LAST GANG IN TOWN:
OUR STORY
FORMING THE BAND
Early summer 2006... In Runcorn and Elton Gaz and Stez are looking to start a punk tribute/covers band... In Winsford Marks band Get a Grip has just split... he wants to join a punk tribute/covers band... A phone call... A meeting at Hapsford services on the M56... a jam at Ince village hall... its a goer... lets find a singer... An advert finds Tony in Leeds... Ince village hall... another jam... we're on... lets do it... rehearsals through late 2006 & early 2007 produce two sets classic of punk songs... Last Gang in Town hit the road...
Stez Styx: Drums
Mark Halford: Guitar
Tony Brown: Vocal
Gary Walker: Bass & Vocal
FIRST GIG
21st March 2007, The Cozy Club, Haslington, near Crewe
Which results in us being banned when a gang of punks from Stoke arrive and don't see eye to eye with the locals... a real punk rock start to our career...
2007 to 31st December 2008
Two years hard work traveling all over Northern England... we can name all the junctions on the M62 & M6... Highlights are Morecombe Punk Festival, Carlton's party in the park & Mark's 50th Birthday at The Dog House in Runcorn... Stez decides that family and work commitments are getting too much... its time for him to move on... Cheers Stez... founding member of Last Gang in Town... We couldn't have done it without you...
1st January 2009 to 17th December 2011; The (first) Adam era...
So Adam Halford, Marks brother now sits behind the kit... last time this pair of jokers played together was in the Cause 30 years before... Adam introduces subtle changes... rhythmic off beats... push and pull... we develop a new tightness... we get more adventurous with our song choices... We play some real prestigious gigs with The Buzzcocks and UK Subs... more festivals... a fan club, The Northwich Barmy Army... riotous gigs... lots more travel... those junctions are just to familiar... it takes its toll... Adam's had enough...he needs a break...Cheers Ad, thanks for the fun times kiddo... see you later...
December 2011 to May 2013; In the hot seat Mark (Bev) Bevan
Local Widnes lad Bev, late of the Learys tries his hand in the LGIT hot seat... a baptism of fire at Whittles... then six inches of snow in Kendal soon settles him in... Bev brings a more relaxed... laid back... almost horizontal feel... but no jamming...he can only give us a year he says as he's off to Oz... we squeeze more than that out of him... more great gigs... with UK Subs and The Angelic Upstarts... more festivals... the motorway miles build up... We'll see more of Bev later but for the moment its enjoy Oz mate and well done for keeping up with us!
May 2013 to August 2014; Old School rocker John Lloyd joins LGIT
John Lloyd old school rocker and biker from Bradford takes over the chair... hard driving rhythms... hard driving over the Pennines... back to basics... we get even louder... more amazing gigs... a secret rendezvous for a bike rally... more festivals... scooter clubs... John moves to Blackpool... travel gets complicated... sadly John has to call it a day... he bows out at The Lion in Castleford... a real send off for a real rocker... cheers John... we'll see you again buddy!
September 2014 to November 2014... Welcome back Adam
Welcome back Ad... a temporary fill in, cheers bro... but we can't keep it together... tensions mount... cracks appear... tempers fray... words are said... bridges burn... no more Last Gang in Town with Tony... do we carry on... Adam has commitments with The Train Set... he's out...
Gary & Mark find Jake... you're a band saver mate... a whole new chapter begins...
A new beginning
A lot of talking & deep soul searching... we just have to carry on... auditions for singers... don't work out... Gary does the singing... Jake's on board... new songs... rethink the backline... it's fun again... we're laughing... we're enjoying this... lets do it guys... the band is reborn...
Last Gang in Town: The three piece band
November 2014 to May 2018; Jake Fenton, drum tech wizard...
Refocused... tighter... sharper... a point to prove... Jake gets us moving... dynamic and technical rhythms re energize the band... Gaz is a natural front man... Jake gives us the energy to refocus... Mark gets the band sounding better than ever... Gaz hones his vocals... three months hard slog... first gig... we go down a storm... we're back on the road... those familiar junctions on the motorways...we venture further... more great gigs and festivals... higher up the bill... we're headliners... Jake breaks his arm... it doesn't stop us... all the old drummer boys volunteer... cheers Stezy... Adam... Bev... John... you're all stars... Adam and Bev do the depping... gigs with Sham 69... GBH... then TV company interest.... it comes to nothing... great times... lots of new friends & goodwill... a duck race... 400th gig... a party... new tunes... Jake decides he needs to move on... we get it... we understand... we move on too... the solid foundation Jake helped to build stands us in good stead for the future...
Cheers Jake... we couldn't have done it without you mate...
The Ben & 1st Toby era:
May 2018 to July 2021
Ben Relton, drummer, drum tutor, actor joins the gang... multi talented and many commitments... lots going on with Ben... we juggle the diary to fit everything in... Ben adds some great backing vocals to... some great laughs with a real joker in the pack... dates start to clash... we have to move and cancel gigs... but Ben needs to work.... we get it... Last Gang in Town need a dep for Ben then... Adam's to busy, Bev is to... we go back to our past... enter Toby Ridehalge... he originally auditions for us when he's just 16...puts in a sterling performance and wins us over so much that we stay in touch over the years... August 2019 Toby steps in for us at the last minute with no rehearsal so we could play the Spike Island Punk Festival at the Snig... then again he steps up in August 2020 for a gig at The Brown Cow, Eccleston before going off to work in Costa Rica... Cheers Ben & Toby, we couldn't have kept going without you guys... part of the long and illustrious line of drummers for Last Gang in Town...
Ben Relton
Toby Ridehalge
The 2nd Toby era
November 2021 to May 2023
Toby returns from Costa Rica and joins permanently at the end of 2021 and we rehearse and book gigs following the lay off due to Covid Lockdowns. We do some really great gigs and every gig in 2022 features in the "2022 PHOTOS & VIDEOS" page... Toby changes his job and has to move to Belfast...he signs off at Lucky 8's Rock & Blues Bar Chorley in May 2023...Cheers Toby you're welcome back anytime mate!
The story continues...
Checkout the other pages on this site for our current line up, upcoming gigs, availability and much more,
Last Gang in Town
70's Punk Rock at its absolute best!
