Meet The Band...

For a night to remember, nothing compares to the atmosphere of a kickin’ band...

Our line-up comprises male and female vocals, guitar, keys, bass, drums, horns and percussion. Our equipment is suitable for almost any venue and occasion; and includes a professional quality PA (suitable for almost any venue) and a full lighting rig. Just give us a power point and we'll do the rest!

Although based near the historic city of Ely, we play for functions all over the East Anglian region, especially around Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Soulved is made up of an eclectic group of musicians, and all have extensive experience, on stage, in orchestra pits, in recording, both amateur and professional, so you can be assured that you will have music of the highest quality at your event. Here, you can discover a small segment of our colourful, and somewhat imaginative lives...

Lisa Smith

Vocals/Percussion

Lisa is very ambitious, and she won't let anything get in her way. At an early age, her urge to become a pint-sized pop princess was so strong that she used to sleep in the fridge so she didn't grow too tall. However, this had the negative effect of lowering her core body temperature to an almost lethal level, at which point doctors urgently prescribed her a one-way ticket to Australia. Fortunately the sun-soaked lifestyle restored her temperature to normal levels, as well as having the added bonus of bleaching her hair and giving her a pleasant Australian twang to her voice. It seems her life-long dream is coming true — watch out Kylie.

Emily Norman

Vocals/Percussion

Standing next to her big sister in the Soulved vocal section, Emily gets the chance to bicker and gossip all night long. Thankfully, the girls can communicate telepathically, so you'll never experience it yourself. This method of communication has often baffled scientists, especially considering the fact Emily can often be seen standing silently in the centre of Stonehenge for hours upon end and is frequently overheard muttering to herself about ‘contacting home’. It is rumoured that her relationship with Elliott, a childhood friend, was the inspiration for a certain Steven Spielberg movie that cannot be named due to legal reasons.

Matt Bullen

Vocals/Percussion

As child protégés go, Matt (AKA Sugardaddy) is pretty special. Not only can he recite pi to the one thousand three hundred and thirty seventh digit, create mind-bending works of modern art and play the Hurdy Gurdy perfectly; he trained as a ballet dancer under Darcey Bussell, and is especially talented behind the Barre. The one downside of his love for dancing? Groin strain, from which Matt constantly suffers. He turned to singing in a bid to rekindle his love affair with performing, and still wears a leotard under his clothes to ensure he reaches the high notes.

Tim Taberner

Guitar/Vocals

"The godfather" earned his guitaring stripes on the streets of Harlem, where he began busking at the age of four. He earned his first dollar when he was just six, and now makes a career out of earning more of them. He soon hopes to have enough cash to buy an island to home his collection of toy cocker spaniels. Of course, his nickname “the godfather” should not be confused with “The Godfather”. Whereas one is an aging patriarch of an organised crime dynasty who transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son, the other is a film by Francis Ford Coppola.

Phil Taberner

Keyboards

Born wearing a strangely alluring off-black trilby hat, Phil loves to dress in matching clothes; something that makes women swoon at his feet, especially when he rocks the leather tie and woollen shirt combo. Although not religious himself, Phil is celebrated as the founder and inspiration for a small cult based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, just off the A1. A centrepiece for the town is their bronze statue of Phil’s likeness, which folklore determines will one day come to life and roam the countryside destroying non-believers. Also a surprising piece of trivia about Phil: he has the world's largest collection of vintage umbrellas.

Phil plays a 1983 Casio DJ20 Electric Keytar. Set to electric mandolin.

Simon Thompson

Bass/Harmonica/Vocals

When he's not showing his wide-bore hose off, Simon likes to dress up as a fireman and annoy the people in his neighbourhood. He's been known to shave his legs and run down the streets wearing Matt's tutu. Despite these eccentricities, he is actually a level headed man who majored in Discussion of Classical Literature at the University of Soham, with a minor in Basketweaving. Ask him anything about Tolstoy and he'll talk your ear off, if he's not busy expanding his collection of Vegetables That Happen To Look Like Other Vegetables.

Mike O'Reilly

Trumpet/Percussion

Born to a family of macaques in the jungle of sub-Saharan Africa, Mike is accustomed to a simple life. He was introduced to western culture very recently, and particularly likes the convenience of granulated sugar, microwaveable pizzas and the telephone. Mike was discovered by famed explorer Sir Quentin Arthur McPudding after having fashioned a rudimentary trumpet out of a sapling trunk and a discarded coconut gourd. At the time he was playing it in a desperate bid to make contact with the Almighty Rain Gods. Despite the years of culture acclimatisation he has since gone through, if his concentration slips he often finds himself flinging his own waste at passers-by.

Mark Bell

Saxophone/Percussion

Spending most of his early life inhaling, Mark's lungs are, according to professionals, equivalent in size to those of a sperm whale. He can sustain a note for 29 minutes, and has been employed by the International Atomic Energy Agency to simulate the force of a two-megaton bomb. This of course should not be confused with the failed World War II experiments in which thousands of tactical saxophonists were deployed over key German targets. Whilst proving to be ineffective tools of destruction, this had the odd effect of giving birth to the underground jazz scene in Berlin.

Chris Mayes-Wright

Drums/Percussion

In 1971, after becoming increasingly unhappy about his fast-aging face, Chris took the desperate measure of undergoing full facial reconstruction. As a result, medical experts say that he will never grow old, a bit like Peter Pan. Chris is actually 68 years old. Of course, his eternally youthful face has caused him prolonged irritation whenever he attempts to buy alcohol; however, he has overcome this issue by complaining loudly about how “kids these days have no dang respect for their elders”. He has spent his lengthy existence discovering arcane, subversive drum rhythms that are rumoured to cause insanity.

Nigel Thompson

Techie

Contrary to the jovial figure you see to your left, Nigel's past is a dark and troubled one; a past from which he has tried to run away for years. Very few people know of Nigel's true history; namely because there are very few people he trusts with such information. All it takes is one slip of the tongue,and Nigel's past could catch up with him very quickly. Suddenly and violently and all over the place. We only know two chilling facts about Nigel: Known simply as "The Nige" in many circles around the world, it is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of men. He can also make a mean chocolate pudding.

Mike Arscott

Shenanigans/Webmaster

Mike doesn't belong on this page as he has nothing to do with the band or the website for that matter. He is however a spokesperson for M.I.K.E., a charitable institute dedicatated to raising the awareness of Mikes worldwide.

If you wish to become a representative for 'The Michaels Institute for Knowledge and Enlightenment' send an S.A.E. to "MIKE". Please allow 2 - 6 months for a response.

Want to see if the band are available for your wedding or function? Complete our booking enquiry form!