About Our Equipment

The equipment we are currently using is producing good quality sound. Our main mixer is a 750 watt Phonic stereo system which is sufficient for most indoor and moderate outdoor events. Guitar amplification is by Fender, Vox and Behringer amps + Epiphone monitor. All are wired to the main mixer for sound quality and volume control. Guitars used are Fender, Gibson and Variax. Mikes by Sure. Floor guitar processors by Vox & Line 6.

We also have a small recording studio console for producing CDs.

About our gigs

Being a relatively new band, we have so far only played at local events such as village barbeques, village hall events, local pubs, open mike nights and a number of events at the Fjellgar at Farndon, (a converted Norwegian ferry) that opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, but generally all within the Newark area. All gigs have been well received with repeat bookings secured.

But we are now willing to expand our venue listing and are happy to travel a little further afield if necessary. As well as continuing with our enjoyable local commitments, we are available for parties, pub events, the odd birthday bash, weddings, anniversaries etc. or any other obscure event you may be planning. We pride ourselves in giving value for money, therefore you will find our charges well within most budgets.

We are also happy for prospective clients to check us out at any of our venues or come along to rehearsals to get a feel of what we can deliver. Unfortunately at this early stage, we cannot offer tailored song lists, but this may change in the future.

Please remember, we do this primarily for enjoyment so we would not be at all offended if these initial enquiries did not meet with your expectations. We try to make all our gigs enjoyable, and for all to have a laugh (even if it is at our expense, joking !!!) So, if you like 60s 70s 80s 90s 00s music, you like the artists that we cover and you enjoy live music, please contact us.

Background to The 49ers Band

The 49ers were formed in February 09 by chance. An introduction by a friend, and a following chance meeting of the two, found that they had similar tastes in music, and both were keen to re-establish their previous musical experiences. Both Rene & Phil have enjoyed time with previous bands and this seemed like a good way to have a bit of fun, enjoy playing music again and fill a bit of spare time.

It wasn’t long before they were receiving requests to play at local venues. For some reason people seemed to like their varied musical choice. It was at this point that they thought they should give themselves a name.

The 49ers was mentioned and seemed an obvious choice as they were both born in April 49, (quite old then, but only in age!) so the name stuck.

Primarily a covers band, their music varies from 60s to present day, some soft some heavy, so they cover most tastes.

Why only two you may ask?

The reasons are that they find the whole thing easier to manage, rehearse and more importantly play venues that are small and not so small, tailoring the sound and volume levels to meet the needs of the gig. Without a complete set of drums and bass you may think that the sound would be light and lacking in punch, but they actually produce a sound that is rich and full of depth.

Their sound is produced by personally playing and recording both drums and bass. This forms the rhythm section of the band, Rene handles the vocals and rhythm guitar while Phil takes care of lead guitar.

So far (and it’s very early days), they have been very well received and they can look forward to growing in popularity as both their music list and venues grow.

The 49ers Song List

A selection of bands and artists covered by The 49ers includes (in no particular order):

Phil’s Background

Phil started playing guitar at the age of 14 having been influenced by the sound of the Shadows, particularly the Fender guitar sound. This resulted in bands being formed covering that early Shadows sound, but it wasn’t that long before musical tastes changed, and a more heavy sound arrived courtesy of bands like The Kinks, The Who, Small Faces etc. Likewise, Phil’s guitar playing style changed.

Heavily influenced by guitar legends such as Townsend, Clapton, Hendrix and Knopfler, Phil stayed on the music scene during his mid to late teens and into his 20s, often playing as support act to some of his guitar heroes with the local bands he had helped to form.

Then a break of some 30+ years, and apart from playing around with guitars at home, and enjoying watching others play at concerts etc, there was very little involvement with the live music scene. Being married with a lovely family and work commitments there was little time for the self indulgent experience of joining or forming a new band.

However, his lost skills are slowly returning, and with it, the enjoyment of playing live music again. He now uses Fender and Gibson guitars through Fender and Vox amplification, as always trying to capture the authentic sound of the original bands.

Phil also creates the drum and bass tracks that form the rhythm section of the 49ers, with a good deal of help and constructive criticism from his band colleague Rene.

Renés Background

René started playing guitar in his early teens. In those days he was interested in Folk music and was influenced by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Donovan. Eventually his taste turned to Blues music and his hero’s were John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher. Heavy Metal was next with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Move and loads more.

In his teens René played with many local Bands but at 19 joined the forces. In Germany he played in a band formed from members of different regiments. On leaving the forces he either formed or played in several other local bands. He also served time as a  guitar/vocalist, but he admits he didn’t like playing as a solo artist a great deal.

Since this time he has been influenced by music from the Eagles, Smokie, Joe Cocker, Guess Who, Sherbet, Lynryd Skynryd and many others. He recently played with a local band until their split a few months ago. Being happily married with a lovely family, balancing family with work and music has become quite an art.

Out of the blue, a mutual friend of both Phil and René introduced them to each other. Meeting up with Phil has been good for René, they get on really well, working hard and spending hours on end to get their music and sound to an acceptable standard.

René has used many different guitars including Fender Stratocasters, but at present he is using Variax 600 which he finds works well in conjunction with Line 6 amplification. René is the lead singer and provides a steady rhythm section to which Phil can supply lead guitar. As a team, René fronts the show but it’s Phil that looks after the sound and all the technical stuff.