BIO

LOOP THE MOON is the latest incarnation of an ever changing and evolving collective of musicians and singers # Each successive line up has included some outstanding jazz, Latin and funk players and guest vocalists who have come together for an emotional journey through many live performances # Highlights of these collaborations are featured on studio recordings, band EPs and videos # The story continues with more music and remixes to follow soon . . .

LTM perform in various shapes & sizes : as a full band with horns or with backing tracks and live percussion for festival & club gigs or semi-acoustically for more intimate events . . . The latest line-up features 3 backing vocalists + live keys and percussion . . .

We've appeared at many venues large and small including Kemptown Carnival, Concorde 2, Green Gathering, Latest Music Bar, Meadowlands, Vegfest, The Gladstone, The Hydrant, The Prince Albert, Red Lion, The Richmond, The Hope & Ruin, Patchfest, The Good Ship, Verda, The Mesmerist, Oxjam, The World's End, Magpie Eco Festival, The Verdict, Brighton Arts Club and Zu Studios, The Greys, The Brunswick, Cube, The Blind Tiger, The Hobgoblin, The Honey Club, Brunswick Festival, The Crown & Anchor, Infinity Café, Bee's Mouth, Red Roaster Café, The West Hill, Falmer Village Hall, The Providence, Cowley Club, The Thomas Kemp, Sanctuary Café, The Hub . . .

HISTORY

The band has seen several line-up changes and some of the featured singers were borrowed from the truly inspirational Brighton Goes Gospel. Past members include vocalists Rachel Manzi, Edi Mandala, Sandy Holder, Amanda Mitchell, Ursula Smith, Jules Englesman, Charley Maitland, Beth Dumonteil and Jemima Woolgar, bass players Santiago Barrera, Ben Abis and Harry Burton, drummers Joshua Simpson and Jools Owen.

The songs draw a multitude of influences from many musical genres and from band members as well as Mike’s colourful and varied musical journey which has taken him far and wide from classical to rock to soul to punk to folk and back again with countless recordings and appearances at venues large and small such as The Vortex, Roundhouse and Hackney Empire, plus Glastonbury, Big Green Gathering and Sunrise festivals.

In the 90s Mike collaborated on and released 3 warmly received 12” singles with DJ / producer Kwashie! as 2 Groove Productions. The songs included “Be There” featuring Portuguese diva Guida de Palma and “Wake Up” which was used on BBC’s “Rough Guide”. All the releases were played and much appreciated on Kiss FM, Choice FM and Jazz FM and got positive reviews in Music Week, Touch and Blues & Soul magazines.

Mike also had untold musical excursions with underground cult punk funk band Ruby Throat at venues and festivals across Europe including the renowned Hope & Anchor in Islington, Gazzer’s Rockin Blues, Tacheles, Madam JoJo’s, The Silo, Glastonbury and Strawberry Fayre. The band also provided music and madness for Mutoid Waste Company, Continental Drifts, Lost Vagueness, DNTT and Tattoo Expo events including the Tank Girl movie launch party in Camden Roundhouse plus fire circuses at Der Arena in Berlin and Robodock in Amsterdam and were featured on “Time Out With Ian Dury” on ITV.

He was keyboard player & backing vocalist with singer / songwriter Andy Halsey at a multitude of shows including a support for Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate. Other adventures included creating live ambient soundscapes and effects for contemporary dance shows at the London Studio Centre, composing for short films and broadcasted cabaret plus 4 years as a judge for the Brit Awards . . .

During 2012 Mike hooked up with jazzers Tom Alterman, Jack Kendon and Blake Mostyn from The E.M.E. and together with Jo Lacey on backing vocals and Ben on bass plus new arrival singer Philippa Howe they formed a new band that gigged around Brighton at venues including The Western Front and on The Bristol Bar Stage in Kemptown Carnival. Sax player John Styles from Quantic joined them briefly in 2013 . . .