John Shepherd
Keyboards & Guitar
In a career spanning over 4 decades John has worked alongside some of the UK’s top folk musicians.
Between 1985 and 1991 John was a member of The Albion Band, playing with Ashley Hutchings, Phil Beer, Simon Care and Trevor Foster.
After the Albion Band, John worked with Polly Bolton making two acclaimed albums, ‘Songs from a Cold Open Field’ and ‘Loveliest of Trees’ a musical setting of poems taken from A.E. Housman’s ‘A Shropshire Lad’
Between 2003 and 2005 John was also a member of top Shropshire Ceilidh Band ‘All Blacked Up’
Nick Beck
Drums & Percussion
Over 25 years of playing in English Ceilidh Bands, Nick is probably best known as the drummer in that same top Ceilidh Band ‘All Blacked Up’. As a founder member of ABU, Nick has featured on all their CD’s, ‘Say I am Dancing’, ‘Spirits of Another Sort’ and ‘A Thousand Twangling Instruments’
As well as his work with ABU, Nick has also played on CD’s of other well known musicians including Alistair Gilles and most notably, Bill Caddick.
ED Drury
Bouzouki, Guitar, Mandola and Mandolin
Ed’s career has seen him playing many styles of music as a Guitarist.
Between 1989 and 1991 Ed worked with Maartin Allcock before Maart went on to join Fairport Convention and later Jethro Tull
On joining The Caradoc Ceilidh Band, Ed took up Bouzouki to complement Clare’s incisive playing style.
David Wright
Bass Guitar
Unbelievably, over 35 years of playing Rock, Pop, Country, Rock & Roll, Jazz, Strict Time, Funk, Electropop and Punk music in Bands all over the UK this is David's first foray into the world of Traditional Dance Music. Having cut his teeth as a teenager playing in Holiday Camps and Working Men's Clubs across the South of England David now brings his distinctive rhythmic bass playing style to the Caradoc Ceilidh Band's back line
Clare Drury
5 String Fiddle
As a teenager Clare learnt her craft working in ceilidh bands all over Merseyside and the North West.
In 1989 Clare moved to Shropshire and became a member of popular Roots Band ‘The Angry Penguins’ until she left in 1997 to join John and Ed in the original ‘Caradoc Ceilidh Band’
Clare’s fiddle playing gives the band it’s distinctive melodic style; she is equally at home as a singer and can often be heard singing a song or two during breaks in dancing!
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Laura Shepherd
Flute, Recorder & Caller
Whilst married -
Dancing at the many Albion Dance Band ceilidhs whilst John was on stage she got the bug for translating steps and dance forms to their variety of musical genres and took up calling for the Caradoc Ceilidh Band in the 90’s. She now enjoys tailoring new and existing dances to both contemporary and traditional songs/tunes so there will always be something new for dancers who want to stretch their repertoire.
