The Bellhops debut CD release "Room Service" has received critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas. Has been picked for airplay on the ABC and many regional stations all around Australia as well as the UK, the USA, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Greece and New Zealand. It was also nominated for "Album of the Year" at the 1998 Australian Blues Music Awards presented at the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn NSW .
The 2002 release of their new CD "No Reservations" sees the Bellhops cementing their place as one of Australia's finest exponents of this genre of music. Some very fine song writing coupled with some excellent musicianship make this album a new high point for a band that always delivers the goods. . Now with a settled sound and a 2nd CD release under their belts, The Bellhops look set for bigger things.
The Bellhops are:
Ian Dittman - vocals, guitar; started off playing in the early 70's and refuses to stop doing it. Loves the swing of Louis Jordan, the power of Howling Wolf, the style of Sinatra, the guitar and vocals of Eric Clapton. Most notable Sydney band was The Bruce Band in the early 80's who recorded a single for EMI that nobody ever heard. Has contributed several original compositions which appear on The Bellhops' debut album. Ian is a graphic reproducer by day and so is responsible for some of the more confronting billboards and metrolights one sees around town. Ian has just returned from a trip to the USA, primarily to attend The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, bringing back a dose of new inspiration and an Epiphone Sheraton guitar which he is currently coming to terms with.
Mark Roulston - bass, vocals; has played with many bands over the years starting in the early 70's working with The Australian Blues Brothers, The 69'ers, The Plant etc. A consummate bass player feeling quite at home on fretless for a slow blues or slap bass for some of the swinging, jivey numbers. Mark is a complete musician, able to arrange and compose, also a great harmony vocalist. Mark teaches music and is furthering his studies at university. Did you hear the one about the bass player who locked his keys in the car? Luckily he had his mobile phone with him, so he could ring the NRMA to come and let him out. (True story!)
John Russell - lead & slide guitars; a wonderful guitarist/musician. John started playing in the late 60's, early 70's and achieved some success initially with a band called Flake who had a hit with "This Wheel's on Fire" (during the record ban era). They followed this up with a couple of other singles that did quite well. John went on to play with people like Black Feather, Jeff St John, Phil Keyes' Band of Light, BB Strut and countless other combinations. A master of lead, slide and dobro guitars, John is also a very fine songwriter, contributing quite a few numbers on The Bellhops Debut Album. By day John is a mild mannered sales manager. By night he turns into a howling slide guitar player with hairy hands. Watch out if it's a full moon.
Steve "Wrongway" Lovarini - Drums; joined The Bellhops in 1992, coming from a background of many blues and roots combinations, one being The Howling Wolves. Wrongway got his nickname by taking a wrong turn on the way to a gig in Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains of NSW which resulted in a 5 hour detour and him arriving at the gig with 5 minutes to spare. Wrongway left the band in 2000, so as to go on a sabbatical to find his inner self (he is still looking) and realign his chakras, bearing in mind that this can be a very painful process. Once said chakras were in place, it was time to re-enter the Bellhops sphere of consciousness. Wrongway has been back occupying the drum seat since early 2003 and the rest of the guys are very glad he is back where he belongs (behind the real musicians - only joking!).
Steve O'Connell - Saxophone; is an exceptional player who has played with just about everybody within the Sydney scene, previous bands include The Angels, Psycho Zydeco, Bellydance, and many, many more! Steve also wrote most of the horn lines featured on the album and apart from being an absolute bastard is a very nice human being. Steve teaches saxophone as well as playing full time.
Bruce Allen - Baritone Saxophone; Bruce first gained recognition with the Dynamic Hepnotics and has gone on to play with people like Ol' 55, The Eddys, Doug Parkinson and many others. Bruce is a full time professional musician and founder of "Mercenary Bastards Inc" (a nice human being all the same).
Ed Shots - Tenor and Baritone Saxophone; Ed first played with the band at the '94 Lithgow Blues Festival when The Bellhops found themselves without a sax player at the last moment. We don't know how we got his number, but the consensus of opinion at the time was "Shit, I hope he can play!". Ed has been playing with the band ever since. Originally from the Netherlands, Ed teaches music professionally and is married to the very wonderful Sue, also a professional bass clarinettist extraordinaire. Ed is also creator of "The Egg" as pictured on the Bellhops Photo Gallery page.
Richard Booth (Bootman) - Tenor, Baritone, Alto, Soprano Saxophone; The Bellhops first met Richard at the East Coast Blues Festival 1995 when for various reasons out of their control they found themselves without a tenor player for their second show at the festival. Mark Roulston happened upon a band playing in one of the tents and lo and behold there was this monster sax player from Canberra. Richard has been playing with the band ever since. Richard is an avid collector of vintage saxophones who teaches music professionally and also plays steel drums. What's the difference between a sax player and a lawn mower? One cuts grass and the other smokes it!
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