The Band

Mess of Blues is a four piece band, two guitars, bass and drums, with the violin thrown in frequently and the mandolin occasionally.

The band members are -

Don Bowen - Bass and vocals
Graham Hinton - Guitar and vocals
Stephen Irvine - Drums
Mike Piggott - Guitar, violin, mandolin and vocals

Although having performed in their current make-up for only two years, Mike and Graham first played together thirty years ago in a band called the Bone Idols, performing mainly in France as well as in the UK.

By playing together again they have returned to their roots of blues music and combined with the experience of Don and Stephen have a band who play for the sheer enjoyment of the music.

Don Bowen (bass guitar and vocals)

Don plays the piano and guitar as well as the bass. He first played bass in public for a band backing a school performance of ‘Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon in the 1970s. During the 80s, as well as composing music he played with a number of bands (while working as a copywriter) including the unlikely Violent Jack and the Throbettes

As well as playing with Mess of Blues he is the Creative Director of a major London advertising agency.

Graham Hinton (guitar and vocals)

Started playing flamenco guitar at the age of eleven when his parents returned from Spain with a record of flamenco playing and dancing. Moved onto the blues when he heard his first Robert Johnson recording in the 60s and then saw Sonny Boy Williamson play at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. First played with Mike when they left school at the end of the 60s, making a name for themselves primarily in the South of France. Mike went into a full time music career and Graham went to London School of Economics to read Politics and Economics, playing with a number of bands while there.

While pursuing a career in advertising, where he met Don, he concentrated mainly on solo accoustic performances and returned to playing in a band when he met Mike again some thirty years after they first performed together and formed Mess of Blues with Don and Stephen.

Stephen Irvine

Having spent his formative years of the late 70s playing drums for a number of bands around the Glasgow club scene, Stephen spent most of the 80s recording and touring with Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, enjoying enormous success with the band. When the band split Stephen moved into artist management before a period in the 90s working in both the UK and France as a touring and recording musician. During this period he also started Strip Music to compose and produce music for TV and for commercials. He then spent a period working in television and was with MTV from 1996 to 2002 with a range of roles from European Head of Marketing to Head of Talent and Artist Relations for VH1.

In 2002 he formed his own management company to nurture new talent and was lured back to serious drum playing and gigging with Mess of Blues in 2004 by the impending re-forming of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions for a celebratory 20 th birthday tour of the UK. The Lloyd Cole tour finished... and Mess of Blues continues.

Mike Piggott (guitar, violin, mandolin and vocals)

His professional career began playing guitar and occasional violin with soul, blues and reggae bands in the London club scene of the early 1970s. All-nighters at the Flamingo Club with the System Soul Band, opposite bands like Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were followed by a year with Junior’s Conquest, which featured Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Marvin (later of Bob Marley and the Wailers). This was followed by 2 years with Gass, with whom he recorded his first album, which featured a guest appearance from Peter Green. A change of direction resulted in work with Paul Brett, Paul King (Mungo Jerry - 3 albums), Ralph McTell (6 albums), Bert Jansch (2 albums) and 3 years as a member of the re-formed Pentangle, replacing John Renbourne. Other bands include the Denny Laine Band for two years and Phil Collins' “ Zox & The Radar Boys” (a sideline from Genesis). He has worked with numerous other artists and also works regularly as a session musician. For five years has been a jazz/rock guitar/violin teacher at Dartington International Summer School. It is as a jazz violinist that he has become most well-known, playing with his own trio as well as touring with his own show, “Grappelli A Celebration.” With Mess of Blues he returns to his real love, the blues.



	The Band Mess of Blues is a four piece band, two guitars, bass and drums, with the violin thrown in frequently and the mandolin occasionally. The band members are - Don Bowen - Bass and vocals Graham Hinton - Guitar and vocals Stephen Irvine - Drums Mike Piggott - Guitar, violin, mandolin and vocals Although having performed in their current make-up for only two years, Mike and Graham first played together thirty years ago in a band called the Bone Idols, performing mainly in France as well as in the UK. By playing together again they have returned to their roots of blues music and combined with the experience of Don and Stephen have a band who play for the sheer enjoyment of the music. Don Bowen (bass guitar and vocals) Don plays the piano and guitar as well as the bass. He first played bass in public for a band backing a school performance of ‘Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon in the 1970s. During the 80s, as well as composing music he played with a number of bands (while working as a copywriter) including the unlikely Violent Jack and the Throbettes As well as playing with Mess of Blues he is the Creative Director of a major London advertising agency. Back to top Graham Hinton (guitar and vocals) Started playing flamenco guitar at the age of eleven when his parents returned from Spain with a record of flamenco playing and dancing. Moved onto the blues when he heard his first Robert Johnson recording in the 60s and then saw Sonny Boy Williamson play at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. First played with Mike when they left school at the end of the 60s, making a name for themselves primarily in the South of France. Mike went into a full time music career and Graham went to London School of Economics to read Politics and Economics, playing with a number of bands while there. While pursuing a career in advertising, where he met Don, he concentrated mainly on solo accoustic performances and returned to playing in a band when he met Mike again some thirty years after they first performed together and formed Mess of Blues with Don and Stephen. Back to top Stephen Irvine Having spent his formative years of the late 70s playing drums for a number of bands around the Glasgow club scene, Stephen spent most of the 80s recording and touring with Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, enjoying enormous success with the band. When the band split Stephen moved into artist management before a period in the 90s working in both the UK and France as a touring and recording musician. During this period he also started Strip Music to compose and produce music for TV and for commercials. He then spent a period working in television and was with MTV from 1996 to 2002 with a range of roles from European Head of Marketing to Head of Talent and Artist Relations for VH1. In 2002 he formed his own management company to nurture new talent and was lured back to serious drum playing and gigging with Mess of Blues in 2004 by the impending re-forming of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions for a celebratory 20 th birthday tour of the UK. The Lloyd Cole tour finished... and Mess of Blues continues. Back to top Mike Piggott (guitar, violin, mandolin and vocals) His professional career began playing guitar and occasional violin with soul, blues and reggae bands in the London club scene of the early 1970s. All-nighters at the Flamingo Club with the System Soul Band, opposite bands like Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were followed by a year with Junior’s Conquest, which featured Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Marvin (later of Bob Marley and the Wailers). This was followed by 2 years with Gass, with whom he recorded his first album, which featured a guest appearance from Peter Green. A change of direction resulted in work with Paul Brett, Paul King (Mungo Jerry - 3 albums), Ralph McTell (6 albums), Bert Jansch (2 albums) and 3 years as a member of the re-formed Pentangle, replacing John Renbourne. Other bands include the Denny Laine Band for two years and Phil Collins' “ Zox & The Radar Boys” (a sideline from Genesis). He has worked with numerous other artists and also works regularly as a session musician. For five years has been a jazz/rock guitar/violin teacher at Dartington International Summer School. It is as a jazz violinist that he has become most well-known, playing with his own trio as well as touring with his own show, “Grappelli A Celebration.” With Mess of Blues he returns to his real love, the blues. Back to top