About the Band
Initially formed in 2011 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Downtown Lester Brown have been a part of the local music scene on-and-off for more than a decade. Having played legendary local venues like The Cluny and the Riverside and sharing the stage with the likes of Alt-J and Sam Fender, Lester died of a broken heart in 2016 when their drummer left for the bright lights of London.
In 2022, he was resurrected. Much like Frankenstein's Monster, we replaced his broken parts with new, shiny pieces and have once again begun to gig, record and create.
Here, you can find out about each of our members:
Ben Taylor (Vocals & Guitar)
Ben was found on the verge of death in a gutter one cold December evening. Lying in a puddle of his own vomit after losing a fight with a bum outside of a local night club, Lester saw an opportunity.
He offered to save his life - in return, Lester would inhabit Ben's earthly body for a few nights a month to perform as the embodiment of Lester.
Ian 'Eesh' Henderson (Bass)
As a founding member of Downtown Lester Brown, Eesh has spent years at war with his bass guitars, engaging in a gruelling form of trench warfare to wrench the filthiest basslines from his inanimate foes.
He favours a technique of simply beating the living daylights out of the fretboard and can frequently be seen on stage doing battle with a 6-string bass he refers to as 'an aircraft carrier'.
Tom Oldfield (Drums, Vocals)
Look at that face. You would never guess it masked a brutal, insidious monster.
We found Tom in the depths of an unnamed banana republic, running a 'groove mine' to extract the funkiest beats from the very foundations of the earth.
His methods are questionable. His talent undeniable.
Steve Casey (Guitar, Keyboard)
Steve was headhunted by Lester Industries to lead our 'fucked up sounds' division.
A legend in the field of somehow making metal-style guitar work for funk (it's a thing - look it up), his demands to take the post were initially outrageous and included a lifetime's supply of counter-sunk wall plugs and something called 'right to a family life'.
Lester countered with the offer of a handful of pork scratchings and a VHS tape of the 1987 FA Cup Final. Steve accepted immediately.