Born in the Triassic Period and grew up with older brothers that played in bands in the 60’s. So my lullaby’s were Stones an Easybeats. Played guitar in garage bands and have worked in pubs / taverns and functions for many years usually in and around the Perth hills. At the age of fourteen I went to a ‘John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers’ concert at the Capital Theatre in Perth … and after hearing ‘Room To Move’ decided to take up the blues harp.

Hooked up with Steve (acoustic & vocals) and Malcolm (T-Chest Bass) Woodward. Steve was a relentless taskmaster and taught me rigor and stamina in playing many hours straight, usually with ‘The Alleycats’ each Sunday session at the old P&O in Fremantle. Other influences was the late greatly talented Tom Aamot who taught me to laugh at the foibles of music making. Miss him heaps.

Use a Shure Green Bullet mic and have used Lee Oskar harps for years because they have replaceable reeds but have recently switched to Hohner Golden Melody on recommendation of Howard Levy who has pioneered the ‘overblow’ technique. Thinking I could play until I heard exponents’ like Carlos Del Yunco who has put me back into infant school … very humbling.

Pride and joy is my custom built tweed ‘Harpgear’ 35W valve Amp by Brian Purdy from Florida.
 

Phil’s been playing guitar and keyboards since he was about 13, playing in a variety of bands in the UK before moving to Sydney in 1982. His taste for playing live music was developed through the 90’s while living in Singapore, where he was a frequent infiltrator to the house band at Singapore’s Crazy Elephant pub, and many other pubs and bars around Asia. Phil comes to Indigo Alley having spent the last six years with The Imports. While Blues/Rock is what Phil gravitates towards for live work, his influences and tastes are varied, as can be heard from the samples of his music at www.myspace.com/philbrannigan. Phil uses Ibanez and Fender guitars, a Mesa Boogie F-50 amp and a restrained (yeah, right) collection of outboard kit from TC Electronic, Morley and Robert Keeley.

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