The only son of two wartime jazzers, Martin “Bingo” Brown was music-mad from the start. Early indications of some sort of ability were blown out of all proportion when he was caught harmonizing with a song on the radio, which his Dad got very excited about. He was also caught miming with a tennis racket to a Jeff Beck track much to his embarrassment.
Like a million other kids, he was first obsessed by The Beatles and had to have a guitar. Lessons followed, but bored him rigid. Sod ''Greensleeves'' , he was already teaching himself Hendrix's 'Little Wing' intro at the age of 12. A succession of bands followed, notably with Bill in several lineups, and has finally led him to the Procedures, like-minded musos that he has always dreamed of playing alongside.
His family have got used to the racket emanating from his home studio ''Shabby Road" day and night, the bunker where he records his songs, often multitracking all the instruments himself and shouting a lot. This practice led to his songs being noticed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Thomas, former bassist with Elvis Costello and the Attractions., who produced and played bass on their 2017 album ''Back to the Start". He has had songs covered by Bonnie Tyler, Sam Brown and co-written with Russ Ballard.. He's also written a couple of books. His first book, 'The Last Four Years'', written with Annette Walter-Lax is an account of her life with the legendary Keith Moon and the more recent ''Turn It Down!'' is about his life and times in music.
Colin counts himself very lucky to have grown up in what became the most influential decade ever, the 1960's. He can still remember seeing The Beatles on “Ready Steady Go” when he was about 8 yrs old, and he knew then and there that this was what he wanted to do. For the next 2 years he spent all his time listening to “With The Beatles” and wanting to be Paul McCartney, until in 1966 he saw Keith Moon with The Who, and everything changed.
Colin spent the 70's and 80's playing in various local bands around London and Herts, getting close to that magic record deal, but never close enough. In the late 80's he did a short tour with the singer Hazel O'Connor and this led to a spate of studio bookings. On one such booking he was drafted in at late notice to drum on some demos for a visiting band from the USA. He was more than a bit bowled over when they turned out to be James Brown's Allstars (minus Mr Brown who was enjoying the hospitality of the Georgia State Correctional System at that time).
Colin has never been a complex technician, preferring simply lay down a solid groove, and he enjoys nothing more than the sight of a packed dance floor, leaping about to the beat he's driving.
Originally a classically trained tuba player, Bill applied low-end loveliness in orchestras and wind bands. Being on a stage is a big thing when your a kid and the kick of playing to an audience was addictive. The lure of the stage continued and was fueled further by an impromptu TV appearance and a meeting with Larry Grayson in 1981.
A job in a music shop followed along with a dodgy precision bass and some ex-Status Quo bass amplification. The die was cast.
Bill is also a tenor sax player and played in horn sections for a few bands in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The bass though , is where its at.
Bill regularly tours with The Who, Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue, but sadly only in his dreams….
When he is not playing with The Procedures, Bill spends his time at his Hertfordshire home irritating his family and surrounding himself with half-finished DIY projects while missing Keith Moon daily. He also regularly takes time to polish things vigorously in his shed.
Equipment: Mostly shiny & far too loud
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