Kim Wilde: “These are ‘my’ boys!”

“For everyone involved in the tour there are moments when I feel a bit lonely among all those men”, says Kim Wilde. “But that doesn’t mean that I have problems with the guys in my band. I have worked with my brother Ricky and my father Marty since the beginning of my career. I have learned to push on because of that.”
But Kim doesn’t need a whole lot of perseverance right now. The atmosphere in the group is too good, not least thanks to the success of the latest LP, “Teases And Dares”. Kim is looking forward to the forthcoming tour, which starts in February and will be her biggest ever. After a few dates in Eastern Europe, concerts in Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland, Kim will travel through the rest of Europe, until she goes on tour in the USA for the first time. Here Kim presents the boys in her band…

Richard Blanshard (Saxophone)

Date of birth: 6.8.1954
Place of birth: Orsett, England
Kim: “Richard replaced Gary Barnacle shortly before the end of my previous tour, because Gary started on a new project. Richard’s humour can’t be beat. He is our house comedian. And when he is not talking nonsense or playing the saxophone, he is playing the photographer. He is also a master in his craft. He was asked for instance to shoot set photos for Paul McCartney’s “Give my regards to Broad Street”. Richard is really an omni-talent!”

Christopher North (Drums)

Date of birth: 18.1.1954
Place of birth: Billericay, England
Kim: “Fantastic, that he’s back again. Christopher was already doing drums on my first LP. But after that he did various projects. It was a coincidence that Chris was available last spring when I was preparing the LP “Teases And Dares”. I didn’t hesitate for a minute, because Chris is not just a great drummer, but also a great buddy!”

Steve Joel Shone (Bass, keyboards)

Date of birth: 14.10.1957
Place of birth: London
Kim: “I don’t know much about Steve yet, to be honest, because he just joined us. But one thing I have noticed: Steve is a crazy whirlwind, that will keep the pace up during the tour!”

Steve Bird (Guitar, keyboards)

Kim: “Steve is already like a member of the family. He was there during my very first concerts. Privately Steve is the resting pole of the group, but when he has a guitar in his hands, he becomes a wild rock ‘n’ roller. But Steve is not just an ace on electric and acoustic guitar. When it comes to new ideas, he’s the best. His great ideas have contributed a lot to the succes of the “Teases And Dares” LP.