by Rebecca Magill

Johnny Mason has been a Paul Weller fan for years but it was only in 2003 that he formed his tribute band Well A Live.

In the past three years the band have built up a large following and now play gigs up and down the country — in the past month they have played at Leeds United and Accrington Stanley football clubs and at the Camber Sands scooter rally.

But Well A Live do not only play music from Weller’s Jam days — they also cover songs from the entire 32 years of his career. “We have a really wide repertoire, playing songs from the early days right up to his current stuff,” said front man Johnny.

“We also play music from bands who influenced him like The Who and The Kinks, and bands that have been influenced by him,” he added.

Johnny’s love of Paul Weller goes all the way back to his childhood. “My first gig I ever went to was The Jam’s penultimate gig in Guildford at the age of 16 and I think it went from there. The Jam was the first music I really loved,” he said.

Even though Johnny has been involved in music all his life it never occurred to him to start up a tribute band.

It was a suggestion from Chesney Hawkes’ dad, Chip Hawkes, which finally pushed Johnny into forming Well A Live.

“I have always been a big Weller fan and have been with other bands in the past and done some records, but never thought of a tribute band,” he said. “Chip Hawkes, who was the lead singer for The Tremeloes, is a mate of mine. He thought the band was a great idea and finally persuaded me to go for it.”

He threw himself into finding his band mates. First he enlisted friend Mark Austin as a bass player and Mark’s brother Phil on drums. But it wasn’t until school friends Winston Eade and Paul Morris joined on keyboard and guitar that his band was complete.

All the members of the group are fans of Paul Weller — Phil is even the proud owner of the drum kit which was used for the recording of the album Stanley Road. “Our drum kit has quite a history. Steve White used it on Stanley Road and his brother Phil, who was a drummer with Oasis, also used it on the album What’s The Story Morning Glory,” he said. “We bought it after Steve White donated it to charity.”

Although the band are well known across the country they get little recognition in their home town of Aldershot. “It seems such a shame as we can play places like Southsea and attract thousands of people,” he said. “If local events booked us we could attract the same sorts of crowds for them.”

So would Johnny like to meet the man himself?

“I wouldn’t actually like to meet Paul Weller as my worst fear is that we wouldn’t get on and I would go off his music. I reckon that he might look down on us because we don’t do our own stuff,” he said.

“Maybe I could meet him when he didn’t know I was in a tribute band and we could just have a beer and a chat.”

Well A Live will be headlining the beer festival at the Royal Arms in Heath End, Farnham, on Saturday August 12.

Visitors to the festival, running from August 11-13, will be treated to a range of ale and cider and a hog roast barbecue. There is also entertainment in the form of bouncy castles, apple bobbing and kids’ games.

The event is in aid of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and there will be car washers on site to raise extra pennies. For more information call 01252 320149.

For more information on Well A Live visit www.wellalive. co.uk or ring 01252 661826.