wearefullyloaded

Newsflash

Seeing Double

7th of January, our first outing of 2012 found us at the Land Rover club in Solihull where we provided the entertainment at a well attended party. Twins, Dennis and Pete were celebrating their 80th Birthdays, now it was billed as their 80th but we're not convinced, they were certainly strutting their stuff like two gentlemen of a much later vintage. Thanks must also go to Stuart who provided the pa and looked after the sound, he was a real star, especially taking into account the curved balls we through at him in the form of Alan's guitar amp issues. John took charge of the new Disco decks and it has to be said looked very much at home, l o v e s h a c k aside. Overall it was great to get on the road again and in the Diva stakes Matt may have claimed the biggest dressing room but Rob had himself Pizza delivered to the stage door.

Plough Then , Plough Then

Friday 9th December found us pitching up at the Plough in Mancetter for what can best be described as an intimate affair. We squeezed into this cosy venue to perform to a small but enthusiastic crowd. It was great to see Dave and Gaz from Alfaholica again with Dave stepping up to join us for an impromptu rendition of Johnny B Goode towards the end of our second set. We issued seasons greetings by giving Merry Christmas Everybody it's annual airing and now we're back into rehearsals for New Year's Eve. Have a cool yule folks!

Alfaholics Anonomous

Another week, another stonking gig, this time we were back playing for our friends from the alfa romeo owners club. They had ditched the lorry in a field approach and gone upmarket at the Millers Hotel in Sibson for their Cold Start Event. Alfaholica took to the stage first, blasting out some full throttle rock covers, one particular highlight being a homage to Justin Hawkins of the Darkness. Fully took to the stage for two hours and everyone really got into the party spirit - top class audience participation was appreciated, these guys really are a top crowd.

Oh What a Night

October 19th brought a capacity crowd to the Red Lion in Shirley and boy were they up for it. Fully took to the floor with Night Nurse who were performing for the first time in 15 years. The evening was a great success and the whole place was rocking right up to midnight. Both bands finished the evening with collaborative renditions of Rocks and Caroline. The crowd were absolutely amazing and a thumping good time was had by all. This really is what its all about!

Whoosh hissss

A soggy Friday in November and we were back at Atherstone Town FC for their annual Firework display, Despite being damp a good number of folk stayed on and packed into the bar for a casual feast of rock and roll. We were joined on bass for the evening by local legend Graham Carless. We all had a jolly good sing song in this intimate venue and one of the locals even took to the mike for an unorthodox version of born to be wild,

Dog Gone for a Burton

Friday 28th October found us playing at the New Dog Inn in Burton on Trent, which meant a new pin in the map for fully loaded. The recently refurbed pub was decorated for halloween and the crowd even included some costumed revellers. The scene was set, so inevitably Monster Mash got it's annual airing. Matt got lost in Burton (likely story) so only turned up just as we were ready to sound check. Certainly would have made for an interesting gig if he hadn't made it. As it happened he did and a jolly good time was had by all. Thanks to Tim for stepping in on bass once more and the dog locals for getting into the spirit. Looks like we will be back at the Dog again in March watch the gigs page for details.

Clubbing It

22 October saw us take to the stage at Birchmoor Club with Woody at the helm in Matt's absence. There was a modest but participative crowd who treated us to some singing along, clapping and dancing. Woody even took a spin on the floor, during the instrumental section of Sweet Home Alabama. We tried out some experimental jazz timings during the second verse of valerie but on reflection they probably won't be staying in the set. Overall a very enjoyable evening and hopefully we will get a chance to return to this venue and meet the rest of the birchmoor gang who had been lured away to another party on this occasion.

Daft Punk

1st of October was the hottest October day since records began and Fully were determined to ratchet it up a few more degrees. The Municipal Club in Shirley was the venue for Rob Eades' 50th Birthday Party, where the theme was punk and glam rock. Accordingly Matt and Paul decided to punk up their looks for the evening. This was another gig where long time friend of the band Tim stepped in to take care of things at the bass end, whilst joining us for the first time on lead guitar was the talented guitarist/singer songwriter Rob Lane.

We played what can only be described as a mammoth set and Rob L certainly earned his corn learning nearly 40 tunes in two weeks. Of course "10 pint" Bob (aka the goldfish) has to learn 40 seemingly new songs every week due to his memory "issues". Our very own Wildcat, Wendy B thumped those tubs to great effect taking full advantage of the rooms high ceilings and natrural reverb.

