The intricacies of how Pearl Handled Revolver came together are long and convoluted and opinion on who/what should be blamed for this chain of events is divided. Gravity, the stars aligning, a shared love of heavy rock, blues and psychedelia from the last four decades, and the fact that they’re all very naughty boys (there’s a clue there) have all been cited.

Our long, strange and at times bewildering trip, has been punctuated by (in no particular order). Four self produced, critically acclaimed EPs. Some kind words from Jon ‘Deep Purple’ Lord (Rest In Peace sir). Gigs with the likes of Wilko Johnson, The Blockheads, The Quireboys and The Black Crowes. The attention of Dick Wooley of King Mojo Records. And debut album ‘Colossus’ rearing its head and giving the wider world a taste of where we'd been and where we wanted to go. If you want to rifle further through our drawers then go and have a look in 'The Psychedelic Attic'... be warned though... there be monsters.

And now, and it really is all about the here and now, we proudly present to you our second album 'This Mountain Waits'.

Welcome to the world of Pearl Handled Revolver.

Simon Rinaldo keyboards and synthesisers

“Oh To Be Bruno Martelli…”
1983 – 1985 - Got my first keyboard at age 8… A Casio MT52. Started music lessons with Peter Frost. I wanted to be just like Bruno Martelli from Fame… now there's the irony. First live performance at school assembly. I played 'Ebony and Ivory' by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.
Dad bought my first real organ. It was a Solina from the mid 70's, continued lessons until 1990.1988 - Age 13. First gig at 'The Horse and Jockey' in Ravensden. Was offered a residency, every Sunday £15 a night. Started playing in various clubs to earn a few extra quid.

“Mr.G And The Hammond”
1996 - After various attempts at finding a band to play real music I finally formed 'Mr G's Secret Room'. Soon after did our first gig at Matt's Place in Bedford followed by 'Danny's Bar' Esquires. Got my first real Hammond Organ, then it all started to make sense.

“Baptism Of Fire…”
1997 - Joined 'Shrunk'… my first professional standard band. 1999-2001 Played with various bands that I'd rather not mention. Eventually meeting Lee Vernon and auditioned for 'Blunderherd'. 2001 Joined 'Blunderherd', fronted by Lee Vernon. Did baptism of fire with a series of gigs in Germany and literally hundreds of gigs across UK.

“The Rise Of Rinaldo Towers”
2001-2004 - Did various session work both live and in the studio, including The Quireboys supporting Cheap Trick, Andrew WK live performances at The Garage-London and 'Top Of The Pops' TV programme.
Discovered the love of music production and started building a recording studio.

“Meeting Of Minds…”
2004 - Sessioned with Bowfinger, laying down keyboards on their album 'Happy With What You Got'. Ended up doing a few gigs with them and eventually joined the band. Did loads of gigs, including some tours in Germany, supports with Ocean Colour Scene and The Fall (with Mark E Smith). This is when I first played with Oli Carter, who joined Bowfinger in 2007.

“Embryo”
2006 - Formed 'Pearl Handled Revolver' with Lee Vernon. We initially just did it as a studio project, bringing in Steve on guitar and Luke McDonnald on drums. Recorded 'Embryo' EP but never released it… This is where it all started.

“Our Friends Electric”
2008 – I left Bowfinger, shortly followed by Oli Carter, 'Pearl Handled Revolver' was calling! Andy Paris and Fergus Shipman completed our first electric line up.

“Birth Of The Box Set…”
2009 - Released Pearl Handled Revolver 'One'

“One Door Closes…”
2010 - Fergus Shipman left Pearl Handled Revolver and we recruited 'Sulfer' front man Chris Thatcher to fill his boots. Pearl Handled Revolver released EP's 'Two and Three'. We start talks with King Mojo Records and Blue Room Management in USA.

“Just The Beginning…”
2011 - PHR record 'Colossus' our debut album.

Oli Carter bass guitar and backing vocals

“The Lizard”
2002 – After seven long years staring at a set of drumsticks… with no hope of ever owning a kit, I grabbed something I could play… Dad’s bass.
This soon led to a raucous gig at The Lizard (now known as The Angel, Bedford) with my first “real” band called Ex-Nilo. Hard Punk!

“Opportunity Knocks… Bowfinger!”
2005 – As is the way with these things, the band went their separate ways, mostly to college. Keen not to let things slip I searched around… found an add for a bassist.
Bowfinger took me on after three rehearsals and I was back on track. Indeed, more than I realised at the time. This was where I first met Simon Rinaldo…

“Bring On The Dogs!”
2006 – Some wicked times with Bowfinger, perhaps most memorably our stints in Germany with our “exchange” band The Dogs from Marburg. You become a seasoned performer pretty fast after a few visits like that, great way to learn your craft… in a place where they come out in droves to see a good band, and show so much enthusiasm…

“Across the Ocean to Paris…”
2006 – 2007 - …One such exchange, when The Dogs played with us in England, saw my first brush with Andy Paris. His band The Occasion acting as support.
In the same year, another high spot was supporting Ocean Colour Scene…

“Another Piece of The Puzzle…”
2008 - …Sad that this year saw the last of my gigs with Bowfinger… and it was at this final gig that I first met Lee Vernon… pretty soon Pearl Handled Revolver had a bass player… acoustic guitarist… vocalist… let’s just say I found my voice!

