Who is The Tibetan Tea Company?
The Tibetan Tea Company
The band was formed in 2002 when Mike and Dan recorded three tracks for an EP (Satellite), compositions written by Mike with additions from Dan. Various acoustic nights at the Hermit, Brentwood followed, and occasional gigs as a duo, until Paul joined them in 2007 and the current line-up was formed.
Mike Bridge - Guitar and Vocals
Mike started playing bass in his mid teens, forming Twentieth Century Rabbit, and playing in other bands such as the Incredible Balloon Thieves, Brown Paper Bag, Hornblower and Mind's Eye, where he started as vocalist and moved to guitar/vocals after the second guitarist moved to India. Mike recorded many songs under the name Captain Jaffa, some of which The Tibetan Tea Company play today.
Mike favours the twelve string sound, with an Art & Lutherie acoustic and an Alden Dorchester electric played through an Epiphone Triggerman 60.
Bands that have inspired him over the years have included Gong, XTC, The Dukes of Stratosphere, Dave Brubeck, Charlatans, Here and Now, Straw, Terry Riley, Love, Mercury Rev, The Birthday Party and Barry Adamson.
Dan Bridge - Bass Guitar
Having started out playing the guitar in his teens, Dan moved to Bass in his early twenties when he joined Mind's Eye. Enjoying the sounds of Gong, he decided that a fretless bass was the way to go, and as he had spent 4 years learning how to make guitars, he promptly built himself one, which he uses to this day.
A big fan of Queens of the Stone Age, Dan likes to roughen up his sound now and again, most obviously on My Hat Is Removed. Dan plays a DRB 4-string fretless bass and an Alba 4-string fretted, through Zoom effects and a Behringer backline.
Other bands that have perked up Dan's ears over the years include; The Desert Sessions, Eagles of Death Metal, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Elbow, Muse, Here and Now, Pink Floyd, The Dandy Warhols and Lemon Jelly.
Paul Young - Drums
Paul discovered his talent for the drums in a music lesson at the age of 13 and became a member of the Chase Cross School Dance Band, well known at the time for the 'Big band' sounds of Glen Miller. An inspiration to him at this time was the work of the late great Buddy Rich.
Enjoying the bigger beats hip hop had to offer in the mid/late eighties, Paul liked to emulate the heavy, basic rhythms in the music of Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, L L Cool J and Public Enemy. At home, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Golden Earring was often the music that 'blasted' him out of bed on a Sunday morning! Paul says " It's always the bass and drums that I hear first in a piece of music - if the beat's good, then I'll hear the melody and vocals."
Studying Graphic Design at Norwich Art School in 1991, Paul's musical taste expanded along with his mind. John Densmore, Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell and Charlie Watts were all drummers of noted inspiration.
On return from college one of the first bands that Paul became involved in was Clay, a Romford based 3 piece 'Acoustic' band who enjoyed gigs at The Cellar Bar and Liberties. There then followed Crimson Blue, Stealth Bison and popular local 7 piece suburban country outfit - Ragmop. It is with them that the four piece Pearl Export drum kit Paul now plays really took a hammering over at least 150 gigs!
Paul's band portfolio seems to have travelled full circle as he has returned to a 3 piece again, saying "I'm loving The Tibetan Tea Company. Playing in a band with 3 people all around the same age is much less hassle!"