Thanks to all who attended and clapped, danced, sang along and played inflateable guitars, and to Rob and Clair for inviting us to play, we had a blast. We're in Solihull again at the Red Lion in November, see the Gigs page for details.

Fancy Dress

We all took to the stage on 10 September to help celebrate a host of Matt's family's Birthday's. The party was fancy dress and the theme was the movies. The event was colourful and vibrant. We gave our first live performance of Dizzy but you'll have to wait a little longer for our first airing of Are you Gonna go my Way, chiefly because Matt forgot the Lyrics. Congratulations to Maddie 50, Louisa 21, Tom 20, Joey 10, Nikki 8 and Dom who's off to Uni.

You're Nether Sixty

3rd of September brought us back to Nether Whittaker Club to help them celebrate the club's 60th anniversary. We joined a Freddy Starr tribute and local singer Nicola Jayne on a fun packed bill. The event was a sell out and everyone was in good spirit - a terrific party ensued. A big thanks to Tim for depping on bass, he coped admirably with adversity when Matt unplugged him during I'm a believer. Happy 60th NWC and we'll be back for another party on New Year's Eve, Cant wait!

Make Mine a Fosters

We returned to the Foster's Yard in Polesworth on Saturday 27 August. Matt was away sunning himself in Tenerife so Woody made his debut as front man for Fully Loaded. It was a barmy evening and the good weather brought the crowds out in force. Born to be Wild seemed to be the perfect theme judging by the number of bikes in the car park and it went down a storm. We also dusted off Mony Mony which is a song we haven't played for ages and it also seemed to hit the spot.Woody did a sterling job and will be holding the mike again for a gig in October. We will hopefully be returning to this venue again next year,

The Queens Sore Head

It was a fun night at the Queens Head on Saturday 2nd July where Fully Loaded performed in a packed beer garden. The weather was kind and the crowd were really up for it. A sizeable contingent were still singing their heads off when we left, having packed the gear away. We were looked after well by our hosts and the burgers in the half time interval went down a treat. This has become a regular feature on our calendar so if you are around this time next year come on down and see what its all about.

Friday in Fazeley

The Three Tuns played host to Loaded on a warm Friday evening in June. This was our first time at the venue and we were welcomed on our arrival (not always a given). There was a reasonable sized crowd including one or two farmiliar faces and our choice of material went down well. There was much singing along and even some shape throwing during the second set. It was good to catch up with Dave and the guys from Monkeyfest who are busy plotting their next big event. At the end of the evening We got all nostalgic and dusted off Caroline (the song not Rob's missus) for the encore ensuring we thanked the audience for their enthusiastic participation.

Monkey Fest 2011

Sunday 29 May found us doing our bit for Charity at a mini festival organised by the Alfa Romeo Owners club. It was a great evening where we delivered a Rock-heavy set from atop a 40ft trailer. Over £700 pounds were raised for Cancer Research UK and the band donated their services for free. This was a cracking event featuring a barbecue disguised as a car, a bouncy castle (it would be rude not to have a bounce, so we did) and much good cheer and alcholol. Wendy also guested on drums for alfaholica a band made up of various club members, and she racked up three hours of almost continuous drumming.Matt had never applied his eye liner in a porta loo before but as they say there's a first time for everything. A special thank you to Dave the main organiser for taking care of us on the day.

Full of Pride

Saturday 21 May and we were back at the Red Lion in Shirley in a double header with Knoxville Highway. We treated the crowd to debut performances of three songs; Rock the Casbah, Whiskey in the Jar and Sex is on Fire, all of which seemed to hit the mark. We also knocked the cobwebs off a couple of tracks that haven't seen the light of day for a while. Enola Gay attracted a number of positive comments so could well feature more often in future. "Kockeny" Kris turned up for a surprise performance of Park Life adding an authentic twang to the talking parts. If you missed out this time, don'y worry loaded will be back in November to do it all again.

