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 Tobe - Slick 50 - Dixon - Mitch - Manny - Steve - Rachel - Guitar - Keyboards - Bass - Drums - Violin - Boogie, Blues & R&B in the South East.
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Cell Block 9 began in the late 20th century put together by Mr Peter Phillips and Mr John Monday along with Mr Geoff Strange and Henry.  All agreed it would be a good idea to play some Dr Feelgood stuff and so they set about putting it all together.  It was difficult.  Drummers came and went [sometimes on the same day], Pete and John spent a lot of time arguing like an old married couple but eventually they managed to play a few songs at some event.  They got the taste.  They rehearsed more, they learned more, Pete and John argued more, they got a gig!  Blimey! they got another gig.  One gig on the Friday and the other on the Saturday.  Oh joy!  Then the bad news [there's always bad news, I bet you could feel it coming] Henry had to go to Germany to work and couldn't do either of these gigs.  Deep depression set in.  Then Pete had a brainwave!  Why don't we get another guitarist in for the gigs, simple.  He knew of a chap who was reputed to be a good guitarist and wasn't playing at the time.  Ideal!  John was not sure to start with but he soon came round and indeed volunteered to call the bloke and ask him himself.  In any case thought John I don't want this bloke thinking we are just any old bunch of musicians, if I speak to him I can ensure he realizes how good we are.  I nearly said no but due to the old woman shouting at me across the boat "say yes this time you pratt" I agreed and fixed up two rehearsals during the week, for this day was Monday, and the gigs were on the following Friday and Saturday!
The rehearsals were farcical.  Pete and John just kept arguing and changing the order of verses and chorus' etc etc.  I soon realized that it was going to be pretty raw.  The impression John had given was of a sorted, gigging band but the truth was, they hardly knew the songs.  Luckily the Saturday night gig was cancelled.  The other one however went ahead with a drummer who had never played with the band ever!.  I had a new amp and 6 pints of Guinness.  I played well considering and despite the awful noise the rest made people actually clapped and to my amazement we were offered another gig!.

So began my long involvement with the band I was to inherit nearly ten years later.

Early Members

Pete Phillips          guitar, harp, vocals - Founder member and for a long time the driving force behind CBL9
John Monday -    Lead vocals, harp - Founder member and front man.
Geoff Strange -    Bass and smart gear - Founder member and the man with the most amazing music collection.
Henry -                Guitar - Founder member and the first deserter.
Myself -                 Guitar, vocals, harp.  Regarded as a founder member and certainly joined before any serious gigs were played.
Ron Ratcliffe -     Drums and dry wit. Ron came out of a 16 year retirement to play for CBL9 and became a dear friend.

This then was the real start of CBL9 - Pete, John, Geoff, Ron and Myself.

Geoff left after about a year and was replaced temporarily by Slick 50.
Slick left in huff one night and was replaced temporarily by Geoff Strange.
Geoff left again to be replaced by Slick again.
Ron retired as his illness got hold of him although it was to be some while before we found out he had terminal cancer.  Steve Nye replaced him on the drums.
I left the band when I realized that John was never going to stop acting bizarrely and an hour later the rest of the band resigned and came to ask if they could carry on with me singing instead.
Slick left the band again to join a band more his own generation and Keith Webb came in on the bass and stayed for nearly 4 years.
Steve Nye left and Geoff Wossname came in on the drums and so began the most disastrous year in the history of CBL9.
I sacked Geoff Wossname immediately the band returned from the Cornwall Tour and Harry Hancock joined.
With Harry in the band things started to look up but then he had an ultimatum from the wife [the drums or me!] and he left and Fred Ward joined.
At this point the band played their worst gig ever and I had had enough, however, out of the left over bits a new band was started without Pete.
It was not a success.
Dennis Metherel came along on the keyboards and things started to look a little better for a short while.
Keith left as he couldn't stand the keys and Slick came back again for the third time.
Fred couldn't keep it together though and I replaced him [much to Freds relief] with Steve the drummer with the electronic kit and he lasted one gig.
Through an amazing stroke of luck Emitt came along as CBL9's drummer and the present band was born.
Yippeeeee.
In my own words:  'the only way up now is straight down'
Manny Leeman stood in for Dixon for 7 weeks and has now become a more or less permanent member.
Mitch has officially joined now that she does so much more than she used to.
Emitt left to follow his lifelong dream of living in a land where lots of people are smaller than him [China] and Steve Arber [complete with acoustic kit this time] joined again and what a drummer he is!
Rachel [amazingly talented musician] helped us out with the 2009 Xmas Bash as we needed a violin player for a 'once only' Irish Jig and has now become part of the band
Slick decided to go on his travels again and Clive joined as bass player.
11 years and 19 members later the band is most certainly the best it's ever been, still having fun and with a great following of middle aged radio 2 listeners.