Bad Girls Groove are truly a special band – each singer can – and does! – sing both lead and backing vocals, and each musician has a story to tell. There’s no space for a complete history but by way of example, Emily Francis who graduated from London College of Music in 2011 has worked with a multitude of different musicians and artists and appeared at many prestigious festivals and venues including Shepherds Bush Empire, Oxford Jazz Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, and Ealing Jazz Festival. As well as playing keyboards for the Bads, Emily also plays great alto sax, sings, teaches and writes and records music for her highly regarded jazz trio https://emilyfrancistrio.com/ Whew!!
Sophie Ray, one of the Bad Girls, studied music at the University of Nottingham. Her soul-influenced songs are a far cry from her classical roots Sophie has played venues such as The O2 Academy Islington, St Pancras Old Church, and Brownstock. and looks forward to doing her funky thing at the PizzaExpress. As well as singing, Sophie composes, plays keyboards and can sometimes be persuaded to accompany herself singing all 5 octaves of Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’You”!
The mysterious Mr.T (sax and percussion) whose formal music education is a BA in Jazz Studies and an MA in Electro – Acoustic Composition. His first band Burlesque were signed to Arista Records in 1976, and produced two albums ‘Acupuncture’ and ‘Burlesque’.. He has played with Ginger Baker - enough said!
Roger (leader and guitarist), on the other hand, has not been to any music colleges or universities – in fact he was thrown out of Nottingham University for “wasting his time and tax payers money playing in a rock band…”. He has however spent many years with his ears clamped to the radio listening to the likes of Roberts Johnson and Cray and travelling the wastelands, dancehalls and honky-tonks of Texas and Louisiana in search of Magical Music…so to make up for his very Bad Behaviour he proposes a really cracking setlist for the PizzaExpress show including something old (think Bill Withers and Lynda Lyndell), something new (think Jill Scott) borrowed (think Sly) and definitely something blue – (think Aretha and Slim Harpo). Promises to be a Very Bad Night – book your seats now!
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