Nether Nether Land

We found ourselves in front of a modestly sized crowd at Nether Whittaker Club on 2 April. Austerity measures, rising fuel prices and council tax bills doing there best to get in the way of a good time. I'm glad to say they failed, Those in attendance were warm, friendly and appreciative throughout. There was singing, clapping, dancing and wait for it; Matt's Eddie Stobart jokes even got a laugh.This was a great venue to play with plenty of room on stage and just the right level of intimacy. Thank you to everyone for making us feel at home. Hope to see you all again in the not too distant future.

Animal Magnetism

The Fosters Yard Hotel, Polesworth was the place to be on Friday 25 March. Matt (God's gift) Von Krystal must have bathed in feremones again as he was practically beating the girls off with a stick.The crowd were up for a drink and a good time following a week of unseasonally warm weather, although the beachwear theme some of them had embraced still seemed a little out of kilter. Thanks to Sylvia for inviting us to play and for dragging herself from her sick bed to whitness our version of Don't Like Mondays once more. Cheers to Tim who deputised for John on bass as reliably as ever. We'll be back here in August and we are really looking forward to it.

Taking the Mountain to Mohammed

12th March and we were back at the Plough in Mancetter. On our previous visit we played in the restraunt whilst the locals joined in from in from in the bar. On this occaison we set up in the bar, or should I say in a small alcove at one end of it. Although we were now all in the same room we couldn't really see each other. The restricted space also called for additional flexibilty with the sound system. I'm reliably informed by front man Matt that those in attendance had a great time, participating with vigour when called upon. A special mention must go to Margaret who seemed to know every word to every song and was the life and soul of the party.

Coming of Age

It comes to us all in the end, old age that is. It was lead vocalist Matt Von Krystal turning 40 that was the excuse for an almighty shindig at the Ivy Leaf Club in Sheldon. Fully Loaded provided the musical accompaniment for a host of guest vocalists before delivering a 50 minute set of their own. There was a rock and pop theme and almost everyone in attendance wore fancy dress. It all added to a fantastic atmosphere where flamboyance and cross dressing were the order of the day. Our very own bassist 'Way Down' John Downing looked disturbingly aluring in his amy winehouse garb.

Back in the Saddle

The 18th February saw us return to the White Horse, after a quiet start a stampede of revelers found there way in from the streets of Atherstone and things soon heated up. The band revisited some tunes we hadn't performed live for a while, including Up the junction, Enola Gay, Paranoid and You sexy thing. Once the crowd got going they just didn't want to stop, singing, dancing and rattling our tambourine. We eventually ended proceedings after a record five encores. Hopefully everyone will follow us on to the Plough in Mancetter in March. This gig also helped to secure us a couple of dates at the Fosters Yard Hotel in Polesworth.

A Roaring Success

The Red Lion, Shirley was the venue for our joint venture with with Knoxville Highway, who provided the tasty country style filling to a fully loaded sandwich. A large enthusiastic following found their way to the gig and made the night an extremely enjoyable one. We hope to play in Solihull again before too long so if you were at the gig don't forget to tell your friends what a great night it was. See you all soon.

One Year is Over

Our last gig of 2010 found us playing at the White Horse in Atherstone, We were made to feel really welcome and a modest crowd was swelled by a few familiar faces. By the second set everyone was getting into the spirit and Matt shared the mike with some keen and some not so keen onlookers during wonderwall. A mention has to go to John and his ear splittingly loud bass solo during My Generation (I hope the windows have stopped rattling). The band were in good form throughout and thoroughly enjoyed the evening, finishing with not one but two impromptu encores.

Dig it with the Plough

11th December, and we appeared at the Plough in Mancetter. Trusty Tim stood in on bass and we set the Christmas party season off with a bang. By the time we went on for our second set of the evening the crowd were up for some fun and joined in whole heartedly, singing along and weilding their inflateable axes. The Brit Pop section went down paticularly well and by the time we got to Merry Christmas Everybody the place was rocking. Not one but two encores brought the show to a close. The hospitality at the plough was second to none, so a big thanks to all involved in making it such a memorable night.

Snow Stops Play

Apologies to all that were looking forward to our return to the Coton Arms on Friday 3rd December. The venue cancelled at the last minute due to the extremely bad weather. Those that ventured out confirmed that conditions around the pub were indeed treacherous. Although the band were dissappointed not to perform on the night we will try to arrange a new date at the Coton Arms in the not too distant future.

