MATADOR is out now.  Find out more at the official website www.gazcoombes.com

Four lads and a lass. Catchy indie riffs with lyrics that instantly hit home.

The Genes passed down from my Mother’s parents are a blessing. Granddad was an amazing pianist, Grandmother an exceptional vocalist. My Sister played flute and recorders. Myself, well, I pretty much have tried many instruments however we all have a path, a journey...

I started playing drums and percussion aged 7 years old, progressing as principal drummer and percussionist achieving Grade 8 percussion, timpani, vibraphone and drum kit with The Trinity College of Music, London
At the age of 11, my mother showed me middle C on the piano at home and away I went, learning and creating
An acoustic guitar was purchased at the age 13. When I was 15, with school friends we formed a band. Too many guitarists I decided to take up the bass guitar 

Aged 17 I moved to Newcastle and attended Newcastle College gaining a BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music and a Higher National Diploma in Jazz, Popular and Commercial Music. I was initially a drummer however with 10 drummers on the course and only 4 bass players I switched to playing bass guitar full time
My first 2 years in Newcastle I worked at Legends Wine Bar and Bliss Nightclub as bar support During my break at Bliss Nightclub I jammed away on my bass guitar in the back room with the DJ’s Phil Brown (Bless) & Darren Laws plus MC Randy Dread at Shindig on Thursday evenings

Year 3 in Newcastle I joined 8 piece soul group The JJ Clark Band performing the UK cover band circuit. We switched our attention to original music and signed a recording and management deal. A 4 Track EP followed. recorded and produced by John Turner who produced the like of Deacon Blue, The Cocteau Twins, Prefab Sprout and Runrig. He was also an amazing keyboardist playing with the likes of The Walkers Brothers and had this amazing Hammond organ with an original Leslie speaker which can be heard on the tracks The EP also features his then wife Ann Turner on Backing Vocals

The Crosby Brother, a 4 piece Rock n Roll band was my next musical venture. Auditioning in front of the bands manager Chas Chandler (Bless) was probably my most nervous experience.

“It’s the bass player from The Animals and former manager of Jimi Hendrix and Slade…” I thought to myself!

Further musical projects followed... Liveriot, The Maker, Recruit and The Kaleidoscope Project

I learned how to DJ from amazing Newcastle Dj Friends... 
The late (bless) Phil Brown (Legends / Bliss) Tony Hutchinson and Andy Horsefield (Legends) Scott Bradford and Scooby (Shindig) Darren Laws (Fat City) Steve Butler (Southport Weekender) DJ Smoove (Smoove & Turrell) albeit a Mackem hahaha and ‘For Those Who Know’ my good friend and fellow Newcastle Po Na Na & Hull Fez Club partner in crime DJ Kenzi (Arena) 

A move to Europe’s mainland living in Austria I Dj’d in Ski Resorts Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller, Soelden and St Anton. During my travels I  had further DJ sets in Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Greece, and the UK

2020 I will again be spreading my wings like doves to bring my musician and DJ experience, skills, positivity and energy to the world
 

Simply Thank You for Reading… Like 😉🙏👍
Written 11.12.2019

L i T T L E   i M P  - 'Indie. Garage. Vintage-Pop. Anthemic-Rock'n'Roll' from Natasha 'Tash' Rose Allan, Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Vocalist Multi-instrumentalist.  Original 22-20’s drummer and 2013 touring drummer for 80's ska band The Beat.

(For fans of:  
PJ Harvey/David Bowie/Captain Beefheart/Jarvis Cocker/Morrissey/Beatles)

Experiencing a confusing, tumultuous, isolated childhood - moved from abusive environment to abusive environment. From an early age, Academia was not a strong point, nor was socialising.  Tash sought out an escape and aged 11 was rewarded when the secondary school she had just been moved to advertised free drum lessons - 20 minutes per week, during normal school hours! Her drum tutor, Matthew Butler (principal drummer of award-winning, championship brass band, The Foss Dyke Band) saw her natural talent and suggested she take a vacant position as 2nd drummer at Lincoln Hospitals Brass Band to gain live performance experience and to improve sight-reading.
Tash stayed with LHBB for 4 years, performing in many interesting and varied scenarios, including drumming in Lincoln Cathedral aged just 12 to 600 people at midnight mass and in Scarborough, a bandstand in the middle of a lake, band members and instruments transported by row boat! 

Having developed an unhealthy obsession for David Bowie, staying in and listening to her Dad's records, his Q, mojo, etc... music magazines, playing truant to watch MTV and MTV2 - all of which at the time, was documenting and/or celebrating the exciting rise and rise of Britain's own guitar band movement through exciting music videos. The perfect tonic to the depressing, anti-hope, grunge scene of America, playing in many of Lincoln's original guitar bands during her teens was a natural progression that when her parents announced they were imminently moving to New Zealand took her to Sheffield.

Having already secretly been writing her own songs and doing the odd covers gig for money, or band support slot singing and playing guitar, Tash immersed herself in the Sheffield music scene, playing drums, bass, guitar and singing in many bands (7 at one point!) but also  solo live acoustic shows enjoying playing at everything from festivals to performing intimate and (yet sometimes raucous!) at respectable venues such as Sheffield Boardwalk, The Leadmill, Casbah Club, West St Live/ London E3 Brick Lane, Kashmir Klub, Club-Pop to name a few) and ..... and wherever, whenever, however possible for over a decade as LiTTLE IMP with her brother Rob joining on bass for later Sheffield gigs and then with her band until recently ...Tash returned after Rob to reside in Lincoln where she concentrated on getting her own  band together where as a 4-piece played around 250 shows...

After many-a-line-up-change, Collectively – full throttle as a band... 

L i T T L E  I M P  : Best mate Ben Berger on Keys, Synths, Organs (and lifts!) Natasha on guitar and vocals and Damo Waters on drums to perform as a ‘Female-Fronted,Guitar-driven, Ballsy-Anthemic/Indie/Vintage-Pop/Mod-influenced 4-Piece.’ 

- producing a unique live sound with original, genre-defying live sets that go seamlessly from life-affirming balladry to Rock’n’Roll/Garage Belters (usually complete with stand-up comedy inbetween songs and well-humoured audience heckling)! With around 350 live shows to her name -including multiple venues and festivals in Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester, London (and counting! ...when budget allows!) - The songwriting sets her apart and the personality-packed live performances prove that.



LITTLE IMP is following