Nick Beggs
Encyclopedia
Nick Beggs is a British
musician
, noted for playing the bass guitar
and the Chapman Stick
; he is a member of Kajagoogoo
and formerly Iona
and Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
.
, Jacqueline. In November 1979, Beggs' mother died, leaving him to care for his sister, who was then 15. He took a job as a dustman
upon leaving school
.
Nick's daughter Lula was born in 1991, and his first marriage ended in 1994. He had another daughter, Willow, in 2002 by his girlfriend Ann, whom he married in 2003. He is now also stepfather to Ann's children Olivia, Jake and Callum Keenan. Nick currently lives in Leighton Buzzard
, Bedfordshire
.
Johnny and the Martians (formed when he was 10) consisted of two friends on trumpet
and acoustic guitar
and Beggs on drum
s. He went to Linslade Secondary School.
After attending art school, in 1979 Beggs formed the band Art Nouveau, with Steve Askew
, Stuart Croxford Neale and Jez Strode
. Later, Chris Hamill (Limahl
) joined the band and at Beggs' suggestion it was renamed Kajagoogoo
. The release of the first single
, "Too Shy
", in January 1983 saw the band on a promotional tour as the record
reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Limahl left Kajagoogoo and, following a split with Strode, the three remaining band members reformed as 'Kaja'.
Between 1985 and 1987, Beggs concentrated on writing
with various other songwriter
s and finally formed Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
in March 1987. Ellis, Beggs and Howard split in 1989, and in 1990 Beggs joined the progressive folk
band, Iona
. He recorded
two album
s with them, The Book of Kells and Beyond These Shores.
He continued working with various artists and bands including Alphaville
, Belinda Carlisle
, Emma Bunton
(on her album
Life In Mono
) and Led Zeppelin
’s former bass player, John Paul Jones
. In 1996, Beggs met Howard Jones
on a flight from the United States and a friendship was established. Jones invited Beggs to tour as part of his band. Beggs has also worked with bands and artists such as ABC
, Alphaville
, Belinda Carlisle
, Celtus, China Crisis
, Cliff Richard
, Cozi
, Curiosity Killed The Cat
, D:Ream
, Engelbert Humperdinck
, Gary Numan
, Go West
, Howard Jones
, Iona, Keke
, Kim Wilde
, Maddy Prior
, Mark Shaw, Michael Bolton
, Midge Ure
, Nena
, Nick Heyward
, Polysics
, Rick Waller, Right Said Fred
, Seal
, Stefano Ianne, Steve Hackett
, Steve Howe, T'Pau
, Terl Bryant
, Then Jerico
, There She Was, Tina Turner
, Tom McRae
, Tony Hadley
, Toyah Willcox
, Troy Donockley
and Warren Cuccurullo
.
Beggs went on to work as an A&R manager for Phonogram Records
, became a contributor to various guitar publications, and is now a staff writer for Bass Guitar magazine. He is also a Patron of London
based guitar and bass school, Guitar-X.
He has recorded
and released two solo
album
s: Stick Insect (2002) and The Maverick Helmsman (2004).
Beggs and Askew have been heavily involved with a new duo called Industrial Salt, who have been successful in Japan
. They have also written material for Claudia Mills, a finalist on the BBC TV talent show, Let Me Entertain You
.
A reformed Kajagoogoo with Beggs, Askew and Croxford Neale toured in 2004. Since then Limahl and Strode have both rejoined and the band has toured extensively over Europe in 2008 and 2009.
Beggs is confirmed as a member of Steven Wilson
's touring band in support of Wilson's forthcoming solo album, Grace For Drowning
(Beggs also plays on the album). According to his Facebook page has also been recording with John Young
and others—a new prog-rock project entitled "Life Signs".
are Chapman Stick
and bass guitar
. His bass guitars include a Tanglewood acoustic bass and a Fender
jazz fretless, a prototype Ashbory bass
, a 5 string Wal bass (modified by Beggs to include a midi pickup enabling him to trigger synths), an Aria SB, a Kramer, a Musicman Stingray and a Rickenbacker 4003 FG. He has also significantly modified a Chapman Stick
to a fully midi able instrument triggering midi from both bass and melody
strings. He has named this the "Virtual Stick". He uses a TC Electronic RH450 bass amp with RS210 and RS212 cabinets.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, noted for playing the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and the Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
; he is a member of Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
and formerly Iona
Iona (band)
Iona is the name of a progressive Celtic rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge....
and Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
Ellis, Beggs & Howard were an English rock band operating between 1987 and 1990.-Career:Ellis, Beggs & Howard were made up of Simon Ellis , Nick Beggs , and Austin Howard . They were augmented by Paul Harvey on guitar, Robbie France on drums and Harry Sutcliffe on keyboards and programming...
.
Personal life
His parents were Herby and Joan Beggs, and he has a younger sisterSibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Jacqueline. In November 1979, Beggs' mother died, leaving him to care for his sister, who was then 15. He took a job as a dustman
Waste collector
A waste collector is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and remove refuse and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection site for further processing and disposal...
upon leaving school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
.