Flash Bang Wallop

Friday 5th of November found Loaded playing to a select audience in one of the most compact venues we've ever played. The event followed a firework display at Atherstone Town football club. We showed our flexibility with a stripped back sound setup and an improvised setlist but still managed to deliver rock and roll to an appreciative, if slightly damp audience.

Bowl Me Over

On Saturday 16th October Fully provided the entertainment at a bowls club presentation evening,congratulations to all those who collected trophies. The crowd were enthusiastic, particularly enjoying our songs from the sixties. The highlight of the evening was when Matt called a hault to procedings a few bars into Hi Ho Silver Lining and persuaded everyone down onto the dance floor to join us for a rousing chorus, or seven. In true rock n roll style the evening ended with a police raid, albeit we'd completely packed away by then and they'd come to deal with a disturbance in the bar next door.

The Great Outdoors

The 23rd August saw us take to the patio of the Queens Head in Newton Regis, This truly is one of the bands favorite venues and we were pleased to see so many familiar faces turn up to watch in what turned out to be less than perfect weather conditions. We just about managed to keep the equipment dry with extra special efforts from the road crew.The weather didn't seem to dampen the spirits of the crowd who came out a to watch both sets in their entirity. A special thank you to Debbie and Mick for looking after us in style.

Happy 60th Birthday

On Saturday 17th July the band took to the stage at the St Annes social club in Chelmsley Wood, to celebrate the 60th Birthday of veteran DJ and uncle to Paul , Rob and Matt, "Little John". We tailored our set to suit with lots of offerings from the sixties including a rare rendition of "I only want to be with you". We also tried out some of our newly added 90's Brit pop hits for the first time. The crowd included a fair smattering of family and friends which gave the occasion a casual, friendly feel.

Live at the Tavern

Thursday 24 June found us playing live to an appreciative crowd in the Tavern in the Town, Tamworth. We hadn't played this venue before so when we agreed to step in to cover for Bad Ass Harry a week before, we didn't really know what to expect. Despite the world cup, warm weather and post budget blues, there was a good sized crowd boosted by some of our own and we had a great evening extending with not one but two encores. A special mention should go to superfan - South African Dave whose enthusaiastic adoration of bass player John was world class.

More Odd Shaped Balls

We played at the presentation evening for Tamworth Rugby Club on a really warm evening on 22 May. This was our second time at this venue and the place was packed. Our second set included plenty of audience participation, much singing along and some serious shape throwing (thats dancing to you and me). The band had a great evening after blowing a fuse (literally) at the end of the sound check. We must give a mention to Tim who stepped in for John on Bass and really threw himself into the role.

For the Flag and St George

23 April was St Georges day and we played the Coton Arms one of our regular venues. Matt was feeling a little under the weather but thats hardly an excuse for telling everyone it was St Patrick's Day. Once Matt had got his tongue into gear we rocked the joint. The gig generated lots of enquiries and the crowd were in good voice when we got to the singalong section. We love this place!

Only Here for the Beer

The 26 March found us travelling to Walsall where We featured at the Orchard. We faced strong opposition from the pool table but managed to belt out our songs. Town Called Mallice was the hit of the night and we gave a repeat performance to close proceedings. Everyone was friendly but our set was lost a little on some of the younger clientele.

Up the Junction

The view from the window of the Armarda pub in Gravelly Hill was an iconic vista of the concrete supports of Birmingham's 8th wonder, spaghetti junction. We played to an enthusiastic crowd of bankers and waydown bass fans, supported by a sprinkling of enthusiastic locals. We had a great evening and playing beyond midnight rounding off with a rendition of wonderwall featuring a couple of the locals on backing vocals.

Wedded Bliss, with all the Toppings

Congratulations to Dan and Helen who's wedding we played on 20 February.The happy couple were let down by caterers at the last minute and had to dial out for pizza, the story even made the front page of the local newspaper. All in all it just made the evening more memorable and guests were rocking in the aisles. Everyone had a fabulous time partying hard fueled by all that pizza, fully loaded included.

The Big 4 0

Sarah's 40th Birthday party at the Forest Hotel in Dorridge was a great night, audience participation was top notch. Party-goers were keen to show off their dance moves and the quality of inflateable guitar work was second to none.

