Based in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, the band has played, and is available, for public ceilidhs, dancers' weekends and festivals; weddings, birthdays and other private functions; corporate socials and conferences and is open to interest if your event doesn't fit into any of these categories ...

Derek Paice - Caller, composer, percussionist, recorder player and the dark presence behind and in front of The NotV. Dances are led with an idiosyncratic rhythmic, half-sung call and his voice is often disguised behind a barrage of electronic processes and effects. It was inevitable that Derek would end up involved with dance. He was mixed up with chorus girls at a very impressionable age as shown in this shocking photographic evidence. A few years later he spent a ten year stint as molly with the Ouse Washes Molly Dancers when he pioneered the wearing of headset radio mics for live storytelling whilst dancing. He's still the pioneer. No-one else seems to have followed his lead, although he performed with OWM at major festivals in England and some barely noticeable ones in mainland Europe. Speaking of which, although still operating as DeeP Music in the UK, Derek is more at home now on the French/Swiss border, which involves regular commuting. Having at last tracked down some traditional dance groups in Haute-Savoie there could be some "crossover" activity; just don't hold your breath waiting. As well as The NotV, Derek leads the King's Lynn Community Samba Band and plays with Hoofbeat (for whom he has composed a number of pieces), Eastern Bloco (making an impression by upsetting the bell section) and sometimes the Pied A Terre Band (where he sits at the back and tootles or strums). He also calls regularly for Hodmedod and Beatroot, occasionally with Peach Fruit and much more occasionally with MoonDance and Fendragon. There is a wholly substantiated rumour that the Cuban folkloric band, Malecon, may be reformed with Derek and Martin Bright on percussion. Other projects have included composing choral and incidental music for school choirs or outdoor community theatre productions in France, leading an African drumming goup, a steel pan trio, remixing other people's songs, contributions to a couple of tribute cds and most recently he has started writing songs again - only this time with much less teenaged angst and hopefully much less doggerel.

For completists, anoracks and those generally and genuinely interested in the world about them the band uses ASS, Studiomaster and Cepiar equipment for "normal sized gigs" (we - i.e. you - hire in bigger PA when required) with Shure and AKG mics. Derek's personal rig and instrumentarium includes an Audio Technica Radio mic system, Lexicon JamMan, Alesis Quadraverb, Roland HPD15 Handsonic percussion with Roland PM-1 amp. Other percussion by Natal, LP, Premier, CP, RMV, Remo, unaccredited instrumental artisans from Africa, Asia and the Americas, a frying pan from a pound shop and junk from the garden shed, Les and Lene's outdoor collection and courtesy of Norfolk Highways dept. Recorders by Roessler, Yamaha, Dolmetsch and Schott, guitars by Guild, Ovation and, er ... Casio (which actually sounds okay processed via the handsigned Adrenalinn II).

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Steve Bingham - one of Europe's top violinists and leader of the Bingham String Quartet (when he's known as Stephen), Steve is the most accomplished electric fiddle player … Have a look at his website to get an idea of the range of his musical activities and projects. His two solo cds are a stunning showcase for his imagination and beautiful playing, whether he is layering all 40 parts in the Tallis motet, "Spem In Alium", or being all of Led Zeppelin and Sandy Denny in Zep's "Battle of Evermore". His phenomenal live solo performances of programmes including everything from the exceedingly challenging Bach Chaconne to his own arrangements of Steve Reich, Coldplay, Yes or new compositions have to be heard to be believed. He has appeared as guest leader with many orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English National Ballet and English Sinfonia; has given solo recitals both in the UK and America; with the Quartet has recorded numerous CDs; has worked for radio, television and toured in Europe, the Middle East and Australia. He has worked with distinguished musicians such as Jack Brymer, Raphael Wallfisch, Michael Collins and David Campbell, guitarist Jason Carter and players such as Sanju Vishnu Sahai (tabla), Baluji Shivastrav (sitar) and Abdullah Ibrahim (piano).

Steve first played for The NotV on the disproportionately tiny stage at Le Strange Arms Hotel in Hunstanton on John's 40th birthday, 19th August 2000, but it was towards the end of 2005 that he joined the band as our regular fiddle player.

Violins - on stage with The NotV Steve plays a 5-string Fidelius violin, designed and made by former NotV player Uli Schwabe, through a Boss GT8 pedal effects unit into an AER amplifier (although you will probably quite rightly be halfway through composing an e-mail pointing out he is actually holding a Starfish Designs instrument, his other electric violin, in the photo).

