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who are we? all about shining examples

Shining Examples are a Midlands-based band playing all-original material born from rhythm & blues, soul, funk, rock and 'Americana', with contemporary influences thrown into the mix.

The band formed in 2008. There are five core members with other shining examples appearing on a regular or semi regular basis. Why Shining Examples? We like the idea that if you love what you do enough, anyone can be a shining example. Our audiences are shining examples. The people who play with us as guests and associates are shining examples. We're all of us shining examples... (incidentally, there's no 'the' - God help you if you add a 'the'!).

Other names we considered (not very seriously!) were 'The A52s' or 'The Brian Clough Way' (as we're based between Derby and Nottingham), 'The Asbo Diddleys', 'The Lack of Commitments', and 'The Gastric Band' (playing acid jazz?).

Shining Examples

Steve MitchellJon DixonNosmo KingBern MitchellGregg Pinchess

Slide guitar/vocals/songs
Steve previously had his own band, Visible Targets, who recorded in the 80s. He's also toured with indie band C Cat Trance and jump-jive band The De Soto Six.

Steve uses a 1975 USA Fender Stratocaster for slide. His non-slide guitars are a 1995 Fender '57 re-issue Stratocaster and a 1974 Fender F65 acoustic. Strings are Ernie Ball 10s on everything. His amplification is a 2007 Mesa 5/50 Express. The only effect Steve uses is a Cry Baby Classic (with Fasel) wah-wah.

Guitar/vocals
Jon has always played in bands but he was primarily an actor for a couple of decades. He first met Nosmo when they played two of 'The Crickets' in a play about Buddy Holly.

Jon plays a 1987 Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Cruiser JT7 acoustic, and a Vintage V100 Icon Lemon Drop. He uses Ernie Ball 10s. His usual amp is a Marshall DSL401. Pedals include a Keeley-modded Boss BD-2, an Ibanez TS-9, and occasionally a Vox wah-wah.

Drums
Nosmo is best known as the drummer in Darts from the early 80s right up to the present day. He's also played in many local bands over the years, including Plummet Airlines and Pugma Ho.

Nosmo plays a 1971 Hayman kit with a 1980 Ludwig 602 snare drum, all on Premier stands. His Hi Hat and bass drum pedal are both 1970s Rogers and his cymbals are Meinel and Paiste. He prefers ProMark sticks. Fuel is Jack Daniels. Inspiration is the rest of the band.

Bass guitar/string-bass
Bern is Steve's brother. He and Steve were founder members of Visible Targets and he also played bass with The De Soto Six. He previously played in Nottingham band Slip Hazard and The Blizzards.

Bern plays a 1962 Fender Precision Bass through either a Gallien-Kruger Backline 115 or a 1970 Marshall 100 watt bass head and a Marshall 4x12 cabinet. He also plays a string bass on some numbers.

Keyboards
Gregg's career on keyboards started with Mick Williamson in a talent competition hosted by Nottingham's own Pete-the-Feet. Inspired by the late great Jonny Clay, Gregg played with Steve and Bern in The Crocodiles and the Blizzard Allstars in the early 90s.

Gregg plays a vintage Roland JV-80 with a Roland SR-JV-80-08 'Keyboards of the 60s & 70s' expansion board, amplified by a Laney Linebacker KB80. Gregg sometimes uses both hands at once if his daughter lets him use her Yamaha for the richer piano sounds.

Bad Examples

Additional vocals are supplied by the fabulous and beautiful 'Bad Examples'...

Sharon MitchellJulie Fowler

Examples to us all

Other shining examples drop in occasionally, including Tony Taylor on vocals and harmonica...

Tony Taylor