A BRIEF HISTORY
The NOTT’S were formed in March 1999 and were originally
intended to be a one-off band specifically designed for the MOTT
THE HOOPLE CONVENTION that April. 
JULIAN TURNER BELL – VOCALIST and all round MOTT fanatic, took time out from his day job as Drummer with SWEET tribute band THE HELLRAIZERS and assembled a hand picked squad of tried and tested musicians – that is all except one…
TREVOR BERRY – BASSIST proved to be the proverbial exception to the rule, being a personal (and very strong) recommendation from OVEREND WATTS, and let’s face it, if you get a recommendation like that you just have to check it out
JG – GUITARIST extraordinaire had “served time” with JULIAN in a blues band whose main claim to fame had been that their vocalist REBECCA WHEATLEY went on to star as AMY in the hit BBC drama CASUALTY (no, I don’t know who she is either)
ROB MILLIS - ORGANIST (or should we now say KEYBOARD PLAYER eh ROB?) is another product of the blues band circuit, where he currently plays with JG, that is when they’re not boring the arse of everybody with their prized MAN recordings. Did you know that MAN once played a seventies festival with MOTT and that their guitarist DEKE LEONARD has written a very amusing account of it in his autobiography, no, well now you do
SIMON BAKER – DRUMMER and known within the band as the “drum machine” so perfect is his timekeeping, completed the line up. SIMON has long been a well respected figure on the circuit, so much so that JULIAN was initially hesitant to put him forward for the drum stool, remarking that “if I don’t cut it as the singer, there’s no way I’ll get the drum stool back once you’ve heard him play”
So, the band was complete. They had four rehearsals, played one warm up show at the Air Balloon in Portsmouth and then were suddenly thrust into the spotlight on the 17th April at the first MOTT THE HOOPLE CONVENTION. The set consisted of album favourites such as SUCKER, BORN LATE ’58, VIOLENCE and THE MOON UPSTAIRS as well as material from various MOTT offshoots such as CAREER, ONE MORE CHANCE TO RUN and GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. Knocked out by the generous support of the assembled Mottites and beginning to get a taste for this MOTT thing, the band decided to stay together.
THE PRESENT
The NOTT’S are currently hard at work in the studio recording
a selection of MOTT’S best known moments for release early
next year on a CD which will also contain highlights of their
live show. The plan is then to take the show on the road and show
that the music of MOTT is still very much alive.
THE FUTURE
After several requests from conventioneers the NOTT’S are
honing a special Island Years set for this years CONVENTION and
are highly enthusiastic at the prospect of playing a two-hour
version of HALF MOON BAY. If that doesn’t put bums on seats,
nothing will.
THE VIDEO
You can check out the NOTT’S CONVENTION performance for yourselves,
as three numbers; SUCKER, THE MOON UPSTAIRS and WALKING WITH A
MOUNTAIN appear on the CONVENTION VIDEO.
THE CD
Recorded at NO MACHINE studios and featuring several guest artists.
The studio tracks will feature the NOTT’s interpretations
of five of MOTT’S classics and another four staples of the
live set. A provisional release date of early March has been set.
Watch this page!
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
TREVOR’S other band, THE FABULOUS FRUITCAKES are currently
playing in the Cheltenham area
SIMON has just finished playing in a band called RAIN and is currently
working on a new project with some of RAIN’S ex members
ROB continues to play with “Kingston’s favourite son”
GARY BREWER in THE FABULOUS GB’S around the local area
JULIAN continues his DJ work, can also be seen working with LARRY
MILLER and is also currently putting a band together with his
long standing friend and ex PARADISE ALLEY member and HELLRAIZER
– JOHN DUDLEY
JG is threatening to play some blues shows with ROB