Memphis Plates was formed from well known local musicians to play American music how it should be played; Plugged in and rocked up and just oozing that fat Memphis Sound. From hard core Honky Tonk Country to the driving rhythms of the Deep South there is nothing they won’t tackle. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, The Mavericks all the way through to the Eagles. 

This IS the music that America gives to the World. In fact you will find that nothing is sacred, listen to us rock up Hank William’s ‘Your Cheating Heart’ and play banjo in Hendrix ‘Hey Joe’.

The band was named after a line in the Creedance Clearwater Revival Song ‘ Proud Mary’

"Washed a lot of plates in Memphis, Honked a lot of pain down in New Orleans"

This one line sums up the music we play and not the fact that anybody looks like Tina Turner who also covered the song.

We have been fortunate to play in most venues around Milton Keynes including Dukes, Zaks and most pubs and had the honour of supporting Mick Abrahams, Blodwyn Pig at the Woughton ‘Pitz’. I had great pleasure playing duelling banjos with Mick in the sound check. Now we are branching out and have been seen at the odd line dance with a few famous people playing along. (Martin Alcock from Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull)

 

Andy Powell - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harpmonica and Banjo. Well it’s my band and it enables me to do what I have always wanted to do and that is to be a lead singer. This doesn’t deflect from the fact that I also play more instruments than is healthy.  We even do a Brian May style Duelling Banjo’s!!!.	Richard Gleave - Lead Guitar. Richard plays bass in a local Bluegrass band called the Concrete Cowboys (which I also play in) and numerous folk bands around the Leighton Buzzard / Milton Keynes area. However, he can only be fully appreciated when you see him plug in one of his many Fender Guitars and turn into a cross between Brian May and Albert Lee. Glad he’s in my band.
‘Mac’ McErlene - Drums. Mac has played drums for most bands in Milton Keynes in his time, notably bands like Cut The Mustard, Red Dog, The Roland Booze Brothers etc. You may also notice that we have loaned him to that great Bedford band, Spare Parts	David Gillbe - Bass. Dave has played bass with Richard in various bands for over 30 years. This makes it extremely easy to learn new material as he instinctively understands Richard’s guitar style.