Dave Burns - Lead Vocals
Dave has been with Top Banana from day 1 and started singing after joining the Holy Mac’s Soul Band on stage at his own wedding and enjoyed the experience. Growing up with older brothers early musically influences were from folk music including Steely Span and Planxy, and from the other brother Deep Purple and Status Quo. Quickly getting board with such music, the Beatles were a refreshing change, but quite as refreshing as Wire, the Dammed, 999 and other punk bands which exploded previous music thinking. It was at an Ultravox concert with John Foxx that there was another conversion to synthesizer based music, including Japan who started influencing styles, and wearing make up. Musically likes continue to change and after a spell in Manchester the Stone Roses and Joy Division became a lasting feature in the playlist of today’s Ipod, as do all the old and new bands enjoyed by Dave today. Recent bands enjoyed include Starsailor, Ed Harcourt, Cherry Ghost, and Tom Baxter. Eclatic tastes lead to eclectic style for the band…….long may it continue.

David Higgins (Higgo) - Lead & BV

Together with Johnny B and Burnsie, I've been in Top Banana since Day 1. A true Cockney by birth, with wide tastes in music - from Rock & Roll through Blues, R & B, Soul, and even some cheesy Pop! Early likes were Elvis, The Drifters & The Everlys, before the explosion of early 60's British groups took over, with the Beatles, Stones, Who, Small Faces and so on becoming favourites. Then, moving to Liverpool & Manchester in the late 60's (and enjoying their pubs, clubs and discos!), I got into Stax and Motown as well.

Vocally, I seem to suit some of the higher-pitched numbers, as well as harmonies - but I also enjoy doing more raucous stuff, such as by Jerry Lee Lewis, Rod Stewart, Brian Adams, etc. Never been in any other band - before TB my only public singing was in the bar after rugby matches - so it was very nerve-wracking having a paying audience at our first gig.

Regarding gear, I'm the proud owner of a several lovely guitars, plus a banjo and electric mandolin, and I can strum a few songs on them - but I haven't dared play ANY of them in the company of such accomplished musicians as my fellow Bananas

John Browning - Rhythm/Lead Guitar
I first picked up a guitar at 18 after I left school and was on the dole with nothing better to do. Learned my first few chords in a couple of weeks and never really progressed from there. That was 29 years ago! My first band was with my brother Andrew (bass), my friend Chris (vocals) and next door neighbour Guy (drums). We were terrible, but our crowning glory came at a sort of High Wycombe version of Live Aid at the Turnpike pub in Cressex, High Wycombe in the Summer of 1987 – people actually clapped! A career and children got in the way of my musical ambitions for a while until I was moved to Milton Keynes by my employer, Mobil Oil, which relocated its UK headquarters there from London in 1995. A guy called Tony Noronha sent an email round the company asking if anyone fancied starting a band for something to do in the evenings. Top Banana was the result. Our first gig was on 18th September 1996 at the Rugby Club in Leighton Buzzard.

Gear: I have always been a Telecaster man. It is the ultimate anti-virtuoso instrument – simple and rugged – like a sten gun according to Keith Richards – and they sound great. Some of my heroes played them – Joe Strummer, Hugh Cornwell and Wilko Johnson. For gigs I use a Laney TT20 – a 20 watt single channel combo amplifier. I rarely get it above 5 – I’ve never understood why anyone would need a Marshall stack – unless they are playing Wembley stadium without a PA.

Paul King - Drums/occasional BV's
Paul started drumming at 14 with a few friends from school. Within a year he was jamming with Paul Kossoff and even gave him the idea for the name 'Free'. Then back to the school friends, one of which was David Daltrey, cousin of Roger Daltrey. David was very talented and the band 'Tales of Justin' was soon to be discovered by Tim Rice. Tim worked at Abbey Road and arranged an audition for the band and by the time Paul was 16 he was signed to Abbey Road and soon to be helping with Joseph. His lack of confidence with Rock & Religion lead to the acceptance of a session fee instead of a contract - what a mistake!

Paul has played with too many bands to mention over the years but just before joining the Banana's he'd been touring with Gwyn Ashton. This was becoming hard work as juggling a full time job with giging in Poland, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Germany, France and all over the UK was taking its toll. He'd also played for a number of years with David Cattermole, a prolific singer song writer and talked David into trying out on bass with the bananas. David has been a great addition to the band.

Ed Smith - Lead/Rhythm Guitars
I first started to play the guitar when I was 13, a Nylon strung half size classical guitar, (which I still have!) and started to strum along to Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Chuck Berry Songs Inspired by my Dads contemporary taste in music! After forming an unsuccessful Ghostbusters tribute act I decided that mainstream rock and roll would probably be the best route to stardom. I then got a Stratocaster copy which was my first electric guitar, and thinking I was going to be the next Jimi Hendrix formed a band at school with some equally enthusiastic mates. We played a mix of late 80’s Rock covers (Bon Jovi, Brian Adams) and also some Guitar classics for good measure from the likes of Hendrix, Cream and the Stones. We were full of rock and roll enthusiasm, with long (ish) hair and power chords!

Move forward a few years, and whilst on summer break from Uni and working for Mobil Oil, I was chatting to a strange young man called Dave Burns. “Im singing in a band at the office, I heard you play a bit, fancy coming along?” and that’s how I came to be a Banana. The first gig on the 18th September 1996 at the Rugby Club in Leighton Buzzard was a great moment, so much so that I didn’t play with Top Banana again until 2006! In the 10 year break I have played with some great musicians and bands, too many to list but including The Shocks-Band, Ben Portsmouth an Elvis tribute and Simon Turner.

Gear - I developed a liking for the Les Paul Guitar and acquired my first Gibson LP at the age of 18. A guitar I still think is better to play than most others I have tried to date! Although I also play a 1988 Custom Fender Stratocaster. My Amp is a Canadian Traynor YCV 40 twin Channel valve amp. I am a bit of purist when it comes to tone, so no pedals or effects in the mix at all (truth is that all the switches and buttons confuse me so I keep it simple!).