Band

Matt Doyle is from Northfield, Birmingham.
Picking up a guitar at 12 and begining to sing at 15 he has played in bands of varying genres his whole life and takes his influences from a broad spectrum of singers such as Ken Boothe, Bruce Springsteen, Amy Winehouse and Billy Joe Armstrong.
Throughout his career so far he has supported and toured with a wealth of legendary bands such as Dub Pistols, Lee “scratch” Perry, Jimmy Cliff, Toots and The Maytals, Inner Circle and of course UB40 with his former band KIOKO.

Birthday 28th May

Twitter @mattydub40
Instagram @mattydub40

Martin has played saxophone since the age of 12, his decision to play came as a result of Brian Travers buying him his first saxophone.

In 1997 Martin received an unconditional offer from the Birmingham Conservatoire to study Composition simultaneously with being offered to audition for UB40 as a saxophonist, Martin astutely chose UB40 and has been with the band since. Martin has played on 7 of the bands main albums and has travelled the world more than he ever thought possible.

Instagram @martin.meredith

Laurence was trained in both classical and jazz music since the age of 15, and didn’t waste any time in racking up his impressive list of musical credits. Joining the R&B group Rent Party straight out of school, he immediately found himself touring the world, playing international jazz festivals and sharing the bill with the likes of Miles Davis and Chic Corea.

Since then Laurence has played with just about everyone in rock, pop, soul and jazz, such as, The Cure, The Eurythmics, Robert Palmer, BB King, Robert Plant, Tina Turner, Beyonce, Joe Cocker, Phil Collins, Vanessa May, Ruby Turner and James Brown’s backing band, The JBs.

He joined UB40 in 1994 towards the end of the “Promises and Lies Tour” and has been touring and recording with the band ever since.

Instagram @laurence_parry_

As a professional musician for over 35 years, Ian has recorded and performed with many artists including: The Foundations, ABC, Kenny Thomas, Driza Bone, and Jonathon Butle

Ian’s journey with UB40 began in 2019, when he was asked to temporarily ‘fill in’ for sax player and founder member Brian Travers, when he was taken ill. Sadly Brian passed away in 2021, and Ian has continued to be a part of the iconic UB40 brass section ever since.

Outside of the band Ian also writes and produces his own music, and in his spare time enjoys swimming and eating!

Rajive Gordon, aka Jahred, is from St Elizabeth, Jamaica. Jahred taught himself to play keyboards when he was 9 years old and only received more formal training 4 years later from Prof. Dr. Davis and Stephen K. Wise a former Stevie Wonder band member.

After graduating high school (where he worked to become a multi instrumentalist playing drums, bass, guitar and saxophone), he started working as a music teacher at Stars Academy under the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Having done a considerable amount of studio work with some very popular acts, he went on to form the backing band Mystical Flames and worked with many big names in the studio and on stage, like Ken Boothe, Maxi Priest, Black Uhuru, Aleisha Scott, Kumar Bent and more.

He started playing with UB40 early on in 2023 and hasn’t looked back!

Instagram: @jahred_music

Childhood friend of the band, and Norman’s schoolmate, Gilly G is the band’s ‘permanent guest’. An MC from knee-height, Gilly was part of the Birmingham sound system scene of the 80s and 90s, rapping with Duke Wally.

In his later life, he went on to work with Nenah Cherry, Massive Attack and Robert Palmer to name a few. Gilly first appeared with the band in 2017, supporting their ‘For the Many’ album release on the track, ‘Moonlight Lover.’

His influences are definitely eclectic and include James Brown, U Roy, Grand Master Flash, Van Morrison, Bob Marley and Fleetwood Mac.

As well as performing with UB40, Gilly also enjoys a solo career, working with various artists across the UK.

Instagram: @gillyg_ubnice