KEV RIDDLE: Bass guitar/vox
Originally into 60s Brit Invasion beat music, UK Mod music…also into hard edged 70s, 80s, 90s, naughtys rock.
The biggest thing to hit me musically ever, was The Beatles. Been hooked ever since.
Other fave acts and influences include the likes of Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, The Easybeats, The Searchers, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Monkees, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, The Jam, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, The B52s, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Living End, Amy Winehouse, ACDC, The Angels, ZZ Top, Status Quo etc
Got my first guitar when I was 12...a cheap acoustic, but gravitated towards bass guitar learning McCartney basslines from 45rpm singles & EPs.
BAND HISTORY: I've played in several bands, including Unit 17, Exit Laughing, The Mudmen, Eat Nude, The Metabolizers and ATOMIC ROCK.
Since my earliest days of playing bass and guitar, I've been a keen song writer and have performed many of my compositions live, particularly in The Mudmen and Eat Nude.
In recent times, my bands have included The Metabolizers which begat Atomic Rock. I have played numerous gigs in all the bands I've played in and have to say, I'm over the moon to be playing in Atomic Rock.
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JASON McDONALD: Drums
Into DW Drums, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Rock and Atomic Rock.
INFLUENCES: Biggest musical influence would have to be Deep Purple, with Led Zeppelin a close second.
Other favourite bands include The Kinks, The Monkees, Steely Dan, Bad Company, Mr Big, basically everything from AC/DC to ZZ Top!
Got my first drumkit at 11, and have been playing in bands since 13.
BAND HISTORY: Street Level, The QV's, Gold Zeppelin, 5150 (Van Halen Show), The Last Stand (Chisel Barnes Show), The 70's Rock Dinosaurs, Great Set of Hits.
Having a blast filling the drum chair in Atomic Rock!!
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LEIGH UNGER: Lead and rhythm guitar, vox
Gear: Marshall, Ibanez, Fender, Kramer, Wampler, TC Electronics.
As a young fella, my parents caught me 'air guitaring' on a broom to Billy Thorpe and The Aztec's 'Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy'. They bought me the vinyl single, a cheap acoustic guitar and some guitar lessons. After meandering around the fretboard uninspiringly for a few years, a good friends brother played me Van Halen's 'Eruption' and the rest (as they say) is history.
Music has been my profession since 1991 and I am influenced by anyone who picks up an instrument. More specifically though, I'm inspired by luminaries including but by no means limited to Guthrie Govan, Tony Macalpine, Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Jason Becker, Deep Purple etc etc and anyone that performed on Countdown in the late 70's!
BAND HISTORY: Formed 'One Way' at the age of 14, then finished high school and moved to Sydney playing entirely with original bands Crystal Dark, Scoundrel, The Damn Nation (feat. Abi Tucker), and CAM (released a sold out Ep 'Riftwood' through Phantom records). After focusing on my guitar teaching business for many years, joined my first cover band 'The Party Pigs' a few years back and now find myself in the enviable position of lead guitarist with the talented group of muso's that is ATOMIC ROCK!
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GREN FERNANDEZ: Keyboards/rhythm guitar/vocals
Was tyrannically forced to learn piano as a child. My dad famously said to me, "One day son you'll thank me for getting you into music". Although I hated practising classical piano as a kid, he was bloody well right and I'm thankful every day that I know how to play something other than "Chopsticks" on the piano!
INFLUENCES: The Beatles,The Rolling Stones, Kiss, AC/DC, Queen, Deep Purple, ELO, Van Halen, Aerosmith and many more classic rock bands. But if you wanna talk about 'influence', my biggest influence was actually my brother Jon who influenced and encouraged me to discover and enjoy classic rock!
BAND HISTORY:Started my muso career as a drummer in Sweet F.A. But then realised very quickly I wanted to be up in front so became a lead singer in a band named TORRENT. Gave it all away for 17 years than came back to it and formed a band with a work colleague named OFF THE RAILS. Did some duo work in a band named CARNIVORE, then played in THE METABOLIZERS, and now ATOMIC ROCK!
AIM: To impress all that hear us with our interesting array of rock classics. We deliver a high energy performance that encapsulates the power of our music. We guarantee to get your heartbeats racing!
One cannot wholly experience utopia of the mind until one saturates their soul with music.
