Andy Mellon

Andy Mellon is a trumpet player, pianist, composer, arranger and musical director based in London. He studied at Goldsmiths College and the Royal Academy of Music specialising in performance and composition.

Currently he is musical director of “Shifting Sands” – a British Council project combining musicians from the UK and the Gulf states, creating new music based on traditional forms.

He is also the trumpet player with the award winning folk band Bellowhead, with which is an Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre.

Among others he has recorded and performed with: Pee Wee Ellis, Tony Remy, Eliza Carthy, Raghu Dixit, Pete Hurt, Fantazia, Paul Clarvis, Menlo Park, Mornington Lockett, Glenn Miller Orchestra and Damon Albarn.

He has performed at the Proms, the Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Barbican, The Sage, on Later with Jools Holland, BBC3, BBC4, Channel4, SkyArts, BBC Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4.

As a composer his work includes “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” performed at the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall with a cast featuring 120 primary school children as well as the seven minute opera, “The Hartlepool Monkey” for Streetwise Opera. He also orchestrated the score for Oscar nominated animation “This Way Up”.

Ben Nicholls

Ben Nicholls is a multi-instrumental musician and double bass player with the award winning Seth Lakeman Band.

He has performed and recorded in studios and stages across the world, from The Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival, RFH Meltdown to Womad New Zealand, jazz clubs in the Singapore and universities in Libya, with artists such as Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillon, Chris Difford, Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things, Martin Carthy, Seb Rochford, Foy Vance, Ralfe Band, Beth Jeans Houghton, Jimmy Sommerville, Tchad Blake and Ben Hillier.
As a compser and instrumentalist he has featured on many TV shows, films and adverts including ‘Charlie and Lola’, ‘Ballad of AJ Weberman’, Guiness ad ‘Volcano’, Mighty Boosh doc. ‘Journey of the Childmen’ and he has appeared on BBC3, BBC4, Channel 4 and Sky Arts.

With his own bands Dennis Hopper Choppers, Menlo Park and Silver Jets he has released several albums to critical acclaim and received radio play from BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6Music.