Odd Shaped Balls

We were made to feel welcome when we played at Tamworth Rugby Club on 4 December 2009. Tim once again stepped in to provide cover on bass whilst John honoured previously arranged festive commitments. Those egg chasers meanwhile sure know how to brew up a mean pot of curry and really got into the spirit of things by the time we launched into our second set. Thanks to Ellis for setting this one up and we are all looking forward to a return leg in 2010.

Rock the Boat

We played at the Boathouse in Rushall on 7th November. The narrow boat thermed venue was possibly the quirkiest place we've played. Those who resisted the temptation of firework displays to come and watch enjoyed themselves singing along to our latest offerings. This would be a fabulous place to play in the summer with its large deck and close proximity to the canal.

Spooky Show

Friday 30th October saw us playing at the Castle Vale Residents Association for their Hallowen Party. We donned our cloaks and masks and took to the stage with a special rendition of Monster Mash. Thanks to all who attended especially the many who took the trouble to dress up.

Back by Popular Demand

Saturday 12th September saw us back at the Queens Head in Newton Regis. Once again the Gods smiled on us and provided some dry weather. We drew a healthy crowd and the levels of audience participation were once again commendable. Despite the evening becoming a little chilly towards the end the majority stayed with us to the end. We hope to be back at this venue again next summer. Special thanks to Tim for helping us out on bass whilst John was enjoying his honeymoon.

Rock the Duck Pond

A fine day in a week of rain saw us performing in the beer garden at the Queens Head in Newton Regis. I'm not sure what the local duck population thought of our sets but the rest of the village turned out in force. We treated the ever growing crowd to a few new tunes and it turned out to be a great evening. Everyone young and old joined in the fun, singing, dancing and getting funky with those inflateable guitars. we'd like to thank everyone concerned for making it a really memorable evening. We hope to see you all again soon.

Stick it to MS

Wendy took part in the world record attempt to get 600 drummers playing together at the NIA in Birmingham. The event brought together drummers of all ages and abilities from all over the UK to raise money for MS. You can sponsor Wendy by visiting the just giving website . If you would like to know more about the event please visit stickittoms.com

Party in The Park

The Gods smiled and the sun shone on Castle Vale's party in the park where fully loaded took to the stage, delivering three sets throughout the course of the afternoon. Thank you to the organisers for ensuring everything ran so smoothly.

Ding Dong the Bells are Going to Chime

Congratulations to John (bass) and Jo who tied the knot on Saturday 11th July at Wroxall Abbey. We wish them both a long and happy future together.

Coton Arms

It was good to see so many of you at the Coton Arms gig, I think it's safe to say that all concerned had a really good night. The band were very impressed with the floor to ceiling mirrors and I for one could hardly take my eyes off my own reflection. There was a classic end to the gig when you guys really made those inflateable guitars scream and whine when we played out with Caroline.

Presentation Blues

Thanks to all of those who got down and boogied after the football presentation evening in Glascote in May. Special thanks to the guy who unplugged the mixing desk to connect the fag machine. Thank goodness for the back line!

Weddings R Us

We would like to congratulate Gary and Lisa who 'tied the knot' on Saturday 25 April and wish them all the best for a long and happy future together. Loaded provided the entertainment, including several tracks added to the set at the bride and groom's request.

Stormin' Norman

The band played at Norman's 40th birthday party on Saturday 18th April. This was the first outing for our new lead guitarist , Alan. The evening was a great success and we'd like to thank everyone who sang along and strutted their stuff. Happy Birthday Norman, you certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself.

Mad as Hatters

A big thank you to everyone who came along to the gig at the Hatters Arms on 21 February, It was a packed lively gig made all the better through full on audience participation. Special thanks to Tim on bass and Tom on lead guitar for helping us out on the night, it was much appreciated.

Charity Do in Atherstone

Thank you to all of you who came to see us in Atherstone when we supported DC Fontana, as you will now know this was Tom's last performance with the band, He is moving on to pastures new and we wish him the very best. The band however is looking forward and is already well on the way to filling the gap Tom has left. Watch out for more news on this in the near future.

If you'd like to know anything else about what the band is up to why not drop us an e mail, we'd love to hear from you.

Demonic Bob

Rumours that "ten pint" has been posessed by the devil are wildly exagerated, although the photographic evidence may suggest otherwise.

Has anyone seen my pet bat, only someone said they saw Rob munching on something during the second verse of Paranoid.