INSIDE THE OUTSIDERS
The Rank Outsiders are four seasoned musos cobbled together from the big smoke of Melbourne to The Great Ocean Rd. They love nothing more than the sound of vintage guitars played through fine amplification, a little denim… and a smattering of facial hair. Schooled in the great deeds of acts such as SRV, early ZZ Top, Freddie King, Clapton, The Allman Bros, Jimi Hendrix, Los Lobos, Georgia Satellites and the original Fleetwood Mac to name a few, the boys deploy a classy trove of their own tunes at every opportunity and can delve into an extensive repertoire of blues and R’n’B covers when required.
El Gee
ELECTRIC GUITARS & VOX
WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
Main weapon - '73 Fender USA Thinline Telecaster, '73 USA Stratocatster, 2010 Gibson Collectors Choice No.1- aka "The Peter Green guitar", various "Partscasters"
Amps - 1967 Fender Bassman, Moody GA40
INFLUENCES:
Hendrix - "Need I say more?!"
SRV - "Ball tearing tone and Texas attitude. Captured me at the beginning. Still haven't got "Scuttle Buttin" down after nearly 30 years of trying!"
ZZTOP - "First 5 albums are a high bench mark for what I consider to represent taste and tone"
Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac - "A good chance you'll see a tear in my eye whenever I listen to early Peter Green. Danny Kirwan was a remarkable foil who was equally as hauntingly gifted"
Magic Sam - "Monster singer and player. So honest and raw.. The ultimate boogie man. I borrowed "Magic Sam Live" on vinyl from my best friends brother when I was 16. I still have it and he's not getting it back in a hurry! "Looking good" and "Feel so good" will ALWAYS drop me.
Honourable Mentions - Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell, Los Lobos & David Hidalgo, Steve Gaines & Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Little Feat, Sly And The Family Stone, Duke Ellington, KYUSS!!
LIKES:
Dogs and how their ears smell.
PAUL WINSTANLEY
aka. The Moggs Ck. Menace
BASS GUITARS & VOX
WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
Danelectro '59 Re-issue DC Electric Bass Guitar, Fender 93/94 P-Bass MIJ.
INFLUENCES:
Jimi Hendrix - I bought a cassette in a bargain bin at a record store (it was all I could afford) because a mate who was learning guitar said Jimi was cool! I couldn’t get my head around the whole thing. I loved it. The Wind Cries Mary and 51st Anniversary had instant appeal. A few years later I was clued onto The Band of Gypsies album and that was a revelation for me.
Thin Lizzy - I have a strong memory of listening to Live And Dangerous on cassette but I only had the first disc. Great melodies, thudding rock and roll. Johnny the Fox…!
AC/DC - Powerage. Their greatest album. All the cheeky innuendo in the lyrics and more melody in the music than the subsequent albums.
Old School RnB - I can’t get enough of it. The grooves, meandering melodic baselines and vocal performances from the likes of Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding
LIKES:
Surfing, especially with my boys Kit and Darcy (I’m not good but I can’t get enough of it!), eating, cooking and hosting events for family and friends, Pale Ales, Hawthorn Football Club
MATT ORCHARD
aka. The Coach
ELECTRIC GUITARS & VOX
WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
Jim Dyson Telecaster (El Cheapo), MJT Telecaster, Fernandes Telecaster w/ Texas Special Pickups, ’62 Fender Deluxe amp-1x12, Black Varcscaster Tele/Strat hybrid, Custom Tobacco 339 for slide tuning.
INFLUENCES:
The Stones - I regard Charlie and Keith as some sort of deities.
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Could not believe what I was hearing but knew I needed to get me some of that.
KISS - I’m a self confessed KISS tragic. Forget the make up, the first 7 records were drums, bass, two guitars, riffs, solos, harmonies, choruses… the sonic template.
Adam Carroll - Had to pull over en route to a gig to write down his name when I first heard him.
ZZ Top - Guitar tone heaven, cheeky lyrics, understated bluesologists. Never take themselves too seriously. The first five albums had the works (see LG’s profile here…great minds etc.)
The Black Crowes - The breath of rock’n’roll fresh air needed in the 90’s.
The Beatles - My first taste of rock’n’roll was as a toddler listening to Beatles For Sale, in particular the blues tracks…I didn’t know they were 12 bars then but I knew they spoke to me somehow!
The Band - The mystique, the look, the sounds, the effortless cool, the incredible musicianship... the wardrobe.
Luke Gale - Upon meeting the man loooong ago, his playing and unique command of the electric guitar made me realise I needed to get serious if I was going to keep up. A kindred spirit on the crusade, fellow gear head and chief architect of ‘the mongrel’.
Honorable Mentions - So many names so little room…JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, Tex, Don & Charlie, AC/DC, The Who, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, CCR, Tony Joe White, Cold Chisel, Freddy King, Led Zeppelin, early Van Halen, Chuck Berry.
LIKES:
Cowboy boots, Star Wars, the look, sound and feel of electric guitars.
ADAM GILLIVER
aka. ADZA
DRUMS & VOX
WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
1976 Ludwig Kit, Oyster Blue Bowling ball finish, Pearl hardware, Dixxon seat, Paiste Hi Hat, Paiste 18’crash, Zildjan 20’ Custom Hybrid ‘K’ series, Vic Firth 5AN sticks.
INFLUENCES (THIS IS NOT A JOKE):
The Muppets/Seasame Street music - Made me wanna be a part of the musical world.
Most if not all 70's FM West Coast bands - Steely Dan, Doobies, Fleetwood, Eagles, Grand Funk
Eric Clapton - and all his bands and the journey either side of him that listening to him gave me. Old blues and new blues artists
Honorable Mentions - The Rolling Stones, Beatles, Van Morrison, The Band, Cold Chisel, Josh Homme, Roger Miller, AC/DC, Tim Rogers and You am I, Band Of Horses, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Tommy Emmanuel, Jimmy Page.… sooo many.
LIKES:
The ocean, music & great friends, ohh and beer and old Holdens.
Together they serve a refreshing and irresistible sonic spread. Good time, bluesy rock’n’roll, drenched in classic R’n’B roots… delivered with a touch of mongrel.