A lovable rogue of rhythm
DAVE NORMAN SPEAKS WITH SEAN FINCH
AS the lockdown continues, at least for the entertainment industry, our lockdown look into the people and venues from the local area this week features the ultimate function band front-man and star vocalist, Sean Finch.
Sean was aged just nine years old when he first became interested in music, which was, in no small part, attributable to his parents being very accomplished, professional entertainers. Sean said: “I guess it was in my DNA from the start as I’d go to gigs with them and do 20 minutes or so while my brother and late sister stayed at home.
“It sounds strange, but I can clearly remember singing the hit Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me by The Tams, and almost instantly, I was hooked on the feeling of being on stage.”
Appearances in school plays with his classmates helped Sean gain experience performing in front of people, and he soon started looking for musicians to work with, alongside jamming sessions with his friends who could also play.
Sean’s forte has always been in the performing of soul classics and even in the very early days the sounds of soul music fashioned his musical style. Sean said: “I met the late John Burgess in 1976, who was a wonderful drummer and along with Brian Nelson, Shaun Devitt, and Tony Soames we formed the very successful band Revox.
“Luckily, we were soon offered a Thursday night residency at The Dixon’s Arms in Woodmansey, and a Friday night residency at The Lady Le Gros in Beverley.
“Weekends were spent working the workingmen’s clubs across the area and I will always remember one of the first was an appearance at The Cherokee Club in Askew Avenue.
“The resident compere was the larger than life character, Sammy Walsham, he frightened us to death to the point that we played so quietly.
“One thing I remember about Sammy is that, if he saw your set list beforehand, he would play through all your songs just before you went on stage!”
The band were all good mates and really worked well together, with bookings flying in, they soon found themselves working five nights a week and were immensely proud of being awarded the title Clubland Band of the Year.
Sean left the Revox in 1982 to join the Humberside Police force and he said: “I still continued to play on occasions if I was allowed to, but in 1992 my life changed significantly when, on duty, I was very badly assaulted and had to retire from the force.
“As luck would have it, I was offered my dream job, singing on cruise ships and I had the time of my life. I even went out with Jane Mcdonald for a while, but eventually I went back to playing with John Burgess, Jim Waltham, Tim Gaden and Pete Davison calling ourselves Sound Foundation.
“Much later Jim Waltham and I formed the Simply Red tribute band Nearly Red, which proved a huge success even though wear a ginger wig.
“I joined the function band The Casablanca Boys in 1988, performing at some memorable venues including The Royal Albert Hall and a seven-week tour of Marrakesh.
“It’s fair to say that my time with Cassa’s simply didn’t work out and I left in 2002 to form my own outfit The Street Band.
“Around this time I put together a 14-piece Van Morrison tribute band of the same name, which I consider the best work I have produced, it didn’t last long, but it was a total blast.”
Corporate work ensued with the mainstream Street Band with performances at some of the biggest venues in the UK, but, around this time Sean was diagnosed with ME. He had to manage life differently so changed both the line-up and name of the band to The Rogues of Rhythm.
Sean said: “We got the atmosphere back, the genuine friendship in the band was still there and I’ll be forever grateful to the list of top musicians I’ve worked with during my time with The Street Band, Rougues of Rhythm and Soul Stirrers.
“The impressive list includes some of the area’s best players including Duncan Wood, Tony Beasty, Dan Beasty, Dave Greaves,
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Jim Waltham , Denny Mcinnerny, Karl Smalley, Mike Leeman, Denny Mcinnerny, Jo Jordan, Brian Saville, Enrico Marchesi, Simon Beddoe, Simon Kaylor, Neil Kirton and Tony Lawson.
“A very special mention goes out to our long-serving roadie and tour manager John Hook. Love and thanks to each and every one of them.
“Sadly, as my ME worsened and my health deteriorated, the demands of touring and hours of rehearsing became physically too much. I decided that I simply couldn’t continue to work in the band, which the other members completely understood.
“I’ve worked as a solo performer for the past three years, which I simply couldn’t have done without the able assistance of my son Connor Finch.
“I’m now retiring completely from the entertainment scene, with three private gigs to honour and memories of a lifetime of music. I’m starting out in my new career as a Funeral Celebrant, which I’m really looking forward to. Looking even further to the future, and with my affinity to the people and places around the Liverpool area, as a homesick ‘spiritual Scouser’ I plan to return their in the next few years, it’s where my heart is”.