The Band

It must be blues, there’s a harmonica player. Or it might be rock, with those bass lines. Or jazz. Or funk.

Storm Warning is a band of five diverse influences that happens to make distinctive, exciting music. The blues are the heart of the sound, but the blues is a form that changes its shape and character to suit whoever is playing it.  Check out Reviews to get a taste of what people think, and scroll down this page, to meet the band members.

Stuart ‘Son’ Maxwell  - Vocals, harmonica

Son has been a bluesman from birth, but didn’t find out till 1974. He tried keyboards and still dabbles with guitar, eventually finding his true musical voice with harmonica, plus it was lighter than a Hammond organ. Then he found that if you sing and play blues harp, you have to bring the PA. Has more children than he can remember. Thinks Sonny Boy Williamson II is the greatest blues harp player and poet that ever lived.

Microphones – Shure SH55 (vocal); Beyer Dynamic M100 (harmonica)	Hohner harmonicas – Cross Harp and Marine Band

Learn to play like Son Maxwell!  Check out his books at www.unrulysun.net

Bob Mad Dog Moore - Guitar

Mission statement:

I was born under a road sign, near the cotton fields of East London, the eldest of seven older  brothers.  My father had been killed by a lynch mob just a year before.  My mother entertained gentlemen at home to make ends meet, or so she told us.  I left home at twelve and took the greyhound to Chicago.  I got back about one thirty, and gave the dog back.  Hearing Burt Weedon’s early recordings on Chess Records one day really turned me on to the harmonica.  I started hanging around with all the cats at the local blues clubs.  But rooting through dumpsters looking for leftover fish soon lost its attraction, so eventually I went inside.  It was there that I had a life-changing experience and, to this day, I still have to take the hormones.  Consequently, I’ve never managed to keep a woman long enough to get to the second chorus of a song.  All my dogs have died.  No-one knows the trouble I’ve seen.  I support West Ham.  I truly have The Blues.  I see it as my job in life to give it to other people.

Instruments and Gear

Marshall JMP MkII 50W head (1974), cab Marshall 2x12 (1968)	Fx are Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, Robert Keeley modded Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, Yamaha SPX90 processor, Morley Pro Series II wah, Roland GR33 synth, and Nobels MF-1 midi controller
Framus AK1974 Custom guitar	1970's American Standard Fender Strat

Derek White -Bass Guitar

Derek White started playing bass in the early 70’s being influenced by bassists such as Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Tim Bogart, John Perry, Gerry McAvoy and by bands from the Doors to Rory Gallagher and Hendrix to The Who, Jethro Tull to Man.

In the mid 70’s Derek played in a rock band which attracted the attention of Simon Napier Bell (manager of Yardbirds, Marc Bolan, Japan, Wham). The band signed a management deal and gigged extensively including playing the Watchfield Festival on the main stage in front of 10,000 people. They also recorded at De Lane Lea studios (one of the largest and most up to date studios in the UK at the time) but unfortunately, the band split whilst negotiating signing to a major record label.

After several years away from the music scene, Derek took up the bass again, playing the London clubs and pubs. This was followed by a term in 'Careless Talk', a ‘Blues Brothers’ type band, during the late 80's/early 90's. The band played across the UK, plus British army bases in Germany and gigged in France recording a live gig for French radio. The band  played prestigious events including  EMI record company parties – one at Abbey Road Studios in studio number 3 (the Beatles studio).

More recently Derek had been playing in The J.Fordaway Band which  played mostly known rock covers by bands and artists such as Steely Dan, Eagles, Doobies, Santana, Steve Miller, Bad Co, Beatles, mixed with a little  Robben Ford and Robert Cray. Along with other Fordaway members, Bob Moore and Ian Salisbury, they formed Storm Warning to expand their love of playing the blues.

Personal musical tastes have broadened over the years but the love of the blues and rock (acoustic and electric) is still the most dominant. Bluesmen and guitar favourites include Albert King, Albert Collins, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Robben Ford, and of course the one and only Rory Gallagher.

Instruments and Gear

1990’s Fender Precision Special bass -  (active) cream, black scratch plate

1970    Fender Precision bass – (active) sunburst, tortoiseshell scratch plate

1969    Gibson EB3 (under going  renovation at present)

Warwick Pro Tube IV 400w amp with Warwick Pro 411 600w 4x10 ported cab

Korg rack tuner

Roger Willis - Drums & Percussion

Roger is the powerhouse in ‘Storm Warning’ who has been influenced by many drummers and a variety of bands.  Keith Moon, John Hiseman, Phil Collins, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Rick Latham, Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdey, John Mayall, The Who, Genesis, Tower of Power, Toto, Frank Zappa and The Beach Boys, to name but a few.

His first initiation into gigging was in a rhythm and blues band called ‘The Flamingos’, aged 15, playing in pubs and clubs in and around West London.  Over the following 5 years several semi-pro ‘Soul’ and ‘Rhythm and Blues’ outfits were to be instrumental in assisting Roger in learning the necessary craft of how to drive a band from the ‘Hot Seat’. 

Roger has always been interested in vocal harmonies and therefore it wasn’t long before he also became involved in providing backing vocals from behind the kit. 

Aged 20, he turned professional with ‘Capability Brown’, a 6 part harmony rock band that recorded 2 albums ‘From Scratch’ and ‘Voice’ on the Charisma label.  Capability Brown splintered in 1974 when Roger became the drummer in Krazy Kat recording a further 2 albums ‘China Seas and Troubled Air’ on the Mountain label.

Throughout his career, Roger has performed vocal sessions on other artists’ albums, such as Tony Ashton, John Lord, Linda Lewis and Lynyrd Skynyard, as well as being a member of supporting bands touring with Genesis, Lindisfarne, Jess Roden, John Miles, Alex Harvey and Peter Gabriel.

During the 80’s and 90’s Roger continued to play in many bands, again playing Rock, Rhythm and Blues and Soul, whilst focussing upon improving his knowledge and skills with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, in order to begin teaching.

Since the turn of the millennium, Roger has sat in the ‘Hot Seat’ with a number of rhythm and blues bands playing in the Buckinghamshire area.  Mr Charlie, Mafia, Beaver and the J. Fordaway Band, have all experienced his powerful playing, and it was whilst playing in the latter that the potential of Storm Warning was realised by Bob, Derek and Ian.

Roger currently plays a ‘Custom Kit’ made for him by Gary Noonan.

Roger also owns a Cherry Wood Yamaha ‘Absolute Custom’ Birch Kit (small sizes), and a Crimson Ludwig ‘Super Classic’ Maple Drum Kit.

Ian Salisbury - Keyboards

Ian is a laid back sort of guy. So laid back, he hasn't got round to writing a biog, so Son Maxwell has done this for him.

Ian Shaftsbury’s bushel had been well hidden before he was discovered playing piano in an attic by an old school friend. On joining the J. Fordaway band he was an instant hit, once the cobwebs had been brushed off.

The birth of Storm Warning gave Sunbury a chance to explore his first musical love, the classic British blues of the 60s, as epitomised by John Mayall. This meant that the band’s first three guitarists all left in short order and went on to be successful and famous, leaving Sodbury stuck with a collection of gifted but obscure sidemen.

Nevertheless, Stockbury’s rolling barrelhouse piano brings authentic Chicago colour to the band, as well as great humour as he battles to stop it rolling off the stage. In addition, his organ is an unforgettable experience for all those who encounter it.

Ian Roland plays a Sainsbury’s keyboard, with Waitrose amplification. - biography by  Son Maxwell