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.
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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.
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Here, you can find out about each of our members:
Ben Taylor (Vocals & Guitar)
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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)
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Look at that face. You would never guess it masked a brutal, insidious monster.
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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.
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His methods are questionable. His talent undeniable.
Steve Casey (Guitar, Keyboard)
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Steve was headhunted by Lester Industries to lead our 'fucked up sounds' division.
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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'.
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Lester countered with the offer of a handful of pork scratchings and a VHS tape of the 1987 FA Cup Final. Steve accepted immediately.