Lee Vernon vocals and harmonica

“…Fuss About Nothing.”
1986 – Prior to this, I’d only ever sung in the bath, maybe wailed once or twice alongside the wretched screeches emitting from my best friends Casio…but here I was with little choice! I wrote the song she should have been singing, if not for her last minute outburst… two minutes left before the tape was started, with military timing… and she left the crowded drama hall, still not her drama exam piece was it?… just mine!
16 years old and I was hooked… I wanted to know what all the fuss was about…

“Bad Hand”
1988 – 1990 – Two butchers, a painter and decorator and a naive songwriter. I know I owe a lot to “Bad Hand” Bennett and the boys for those early lessons in stagecraft. Crystal Days, not the greatest name in the world but there you go…

“Metal Monkey…”
1990 – 1993 – Where the real education went on, not because I was at Uni, but because I was in Manchester… at just the right time. Needless to say the music scene was quite amazing then and I took every opportunity I could to get involved. Playing Harp with Black Stan’s Blues Band and being recruited as front man for the band Metal Monkey Machine… but soon I would be going home…

“Return To Sleepy Hollow”
1993 – 2000 – Thank God I came home and there was nothing to do! I wasn’t alone in feeling restless and soon we formed Blunderherd. A great band, with whom I played over 300 gigs with… and one that caught the eye of a certain keyboard player! Five trips to Germany, radio slots, festival headlines we did it all… good times. Especially when Simon joined us, we suddenly went to a whole new level…

“Wotnots And Cash”
2003 – 2008 – Not quite sure how I found time for all this but aswell as recording two albums worth of material with my good friend Bobbywotnot, gigged/recorded and learned a new instrument (Melodica) with my Dub friends in Frantasise… even managed a month in Dubai as the “Blues” element with The Bullets, sharing a stage with Pat Cash at the Dubai International Tennis Tournament! Being a full time musician really started to look like a good idea…

“Long Time Coming…”
2006 – present – Yep! Believe it or not, way back in 2006 the concept of Pearl Handled Revolver was born. Although quite different to the monster it is now, it was a simple, honest necessity. Simon and I constantly jamming out, writing and recording… it had to happen. Gradually the line up we now know as PHR grew along with a new found drive just to make great music… music I’d like to hear out there…

Chris Thatcher drums and percussion

“Bad Hair…!”
1992/3 - Largely pretended to play clarinet in East Beds County Band. Heart wasn't in it. Unlikely anyone noticed due to my bad hair.

“Bad Boy…”
1992 - Asked to leave drum lessons by tutor as was probably wasting my/his time.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit…”
1996 – My first gig as a drummer was to be at my mate's birthday party. Played Nirvana, Guns n Roses and Green Day covers amongst others… with really bad hair.

“Early Bird On The Bedford Scene…”
1996/7 – “Wade” (drums).Covers and originals with Taff and Ben Whybird (now firm members of Bedford’s own Whybirds)… Hair still bad!

“Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow…”
1998/9 - Un-named student band (drums).1 rehearsal in 2 years… played 'High and Dry' by Radiohead for two hours. Never gigged… drank like heroes. Shaved head.

“Rosalita…”
2001/5 - Rosalita (guitar/vocals).Acoustic covers and originals with Dave Whybird.

“Paths Cross…”
2006/9 – Rhythm guitar and front man for a band called “Sulfer” during this period. Performing heavy rock/stoner originals. At one point playing with my future band mates at the Pasque Festival in 2008… though none of us had any idea where we’d be in just a years time…

“Coincidence Or Fate?”
2009 - …by complete chance, I was included in an email forwarded many times, from Simon Rinaldo, via friends and fellow musicians… “Pearl Handled Revolver were looking for a drummer.” Although not intended for me, I remembered my brush with PHR and how much I’d enjoyed their set… how could I let the opportunity pass me by?
… the rest, as they say, is gravy…

Andy Paris lead guitar

“First night jitters…?”
First gig - 1992 - played one song at my friends 6th Form Review. In front of the whole school!… Was sick before we went on. Partly due to nerves and partly because I was extremely hung over…

“The Bug Bites…”
1995 - I joined my first band Flynn. Could say I got the bug while playing covers but needed more creativity, so we moved on to originals, eventually replacing the covers with our own material. This lead to more rewarding gigs and the recording of my first ever EP!

“Too Far Gone…”
2001 - 2005 - Too Far Gone. Probably my first “serious” band… Started with covers once again but quickly forged some new originals resulting in several EP’s. “Highlight” was supporting Paul Young at the Elgiva Theatre…

“Dressed for The Occassion…”
2005 - 2007 - The Occasion. Born from remaining members of TFG. Even more EP’s crowned my time with The Occasion, along with a great many gig's! The last count over 300 before meeting The Revolvers in 2008…

“Don’t Look Back!”
2008 – Present – Joined Pearl Handled Revolver… and never looked back!

Pearl Handled Revolver

“King Mojo Records…”
Our record label… headed by the legendary Dick Wooley, formerly of Atlantic and Capricorn Records and the father of 'Southern Rock'

“Touring…”
Be sure to keep a keen eye on our “Gig list” section… there’s going to be plenty to shout about coming soon…

“New Videos…”
A new creative burst resulting from the recording sessions and release of ‘This Mountain Waits’…

“Colossus…”
Recorded in a live environment to capture as much of the “live magic” as possible… and as the name might suggest, the songs are huge. The band's first full album has received rave reviews from some of the biggest names in the musical press and delighted live audiences across the land.

“This Mountain Waits…”
Released on 16 April 2013 the second album finds the band once more exploring the boundaries of their own particular brand of blues/rock with eleven tracks ranging from beautifully haunting to head down boogie.