of course, and all things percussive in particular. Jazz to play, Funk to dance, and just about anything as long as it’s good. Also, as you’ve gathered, major renovations (sigh), long walks with the dog, swimming (too rarely!), and a good piece of cheese. Mmm. Also, if you want to see a hobby with a difference, check out www.theroundhouse.org for a previous project. That one kept me busy for a while!

Favourite food Did I mention Cheese already? Also Pizza, which as far as I’m concerned is The Food of The Gods.

Favourite film(s) Rarely watch any! Do enjoy them though. Something distressing, like ‘Closer’, ‘Lost in Translation’, or ‘House of Sand and Fog’. Or something to fry my noodle, like ‘Fightclub’.

Favourite book(s) J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ must be the ultimate fantasy heavyweight. I’m also a big fan of Raymond E. Feist’s ‘Magician’ (Read it now! Where have you been?) and his ‘Empire’ Trilogy. A soft spot for Terry Pratchett too, for pure entertainment value.

Instruments you play Drumkit and percussion.

Musical studies/qualifications Trained on classical percussion as a child, though my only ever Grade Exam was Grade 2 Violin (watch your back, Oli...). Self taught on the kit until I went on a mission to improve my playing some years ago: sought tuition, and eventually took a Post Graduate Diploma in Jazz Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Loved music college, though I tortured myself there and mainly learned how much I didn’t know. Always looking for the next developmental opportunity!

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician It was inevitable! A huge thanks to my parents, who immersed us all in music as a matter of course. I didn’t realise until quite an advanced age that not every household had to have a rule to limit singing at the dinner table. Apparently, the rule was only imposed so we’d eat some food. I suspect I’m a born teacher too, as are many of my family, and teaching drums gives me an outlet for this calling without my needing to get in a classroom - phew!

Favourite musical artist/group(s) Oh man. Do I have to?

Favourite album(s)
Historically:
Cape Town Flowers (Abdullah Ibrahim);
Life on Planet Groove (Maceo Parker);
Below the Bassline (Ernest Ranglin);
Kamakiriad (Donald Fagen);
War of the Worlds (Jeff Wayne);
Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd).

Currently:
Stir it Up (Monty Alexander – check this cat out!);
Keith Jarrett Trio Live (ouch);
We Live Here (Pat Metheny. Did I mention about Cheese already?)
Only trouble is, ask me tomorrow and you’ll get a different answer!

Most memorable Mabon gig you've played Well, we've played some gigs! So many different ones stand out for so many different reasons.
Probably my favourite one is either our last one or our next one, I can't decide.
That’s Celtic Zen, that is.

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! I've got lots of good (and some less good!) memories of Mabon tours! Spending Mabon’s early years working with my brother Gareth? Last year's massive posse meal at La Randonee? Seeing Derek almost cry on his Cambridge Festival Artist Pass? Flying from Mexico City to Tapachula with my nose glued to the window? Or across Australia, thinking "It can’t be desert for much longer..."? Being sick every time I travelled any distance in the first Mabon-Wagon (curse that Citroen suspension!)?
Ah, here’s a humorous one... I ran across a massive stage in Mexico City to get to my kit in time for a cue, misjudged the distance, and while running too fast, went straight into the drum riser. Ouch. Nothing for it but to keep playing, so I ignored the pain, and was several weeks before I worked out what the lump on my shin was! I still have a lump to this day, which you may feel for a small charge. Serves me right for going to the front of the stage - delusions of grandieur!

And my Nastiest Mabon Memory: Being a slow learner, I pulled the same stunt in a gig last year, but instead of a drum riser, caught my foot in Ruth’s fiddle lead. Said fiddle flew out of Ruth’s hands and snapped at the neck as it hit the floor. The last two tracks, after Ruth left the stage, were without doubt the most difficult performance I’ve ever given, staring in horror at the broken instrument on stage. Happily, the fiddle got fixed, and Ruth was far too nice about the whole thing!

Favourite Mabon album track I’ll think about this one! Ask me in person sometime!

Favourite Mabon piece to play live The one I’m playing, usually.
Some I find harder to get the right feel, so I love the challenge.
Others I can relax into and get down on, so I enjoy the groove.
It's all about The Groove...

Married Not married :) but have been with my boyfriend Sid Peacock for 9 years.

Children none yet.

Pets no pets in the house but love the birds and bees that visit on a regular basis in our garden.

Places you have lived Born in Stoke on Trent, lived in Reading till I was 4, moved to Bakewell in beautiful Derbyshire where I did most of my growing and learning. Then Birmingham scooped me up and I've been there ever since.

Current location of residence Birmingham

Hobbies/interests Love playing my violin, singing, writing, reading, cycling, gardening, good beer, knitting, and looking for shells on the beach.

Favourite food That's difficult! Sid's home made chinese soup, pickled garlic and onions, haribo.

Favourite film(s) Lord of the Rings, Amelie, Tideland, Howls Moving castle, Horton Hears a Who, The Godfather, The Matrix.

Favourite book(s)/Authors Simone De Beauvoirs Second Sex, Lord of the Rings, Dickens, Winnie the Pooh, P.G.Wodehouse, The classics.

Instruments you play Violin (24 years),singing, guitar (5 years), piano (on and off for many years), recorder and whistle (badly).

Musical studies/qualifications BMus Hons.

Who or what inspired you to become a full-time musician One of my first memories is of being at a wedding and hearing the bagpipes. I cried so loud mum had to take me out. Now I cry with pleasure when I hear them. At the same wedding there was a string quartet and at the tender age of 3 fell passionately in love with the violin. It's all I ever wanted to do, Steve read inspired me to play bluegrass and american old time fiddle music when I was about 11/12years old and when it was time to leave home really the violin was the only thing I thought I could do. My parents inspired me and believed that I could do it, thank goodness I can!

Favourite musical artist/group(s) Alison Krauss and Union Station, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Pat Metheny, The Beatles, Nickle Creek, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Hoven Droven, Sandy Denny, Rufus Wainwright, The Mc Garrigle sisters, The Be Good Tanyas, Ani Di Franco, Stephan Grappelli.

Favourite album(s) Pat Metheny 'Secret Story', Hoven Droven 'Turbo', Alison Krauss 'Lonely Runs Both Ways', Tom Waits 'Closing Time', too many more to think about!!

Most memorable Mabon gig you’ve played Poland 2008 when the light show started afterwards in the grounds of a beautiful castle.

A fond memory or humorous anecdote of being on tour with Mabon, if you can think of any! sunbathing all day by the hotel pool and not having to work until midnight!

Favourite Mabon album track File Under Biddley

Favourite Mabon piece to play live Buck Rarebit.