About.
The Racoons are a dynamic blues, indie rock & roll band from North Wales with their own unique take on any covers they perform. The band comprises of four musicians who individually draw influences from an eclectic range of genres to deliver a captivating and energetic show; performing music they are passionate about and love playing.
The band was formed by Chris and Mark in 2019 who discovered the bands potential whilst jamming together after work. Following a couple of highly successful pub gigs the band recruited professional drummer Wayne Francis, and Hez Evans on bass who is often referred to as ‘the rock’ of the band. The Racoons were formed and have been entertaining audiences all over North Wales and beyond ever since. Each band member brings their own wealth of live experience and talent to the group. The bands mission is to encourage and inspire creativity in music and art to both its members and its audience. It is not unusual to see guest artists and musicians performing with The Racoons.
The Racoons cover a wide range of classic and contemporary music encompassing material ranging from The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix through to Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis as well as writing some of their own music.
The Racoons gig across North Wales and England playing in pubs, clubs, outdoor festivals, holiday parks and private functions. We are equally at home delivering a stripped back acoustic set with a cajon or quieter drum kit in smaller venues. The band is available for hire in all areas of North Wales and also performs in Cheshire, Manchester, Stoke on Trent, and North Staffordshire.
2022 has proven a very successful year for The Racoons having headlined at town and country festivals in both England and Wales whilst gaining a following on social media. The band are often found in the studio working on new material and are currently writing new music to be debuted in 2023.
Musical Influences:
- Rolling Stones
- Beatles
- Kinks
- Undertones
- Kasabian
- Foo Fighters
- Cream (Eric Clapton)
- Jimi Hendrix
- Elvis
- Van Morrison
- Stevie Wonder
- The Black Keys
- Van Halen
- Primal Scream
- Oasis
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Johnny Cash
The Band.
Chris Renshaw
Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Chris is the front man of the band. He is a talented musician and vocalist. Chris originally learned to play piano when he was younger before moving to guitar and has fronted many bands during and after school. Whilst studying History at the University of Manchester, Chris played bass guitar, performing original music with a band on the Manchester live music circuit and has performed at legendry venues such as The Roadhouse, Night and Day, Tiger Lounge and Manchester Academy.
As well as playing rock music Chris has a thorough understanding of music theory and is an accomplished pianist and jazz/blues saxophonist. Nowadays Chris tends to prefer playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar through a Fender valve amp providing a gritty vintage/blues tone. Chris brings experience and creativity to front the band and never fails to engage the audience.
Mark Dickson
Lead Guitarist/Backing Vocals
Lead guitar player from Colwyn Bay North Wales. Started playing guitar at the age of 5 and took over running the school guitar club aged ten. Experience of playing with different bands and musicians from folk clubs to pubs and events over many years. Influenced heavily by Hendrix, Van Halen and Joe Satriani. Enjoys delivering sustaining lead, solos and riffs with a Bare knuckle equipped humbucking Fender Stratocaster through a Marshall Studio Vintage Combo. Not to mention a few pedals....
Hez Evans
Bass
Originally a trumpet player, Hez later decided to learn bass guitar. Hez has an excellent understanding of music theory having played with traditional bands and is an accomplished sight reader of sheet music. Hez is known as the ‘The Rock’ for his reliable, solid contribution to the band. He uses a Fender Precision bass guitar coupled with an Ampeg bass combo to achieve his solid sound.
Wayne Francis
Drummer
Highly skilled and hard hitting. Wayne’s influences are rooted in rock and metal. A fan of the double kick pedal, Wayne is a master of precision in the world of no-nonsense drumming. He has a wealth of experience and versatility in music having recorded and performed with various original artists in North Wales. Influences range from Travis Barker (Blink 182), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Jay Weinberg (Slipknot, Bruce Springsteen) and Chad Smith (RHCP) through to Stewart Copland (The Police) and traditional players such as Buddy Rich and Bernard Purdie. Dislikes over indulgent guitar solos and overly expansive guitar collections on stage!
Gallery
Our Music
Songs We Cover...
- Johnny be Goode - Chuck Berry
- Sweet Home Alabama - Lynryd Skynyrd
- Aint no Sunshine - Bill Withers
- Cigarettes and Alcohol - Oasis
- Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
- Hey Jude - The Beatles
- Money - The Beatles
- Let it Be - The Beatles
- Red House - Jimi Hendrix
- All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
- Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
- Old Love - Eric Clapton
- All Day and All of the night - Kinks
- Dont be Cruel - Elvis
- Stuck on You - Elivis
- Moondance - Van Morrison
- Gloria - Van Morrison
- Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
- Start me up - The Rolling Stones
- Superstition - Stevie Wonder
- Baby Please dont go - John Lennon
- Sunshine of your love - Cream
- You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Acrtic Monkies
- You Got my Number - Undertones
- Rocks - Primal Scream
- Gimmie Shelter - Rolling Stones
- Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Bad Moon Rising - Creedance clear water
- Folsum Prison Blues - Jonny Cash
- Shes the one - Robbie Williams
- Born to be Wild
- Sweet Home Chicago - Blues Brothers
- And Many more!
Testimonials
Awesome band. Heard The Racoons play at the Denbigh Beer Festival and they had the place rocking.
…Fab night watching The Racoons tonight
…Great live music performance last night by The Racoons. Looking forward to your next gig
FAQs
How do I book?
Contact us via any of our social media links or email (NWtheracoons@outlook.com) or via the mobile number 07887359297
Do I need to pay a deposit?
To secure the booking for a private function we require a 10% deposit. Please note that this is non-refundable unless under extremely rare and unforeseen circumstances.
How do I pay?
You are Welcome to pay the remaining balance with cash or via bank transfer no later than 7 days prior to the event. Please contact us for account details
How Long do you play for?
We can accommodate up to 3 x 45 minute sets with breaks in between. We are completely flexible with start times and breaks. We normally play until 11pm. Any later finishes can be discussed and negotiated as required.
How long does it take you to setup?
Roughly about 45minutes on average.
How much space do you need?
Ideally 5m by 2m although we have played in venues far smaller.
Do I need to book a DJ?
Our price includes disco/DJ between sets. You are more than welcome to request songs to be played as part of the DJ set.
Do I need to pick a setlist?
Our setlist is fine tuned to cover lots of bases and get people up dancing. Any particular request will be considered to the best of our ability. Please discuss at the point of booking.
Am I able to cancel the booking?
If you require a booking to be cancelled please get in touch at the earliest opportunity
Can you provide an invoice?
Yes we do provide invoices for events.
Contact
To speak to us about a booking, or to find out more, you can contact us via: