Bio
The BBC band
The BBC is a group of talented New York musicians dedicated to capturing the original sound of The Beatles. A common bond shared by each member is that they have spent their lives as keen musical enthusiasts meticulously studying Beatle recordings in order to provide the most accurate musical presentation possible. The BBC’s focus is on the music, meaning that they don't dress the part or try to create the illusion of acting like The Fab Four. This group attacks each song with fire and enthusiasm and radiates fun and a positive energy. The BBC has a warm, sociable stage presence and prides itself in its powerful vocal harmonies and musical sound, which makes each performance a fresh and exhilarating experience. The BBC delivers great music that sparks raw emotions in all generations.
You may recognize some of the popular BBC band mates; Russ Thomas - BeatleMagic (vocals & rhythm guitar), John Connelly - Switch (vocals, harmonica & bass), Ned Wood - Weekend (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion), Frank Grizanti – The Falls Street Rockers, Frank Grizanti Band, Weekend (vocals, lead guitar & keyboards), Gary Astridge – "Big Wheelie" & The Be Bops (vocals, drums & percussion).
"If you love The Beatles, you'll love The BBC."
HISTORY OF THE BBC
Back in 2002, Gary Astridge was searching for something to do as a hobby. After some soul searching it was a no brainer to combine his two passions of The Beatles and drumming. Not having any connections in the local music scene, Gary stumbled onto www.wnymusic.com and placed an Internet ad looking for musicians interested in getting together for a Beatle jam. The ad was well received and one jam lead to another and through word of mouth other local musicians began to get involved.
Through the following year, Beatle jams were taking place once every two weeks at a remote location on Grand Island and as word continued to spread, the caliber of some of the players attending began to reach a professional level. When John Connelly (founder and member of Switch) first sang with Russ Thomas (member of BeatleMagic), “enchantment filled the room” said Gary Astridge. A core group developed and the music was so good that a decision was made to form a band (The BBC) with the intent of playing out a few times a year. Through time and circumstance, the band saw changes in personnel. The addition of Ned Wood and Frank Grizanti (members of the band Weekend and inductees in Buffalo’s Music Hall of Fame) has created a local super group with great musical chemistry. “The icing on the cake is that we truly care about each other.” commented Russ Thomas. “Our friendship and the love for the music we play, generates an energy on stage and in the audience.” said Ned Wood.
RUSS THOMAS - Vocals, Guitar
RUSS THOMAS joined BBC in 2002. His Lennon-like voice and driving rhythm guitar make him a valuable asset to the band! Russ is also the founding member of BeatleMagic, a band performing sets of Beatle music from the 60’s and 70’s in full costume. They are 2007 winners of the Buffalo Music Awards: Best Tribute Band.
Russ works for DuPont in Research and Development.
JOHN CONNELLY - Vocals, Bass, Harmonica
JOHN CONNELLY is a well-known, popular WNY musician, having founded the band SWITCH in the 1970’s. John added BBC to his busy schedule in 2003, singing Paul McCartney’s lyric solos and playing Bass. His passion for music is derived, in part, from his love of the Beatles! Switch continues to be one of the most popular WNY bands, playing several concerts a year.
John is the owner of a promotional company in Lancaster, New York, employing approximately 20 people.
NED WOOD - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion
NED WOOD is an original member of the 70’s recording artists WEEKEND. He was responsible for co writing their most popular songs including “Everyday”, “Mrs. Jones’ Garden”, and “I Remember Blue”. He is an accomplished Keyboard/Organist/Vocalist/ Guitarist/ and Trumpet player.
After WEEKEND, Ned performed in some of Western New York’s most popular Bands, including Shiner and 33 West. In 1998, WEEKEND reformed, and Ned continued to write new music for the band. “WEEKEND
AT LAST”, released in 2000, included three new songs written by Ned. (“Dark Control” was co written with Mike Cox) That same year, WEEKEND was inducted into the Buffalo Musician’s Hall of Fame.
Ned’s resume also includes a BS in Art from Buffalo State College. His murals can be seen at the Museum of Science and Buffalo State. Ned is presently performing with The BBC Band and Beatle Magic, while continuing to write his own music for his upcoming Solo CD.
GARY ASTRIDGE - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
GARY ASTRIDGE is the band’s percussive backbone and founding member of The BBC. His musical journey started when he was just a child, drumming on empty coffee cans after seeing The Beatles perform on Ed Sullivan. In the early 80’s, Gary collaborated with Tom Calandra (Stan & the Ravens), writing & recording songs. This afforded Gary the opportunity to meet and play with a variety of bands around the country. In addition to The BBC, he has performed locally with Big Wheelie, The Be Bops, and Beatle Magic. Gary is a collector of vintage drum kits like the ones used by Ringo Starr during his career with the Beatles!
Gary is the owner of Astridge International, an import distribution company for medical chairs produced in Germany.
FRANK GRIZANTI - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
FRANK GRIZANTI is the newest member of BBC, having joined in 2007. He is a 2007 inductee to the Buffalo Musicians’ Hall of Fame, and recipient of the 2004 NCMMA Lifetime Achievement award for Guitar. He is also an accomplished Bassist/Keyboardist/ Vocalist /and Song Writer and a welcome addition to the BBC band.
Frank hails from Niagara Falls, where he has been a popular Guitarist since
the early 1970’s, having played with Oz, Slam, Zola, NRG, and the USA Band. In 1998, Frank joined Weekend, collaborating on their new CD, “Weekend, At Last”. Frank is responsible for the new song, “Magic Eyes” on that CD!
These days, Frank is busy doing session work in LA, Nashville, and Toronto as well as performing with his own band, The Frank Grizanti Band. He is also a member of The Falls Street Rockers, The USA Band, and Anatara. He can be heard on many WNY recording projects for such great talents as Ken Kaufman, John Valby, and many others. In his spare time, he is producing new talent at Audio Magic recording studios.