Biography

Gavin Chappell-Bates is an acoustic folk-rock singer-songwriter from Cambridge, England.

Gavin’s music has featured on Tom Robinson’s show on BBC 6 Music, Janice Long’s show on BBC Radio 2, as well as BBC Introducing, local and regional BBC stations. He co-wrote the vegan Christmas single ‘Peace On Your Plate’ which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and got to number 5 in the Amazon charts, number 7 in the Google charts and 48 in the official downloads chart.

He has been nominated for Best Male Solo Artist at the NMG Awards on numerous occasions.

Gavin’s crowd-funded second album, ‘The Last One’, was released in 2018. It features the singles ‘Lovely Day’, ‘Bad Faith / Good Faith’ and ‘The Sanctuary of Stars’. It was recorded at Half-ton Studios and features a variety of musicians including Booga from Ezio, Paul Richards of Fred’s House and Neil Bruce from Bouquet of Dead Crows.

Gavin set off on his first ever tour in September 2014 and has gigged relentlessly since. His shows vary for every performance; from live looping, to playing with a band, to stripped down performances with an acoustic guitar, harmonica and stomp box. He has performed at The Rescue Rooms (Nottingham), Hoxton Bar and Sebright Arms (London), The Hunter Club (Bury St. Edmunds), Norwich Arts Centre and The Portland Arms (Cambridge). He has performed at festivals including Cambridge’s Big Weekend, Strawberry Fair, Homegrown, the Wild Wood Rumpus and Subterranean at Cambridge Corn Exchange.

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  1. Peace On Your Plate Peace On Your Plate 3:22
  2. Do What You Like Gavin Chappell-Bates 2:44
  3. Bad Faith / Good Faith Gavin Chappell-Bates 2:42
  4. Lovely Day Gavin Chappell-Bates 2:39
  5. We Are The Ones Gavin Chappell-Bates 4:29

Background

Gavin lived with depression, anxiety and self-harm for a large part of his life. Since overcoming this he now writes music which is insightful, thoughtful, heartfelt and uplifting. He sings songs about youth, the environment, what it is to be human, our place in the universe, and living a positive life. More recently, since converting to a plant-based lifestyle, he sings passionately, using music as a way of encouraging people to rethink how we treat animals and the planet we live on.

After playing in various bands, Gavin released his first solo EP – ‘Black Holes’ – in February 2015. His debut album, featuring the singles ‘Black Holes’, ‘95’, ‘We Are The Ones’, ‘Refugee’ and ‘Church Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’, was released by R*E*P*E*A*T Records in April 2016. The album was recorded by James Coppolaro at Mix 66 and friends, family and fans voted for their favourite songs to appear on it. Recorded with a full band, tracks on the album shift from acoustic folk to blistering pop-punk to 90s Britpop to anthemic indie-rock to epic balladry.

Early years

Gavin’s musical journey started with a junior school project on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which began a lifelong love affair with The Beatles and rock ‘n’ roll. Inspired by two friends, one who could play like Hendrix at the age of 9 and the other who was already writing McCartney-esque-songs, Gavin picked up a guitar and, after a few early lessons with Ezio’s Booga, began teaching himself to play.

Rock ‘n’ roll soon progressed into rock music and an adoration for Aerosmith, especially the guitar playing of Joe Perry. But it was the first time that Gavin played a 7” of Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers that his musical path was forged. Leant the record by his sister having seen this unique and mesmerising band performing on TV the night before, Gavin knew that, as he listened to the song, this would be his favourite band for the rest of his life. After this Gavin began to write songs and learned how to sing. He has been constantly improving and evolving ever since.

Earl of Beaconsfield 10%

Latest gigs

No upcoming shows scheduled

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What the press says…

The Last One is a wonderfully crafted album, full of strong tracks worthy of repeated listens. FATEA Magazine

At times, this album is a lot of fun, while also touching on some serious subjects including the end of the world. So, yes, it is a perfect album for these strange times we find ourselves in, when things seem dire and ridiculous.Michael Doherty's Music Log

The Last One is an impressive release that really shows off the songwriting talents of Gavin Chappell-Bates. There are many gems to be found…Indie Band Guru

Well played Gavin and the band. A triumph!Cambridge Music Reviews

Bad Faith/Good Faith is a perfect example of his musical artisanship blending pop addictions to rock muscle but this time employing just enough dance floor sass and swagger to keep things fresh. Dancing About Architecture

Deep stuff indeed, but ridiculously catchy too.Cambridge Music Reviews

Gavin Chappell-Bates always puts 110% into every release and each time he just blows me away! Music of the Future

Unapologetic and uplifting pop-rock… these honest and accessible tracks are going to put a smile on your face…Never Enough Notes

This is an intelligent and very accessible album from a hugely talented musician and singer. Well worth a listen…. 4/5Black Velvet Magazine

…bursting with melodies, strong sounds and brilliant moments…Mixtape Couture

A rousing and contagious slice of sound… Chappell-Bates knows how to write pop and rock songs which simply stir attention…Ringmaster Review

(Gavin created)… a multi-layered texture of sound, all from the acoustic guitar, voice and simple percussion. Impressive indeed.Cambridge Reviews

(We Are The Ones) could be a festival anthem if given the chance with its subtle simplicity weaving its way under your skin.Tom Sayer

He had me wanting to sing along… I was captivated by his performance…Scorpio Promotions

…when the air-punching chorus kicks in with “I wanna be back in ’95”, it’s hard not to be carried along on the good vibes.R*E*P*E*A*T