The motivation behind our Irish band, Silken Thomas, is because we just love to play music! We have fun on stage, we crack a few jokes, we stir up our audience and get everyone involved in our songs, and we just have good, clean fun!

Brian Brett and I formed Silken Thomas with Ian Evans in 1996. In 2000, Ian took time off from the band to grow his music store business, now The Best Music Store in Homemaker City in Jindalee, but he rejoined us in 2002. During that time, Rob Reithmuller took Ian’s place and Norm Smith played guitar (and synthesizer). We now play as a four-piece with our drummer Steve Stiller, who joined us in 2003, and we play mainly Irish folk music, with a few contemporary covers and some of our own compositions thrown in.

I play C flute and/or penny whistles in a lot of our songs and sometimes, alto saxophone in some of the covers. I also do backing vocals and some lead vocal work. Oh yes, and I play the tambourine in a few numbers!

Brian is our lead guitarist and sings lead vocals in our Irish numbers, (being from Belfast he’s got just the right sound!), and in a few contemporary songs as well. He also plays the bodhrán.

Ian plays bass guitar and sings lead vocals in a lot of our contemporary numbers. Ian is our sound expert and tweaks a few dials here and there to make us sound GREAT!

Steve is our drummer and sometimes sings backing vocals in a few tunes. Steve (BA [Music], Grad. Dip. [Teach]), “has worked and studied in Australia and internationally as a percussionist, conductor and teacher. His percussion and drum kit performances contain many international colours and styles, reflecting the influence of the many classical and ethnic instruments studied. This, in turn, has also influenced and enhanced his teaching and composing in the percussion ensemble genre." We call Steve “Happy Feet” - it’s amazing what he can do with his feet. And of course, he’s a fantastic drummer – I wish I could have learnt how to twirl my majorette baton the way he can twirl his drums sticks!

Every so often, Rob James sits in on drums if Steve can’t make it. Rob is also a great drummer and good fun to play with.

Silken Thomas plays at a lot of different venues and for private functions in and around Brisbane. Some of our gigs have been in Bundaberg, Toowoomba, (where we were regulars at the Irish Club Hotel there for about 8 years) and Surfer’s Paradise. We are in the process of putting together a show at the McLeod Golf Club in Mt.Ommaney to be held on September 13th of this year, as well. The show is called “In the Stew With Silken Thomas” and at the time of writing, we have had a lot of interest in this production. Some of the members of the Queensland Irish Association Pipe Band will be performing a few numbers in the show as well, so all up, it looks like being a fantastic night! (Complete with Irish Stew!)

As we all have “day” jobs, we don’t gig more than a few times a month and because of this, we don’t tire of the performing. We really enjoy what we do!

Check out Silken Thomas, including our Gig Guide, on 'MySpace'

www.myspace.com/silkenthom