the band
DAVID JACOBS - LEAD VOCALS / BASS
Dave is a multi instrumentalist, who originally trained on clarinet. He began to playing the bass at school, after completing several grades of classical guitar. When the bass player in the school band was on holiday, he was asked to cover on the premise that “you’ll figure it out”. He decided he really liked it and his music teacher and her husband, Paul Speare (Dexys Midnight Runners, Elvis Costello), spotted Dave's potential and encouraged him. He turned semi-professional whilst still at school, and spent all his weekends performing.
His influences are John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, Doug Wimbish and Billy Sheehan. Dave is a huge admirer of Phil Lynott's work on the bass, prolific lyrics and outstanding vocals and names Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous" LP as his favourite ever album.
Several years ago Dave was watching Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash and saw and heard Keith Buck (A name he was familair with) play guitar with for the first time. Dave recalls being "dumb-struck" at how good he was. "I stood there, wishing I could be in a band with him someday...”
A few years later, Dave was asked to attend a jam night where he met renowned and respected local guitarist, Tony Staniforth, and thought his guitar playing was simply unbelievable. Soon afer, the drummer in Tha Hoosemairtes could not make a gig, so one Mick Stafford stepped in and took to the material flawlessly, which was all new to him that night.
As fate would have it, later that year, Keith invited Dave to one of his solo gigs and got him up to sing a few Lizzy songs. That night the concept of Renegades was born... "Imagine my surprise to be with Keith, Mick and Tony and all agreeing we should do the material of Thin Lizzy in a band. It was like a dream come true".
KEITH BUCK - GUITAR / VOCALS
Keith has been a professional musician for well over three decades. He plays electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel, keyboards and he sings. Keith is also an accomplished song-writer and has appeared on lots of albums and singles as a sought-after session musician for many years. He plays on Tony Christie's recent UK gold-selling number one album and has toured worldwide with countless artists and bands. His colaborative work Folk star Sally Barker over the last twenty years has seen them perform at such iconic shows as Glastonbury Festival.
Keith was a member of Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash as one of the two guitarists. He now tours around the UK to packed theatre venues with top band Talon, who play the music of The Eagles.
Keith is well known as one half of the celebrated and much loved duo The Johnson Brothers, with the late, great and sadly missed singer Paul "Ginty" Johnson. They packed clubs and pubs around the Midlands for many years, and released an acclaimed album "Out Of The Blue" shortly before Ginty lost his battle with cancer in 2011. The CD was a non-profit making venture to raise funds for cancer charities.
His main influences as a teenager learning to play guitar were Free, Cat Stevens and Thin Lizzy. Like his Renegades colleagues: Dave, Tony and Mick, Keith adores the Irish band and their music. He names Robbo, aka Brian Robertson as his favourite ever Lizzy axe man.
TONY STANIFORTH - GUITAR / VOCALS
Tony has been playing guitar since he was 10 years old. The first time he heard The Shadows, Thin Lizzy and The Eagles he knew exactly what he wanted for Christmas! An extremely versatile musician with vast experience on the Midlands' club circuit, Tony is highly acclaimed and hugely respected.
He began his career with a country bluegrass band who evolved into respected outfit, The Down Country Boys, and then spent a number of years with rock and roll stalwarts Rocky Storm & The Shakers. He toured across Europe on several occasions before joining a relatively successful UK blues band that performed regularly across the country.
He formed the brilliant covers band Silver Street in the 1980's with Mick Stafford on drums, and quickly established a sizeable and loyal following. Still gigging, as a five-piece rock band now known as The Street, Tony began playing with Keith Buck in the late 90's with a rock duo. Furthermore, Tony is also an in-demand session player and enjoys encouraging new talent to perform in his spare time. He runs a very popular open mike night at his local pub which is testament to his efforts and passion.
MICK STAFFORD - DRUMS / VOCALS
There was always a drum kit in Mick's house growing up, due to his father being a semi pro drummer in various dance bands and trios. It was into one of these resident trios at a local club in which young Michael Stafford was thrust at the age of ten. They backed all the visiting acts including household names before they were famous, such as Arnold George Dorsey aka Englebert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Acker Bilk, Jackie Trent, Norman Vaughan, and many more for five years.
Mick then joined his first band Black Gold, which was the beginning of a long career which has spanned more than 40 years playing at session, semi pro and pro levels all over the UK and Europe.
Mick joined original group The Chris Lucas Band and found particular success in London playing many support gigs at the Marquee and the Rock Garden. They shared the stage with Alan Price, American band Heart, several supports with the Psychedelic Furs and Rock and roll outfit Rocky Storm and the Shakers. They made two albums, toured heavily and did major shows with The Tremeloes and the Swinging Blue Jeans on the same bill. Mick struck up a friendship with Laurel Aitken that resulted played for him for the Ska legend.
Mick is a huge fan of Thin Lizzy and massively influenced by the legendary Brian Downey.
He has a large collection of vintage drums and percussion.