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Mark Fawcett - accomplished singer songwriter and acoustic guitarist, Mark is also our very own rock god. He debuted with The NotV on 15th October 1999 at a Wells school fundraiser. The fact that it was Mark's old school must have made the event doubly nerveracking. He played brilliantly, of course and has been with us since.

As well as performing solo, Mark occasionally has his own Mark Fawcett Band and plays with Don't Spook the Horse (the Neil Young Tribute Band), Hodmedod, The John Preston Tribute Band, File Under Funk, etc etc. Past projects have included The Jones Project and Malecon among many others. He also spends his time working as a sound engineer for live and studio work and increasingly more teaching etc. etc. You get the idea; he's a busy man. Take a look at Mark's website and check out his three exquisite solo cds.

Guitars by PRS and Tom Anderson (Drop Top T) via a beer-soaked Vox wah-wah into a Mesa Boogie Mk IV amp.

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John Preston - entered music surfing on the punk and new wave and is a veteran of the UK and European festival scene. Great stage presence and bass playing combined with fascinating life experience promote John to official band philosopher and counsellor status (when they come to make the film, John should be played by Whoopi Goldberg). John first played with the band on 30th April 1994 (in Little Bytham Village Hall for a wedding reception), although it was another five years until he joined us as our regular bass player. That ceilidh was notable for the conjoining of English and Irish families. Each tried to show the other how to have a good evening and events took some rather bizarre turns. The unaccompanied Irish boys' team re-enactment of the singing scene from "Top Gun" probably scooped the prize, specially the bit where the bride was kidnapped, although I'm not sure I remember that from the film. This was the ceilidh that prompted Derek to begin using a microphone that was actually strapped to his head and therefore not easily removed for impromptu renditions of Londonderry Air and Auld Lang Syne. John became our regular bass player from 29th May 1999 onwards when The NotV played at the Sandringham Centre, RAF Marham.

John also plays with Don't Spook the Horse, Hodmedod and Beatroot and has worked with Lene Lovich. His latest project is his own John Preston Tribute Band - slack rock from the world's first do-it-yourself tribute band!

John plays a Warwick Streamer fretless bass through an Ashdown amp.

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Ivan Garford - keyboard hero Ivan is almost a Fens legend. He makes it all look so easy. The term "laid back" was invented to describe him. I never met anyone who, at 2pm on the day of one of his own gigs, didn't quite have a band (ie there was him and there was me!). By the evening he had recruited two other musicians of such outstanding calibre they busked the evening making it look like they had been rehearsing and playing together for years. That was ultra-cool. Ivan first played with the band at the only ceilidh Derek has missed (25th May 1996 when he double booked himself to dance with the Ouse Washes Molly Dancers in Holland) to be followed up with a few more that summer. Ivan played several ceilidhs with us, mainly standing in for missing players, but in January 2004 when Derek revived the 6-piece Ivan was welcomed into the fold with open arms and ears.

Ivan has played with just about everybody (everyone in the Fens, anyway). He is the musical director of local operatic and musical theatre groups, has his own Blues Brothers review band, leads Beatroot, plays in Eddie Seales' Big Band and many smaller jazz ensembles too. Check out some of Ivan's other activities on his own website.

Keyboards - Korg Triton LE and Yamaha P80 Stage Piano via Hartke KM200 keyboard monitor.

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Henry Lascelles - a very fine drummer who studied with Max Abrams and John Marshall, Henry has played professionally since 1972. He has played in rock, funk, blues and jazz bands, in live performance and sessions, pretty much all his life. If you press him hard (he is very modest!) he will admit to some well-known previous employers including Paul Young, Alexis Korner and Lene Lovich. He has also played with ex-Commodores and The Global Village Trucking Company and once jammed with Keith Richards at a party. Since relocating to East Anglia he has played with the Mark Fawcett Band, The Kesh and continues to play with maximum rhythm & blues outfit, The BBs. We like to think that he has produced some of his best work ever with The News of the Victory. Just have a listen to his playing on the cd.

Henry is the newest member of the band. Characteristically, his debut was at one of our more notable events (24th May 2003, Swaffham) for an 80th birthday party, see the comments concerning Gimme All Your Sharp-Dressed Smoke ... John probably had to convince him quite hard to come back again, but we are glad he did.

Drums - Sonor Delite kit with Cottonwood Artiste snare with Aquarian heads. Zildjian cymbals. Brushes and 5A woodtip sticks by Vic Firth.

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