meet the band
meet the band
Cheesecake are a band of talented musicians, vastly experienced at playing to audiences and superbly good at what they do.
Alexis is the main man, fronting the band, playing guitar, driving the van and answering the phone. He is the guy that will always be at any Cheesecake booking, answerable to the event and to the client. Grant helps him out on the admin side of things, as well as playing bass and vocal duties.
To ensure that the whole band at your event are not subject to the availability of any one particular musician, there are a pool of players, all trusted and highly capable, that gig regularly with Alexis.
Here is some info about the other guys & girls of Cheesecake:
Alexis Ashford
– guitar, lead vocals.
Veteran of thousands of gigs as a solo player at parties and in restaurants, wine bars, pubs, clubs, festivals and weddings, Alexis also fronts Cheesecake.
Grant Doyle
– bass guitar, vocals
Began his musical life in Australia as a jack of all trades: lead singer, guitarist, pianist, flautist, teacher, choral conductor, session musician, arranger and producer.
Moved to London to study postgrad at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Opera House, and now performs around the world as a baritone opera singer, but he loves rocking out on bass and adding strong harmonies to Cheesecake’s sound.
Clare Lindley
– celtic fiddle, vocals
Grew up in rural Aberdeenshire, now living the Wye Valley. Singer, guitarist, vegan, rock climber with wild hair.
She has played and dance called at possibly thousands of ceilidhs, in quite a few different countries and to people who have never danced a step in their lives.
Chris Nugent
– drums, vocals
Sings and fronts for his own band playing original material, but plays drums and sings with us as well.
Adam Morris
– drums, vocals.
Working as a professional drummer and classical percussionist since 2002, he started in the folk world which makes him feel like he has ‘come home’ to Cheesecake. With a passion for funk, soul and rock grooves, his playing has taken him all over Europe and he revels in the fun and spontaneous nature of the band.
Eloise Prouse
– rock violin, Irish fiddle
Classical trained since the age of 5, Eloise is equally at home with the symphonies of Beethoven as she is with the searing solos of classic rock. Her lightning fingers easily handle the demands country and Irish tunes.
Chris Haigh
– Irish fiddle, rock violin, vocals
Previous work includes playing a Burns Night in Iceland, Russian music for the Mafia in Beiruit, Princess Anne’s birthday party, playing Italian mandolin for a marriage proposal in Rome, fiddling with cossack dancers in Elton John’s back garden, playing for a line-dance in the French Alps, and doing a Jewish wedding in a pine forest in Athens. He has also appeared in an episode of the sitcom My Family as a Mariachi musician. A rich and chequered background.
Ben Gunnery
– fiddle, Irish flute, tin whistle
Album & live credits include touring and recording with Shane Macgowan and the Popes, going around the world at least twice with the acclaimed Riverdance show and many TV appearances. Ben is half French and half Irish, speaks both languages fluently, if not very comprehensibly, when drunk. Can also just about get by in English. Boy can he play though! As well as rock gigs with Cheesecake he freelances as a classical session player.
Rory Harvey
– bass guitar, vocals
With a thorough musical training and education in guitar and bass, Rory plays and teaches both instruments professionally. He graduated from the prestigious Academy of Contemparay Music with a first class honours degree, and was named Guitarist of the Year by the academy in 2008. Monster bass player but he can also sing incredibly high and hit whatever that top note is at the end of Living on a Prayer.
Dave Chapman
From west end shows to weddings to you name it, he’s played drums for it.
Jonty Finn
drums, vocals
Drummer with Cheesecake since its beginnings, still gigs with us if he is not modeling somewhere! F1Rocks event in Milan supporting Stereophonics, Radio 2 airplay – record of the week with Ben Montague album ‘Overcome’. Jonty has been a professional drummer, session player and percussion teacher since leaving school, and a committed musician since childhood.
Danny Cross
bass, vocals
Danny writes music, works as a bass guitar player in various bands, and teaches bass guitar. He first gigged with us last year while Rory was off on an epic road trip round the USA, and is another colleague of Jonty’s. He has now played a load of gigs with us, including the surreal and wonderful night we played a birthday party and Jordan (Katie Price) turned up as a guest.
Vic Cox
bass, vocals
Veteran of many a gig and musical project in collaboration with Alexis over the years.