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Thursday, February 3, 2022

FRESH BLOOD Voodoo Raven

 

Voodoo Raven are rock trio based on the Isle of Wight. Bassist/vocalist Jeff Piccinini has played a number of bands touring and recording since 1975 Stormtrooper (UK) Chelsea (UK)
The Smart (UK)
The Merciful (USA)
S'Cream Tribute Band (USA)
Nik Turner's Hawkwind (USA) Revenant (USA) Voodoo Raven (UK)

Guitarist Dave Perryman and drummer Terry Eustace former members of Blackhawk (UK)



David Perryman (Guitarist) 
Dave ‘The Bandit’ Perryman (an appellation due to his domiciliary in West 
Wight) was born on 1896, and having served with distinction in two World 
Wars discovered electric guitar around 1958. He made rapid progress with the 
instrument and was able to play Apache unaided just eight years later.
Although now 125 years old, he looks quite good for his age, and is still able 
to lift very heavy speaker cabinets and stand on stage unaided (although he 
insists on the security of a Zimmer frame located behind an amplifier
His greatest pleasure in life, apart from satisfying an audience, is to wake up 
in the morning and be astonished that he is still alive.
Dave has no hobbies or interests other than music, knows only very unfunny 
jokes and drinks no beer. He has, therefore, acquired the name Interesting 
Dave, only the second person in England to receive this accolade, following in 
the footsteps of the great snooker legend Steve Davis.
He has played in various school and semi-pro bands, and latterly with The 
Moose Brothers, (Dave is also known as Moose, and is the “butt” of much 
humour) his last mainland band, playing such venues as the London 
Hippodrome in Leicester Square, and The 100 Club in London’s Oxford 
Street.
He played with Blackhawk, an Island band that reigned for 6 years. This was 
followed by brief spells with Wight Hot Pipes, and Pirate Pirates tribute band.
His musical skills extend to durchkomponiert, a claim that not many musicians 
can make.
Some years ago, Dave had a brief dalliance with jazz and classical guitar, but 
has now fully recovered following lengthy rehabilitation.
Dave is now playing guitar with Voodoo Raven, and is living proof that 
obsession with the electric guitar is for life, not just Christmas
Jeff Piccinini, also known by his alias, Geoff Myles, was playing music in San 
Francisco at the time but began his professional music career when he moved 
to London with American drummer Mike Lee in Jan 1975 and formed punk 
band Stormtrooper with vocalist Nigel Hutchings and guitarist John Pilka. They 
recorded some demos in August of 1975 and released their debut single “I’m A 
Mess” b/w It’s Not Me” on Solent Records in 1977. Stormtrooper recorded their 
second single in March of 1978 “I’m On Fire b/w Coming My Way”, which 
unfortunately was never released due to the demise of the band. Shortly 
thereafter Jeff joined punk band Chelsea in 1978 and a new recording of I’m 
On Fire” was done by Chelsea which was released as a single in the USA as 
well as on Chelsea’s debut album. 
Eventually Jeff left Chelsea in 1980 and formed London based band The Smart 
with Chelsea guitarist David Martin and they toured the UK & US in the early 
80's with the likes of UFO, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Iggy Pop, Lords of the 
New Church, OMD and The Fixx to name but a few, but success eluded the 
band who also recorded a full length album produced and mixed by Jon Astley 
at Revolutions Studios in Manchester but was never officially released. The 
Smart recorded some 70 songs from 1980-1984 but split up in NYC in 1984. 
HQ was the next London based band from 1986-1987 with the late Shaun 
Newnham (Thin Red Line) on vocals, guitarist Phil “SG” Oswald (Pump House 
Gang & The Choir) and Mark Freeman (Wild Willy Barrett & John Otway, The 
Smart and Michael Schenker Group). The band recorded 7 songs for a possible 
album release but were turned down by major labels which ended the band.
Returning to San Francisco Jeff started a pop trio in mid 90's called the Merciful 
who released one album but faded away by 1999. In 1999 there was a brief 
reformation of the original Chelsea lineup after 20 years for the Social Chaos 
tour of the USA which included 12 US and UK punk bands.
After long break from music ended Jeff formed a modern rock trio called 
Revenant in 2010. The band had various line up changes but released 3 EP’s 
and a full length CD (www.revenantrock.bandcamp.com). During this period 
Jeff did a short US West Coast tour playing bass in the UK Subs and then 
played on Nik Turner’s Hawkwind Space Gypsy album in 2013 that was 
released by Cleopatra Records. One of his songs “Time Crypt” is a selection on 
the album. A side project called the Zombie Sex Idols that he started with 
guitarist and friend Klara Lux (formerly of Binky & Clito) “Sex Idol Zombie b/w 
Time Crypt” is their debut single soon to be released.
In 2018 Jeff dissolved Revenant and returned to the UK where he started his 
current band Voodoo Raven in 2019 on the Isle of Wight with guitarist Dave 
Perryman and drummer Terry Eustace. The band recently released their debut 
5 song EP (www.voodooraven.bandcamp.com). Voodoo Raven have played 2 
festivals this past summer, the Ventnor Fringe and Happy Daze Festival and are 
ramping up for a busy 2022. 
Terry Eustace (Drummer)
Terry Eustace started playing drums aged 15 in the 60's with a 
band called The Jelly Babies and entered a show called "Ready 
Steady Win" in which they came 3rd. The band thought they had 
made it! The band chose their name because Ringo Starr from the 
Beatles said he loved jelly babies so the kids threw jelly babies 
onto the stage for him thus they thought this would be a good 
gimmick. They were pro for 2 years.
Terry then formed a band called Syd's Crowd in the late 60's and 
70's and were lucky to play all the major gigs in the UK mostly as a 
support band which was a great time being on the road with your 
mates. Left the music scene to grow up but this feeling didn't last 
long! Soon he found himself playing with some great guys in a 
rock band called Dubious Affection. The band had a good run but 
Terry decided to move to the Isle of Wight so they disbanded.
After a few months he saw an advert for a drummer. Needless to 
say, he joined a band called Pirate Pirates with Isle of Wight 
musicians Frank Fletcher and Jim Elston (who was later replaced 
by Dave Perryman). They were a tribute band to Johnny Kidd and 
the Pirates who were a top band back in the day and played at 
various 60's events at Holiday Camps across the UK.
Then he joined Blackhawk with Dave Perryman and 2 other Isle of 
Wight musicians and formed a very popular rock band on the Isle 
of Wight which lasted many years.
Suffice it to say, he is now playing in Voodoo Raven with two 
serious musicians he's proud to play with and call his best mates.
Rock’n’Roll!!!
Jeff Piccinini (Bass and vocals)


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