Nick's daughter Lula was born in 1991, and his first marriage ended in 1994. He had another daughter, Willow, in 2002 by his girlfriend Ann, whom he married in 2003. He is now also stepfather to Ann's children Olivia, Jake and Callum Keenan. Nick currently lives in Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
.
Career
Beggs' first bandBand (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Johnny and the Martians (formed when he was 10) consisted of two friends on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and Beggs on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. He went to Linslade Secondary School.
After attending art school, in 1979 Beggs formed the band Art Nouveau, with Steve Askew
Steve Askew
Steve Askew was born on December 9, 1957 in Middlesex.Later he moved with his family to Leighton Buzzard in 1962/63 and attended Beaudesert primary school, Pulford junior school and Brooklands School....
, Stuart Croxford Neale and Jez Strode
Jez Strode
Jeremy "Jez" Strode is best known as the drummer for the British pop band, Kajagoogoo.Strode began his musical career in a band called Art Nouveau, with future Kajagoogoo bandmates Nick Beggs, Steve Askew and Stuart Croxford Neale....
. Later, Chris Hamill (Limahl
Limahl
Christopher Hamill better known by his stage name Limahl is an English pop singer. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the 1980s pop group Kajagoogoo, before embarking on a briefly successful solo career, which reached its peak with the 1984 hit "The NeverEnding Story", taken from the film of...
) joined the band and at Beggs' suggestion it was renamed Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
. The release of the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Too Shy
Too Shy
Too Shy is a song written and recorded by English New Wave/pop music band Kajagoogoo, released in 1983. The first single from their debut album White Feathers, the song was an immediate hit and reached no.1 on the UK Singles Chart...
", in January 1983 saw the band on a promotional tour as the record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Limahl left Kajagoogoo and, following a split with Strode, the three remaining band members reformed as 'Kaja'.
Between 1985 and 1987, Beggs concentrated on writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
with various other songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s and finally formed Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
Ellis, Beggs & Howard were an English rock band operating between 1987 and 1990.-Career:Ellis, Beggs & Howard were made up of Simon Ellis , Nick Beggs , and Austin Howard . They were augmented by Paul Harvey on guitar, Robbie France on drums and Harry Sutcliffe on keyboards and programming...
in March 1987. Ellis, Beggs and Howard split in 1989, and in 1990 Beggs joined the progressive folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band, Iona
Iona (band)
Iona is the name of a progressive Celtic rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge....
. He recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s with them, The Book of Kells and Beyond These Shores.
He continued working with various artists and bands including Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
, Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Emma Bunton
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
(on her album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Life In Mono
Life in Mono
Life in Mono is the third studio album by British pop singer Emma Bunton. The album was originally set for a November release in the UK, however it was later pushed back to the December 4, 2006. Life In Mono, much like her previous album, Free Me, experimented with elements of 1960s pop music...
) and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
’s former bass player, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
. In 1996, Beggs met Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
on a flight from the United States and a friendship was established. Jones invited Beggs to tour as part of his band. Beggs has also worked with bands and artists such as ABC
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
, Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
, Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Celtus, China Crisis
China Crisis
China Crisis is an English pop/rock band. They were formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with a core of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Cozi
Cozi
Cozi is an American startup company, that provides mobile and Internet-based applications to help families stay organized. The company had 35 employees as of June 24, 2011, and is based in Seattle, Washington. Cozi's tag line is "Family Life. Simplified."...
, Curiosity Killed The Cat
Curiosity Killed the Cat
Curiosity Killed the Cat was a British pop band that found success in the UK Singles Chart in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Career:The band tried to play soulful, jazzy, and funky pop music and was initially signed to Phonogram Records' Mercury imprint. They first came to notice of the UK music...
, D:Ream
D:Ream
D:Ream was a UK pop and dance band of the 1990s. They had a UK Number One hit with "Things Can Only Get Better" in 1994 as well as eight more top 40 hits. They released two albums, both of which reached the top five...
, Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Go West
Go West (band)
Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
, Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
, Iona, Keke
Keke
Keke may refer to:*Keke Rosberg*Keke, Mali*Keke Palmer American actress*Lil' Keke American rapper...
, Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
, Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
, Mark Shaw, Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
, Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
, Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward
Nick Heyward is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the frontman of the early 1980s band Haircut One Hundred, and also had a briefly successful solo career after he left the band in 1983.-Haircut One Hundred:Nick Heyward formed Haircut One Hundred after the...
, Polysics
Polysics
is a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, the Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo...
, Rick Waller, Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred is an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli. The group is named after a song of the same name which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962...
, Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, Stefano Ianne, Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
, Steve Howe, T'Pau
T'Pau (band)
T'Pau was a 1980s British Rock group led by singer Carol Decker. They had a string of Top 40 hits in the UK, and several hits in the United States and Europe...
, Terl Bryant
Terl Bryant
Terl Bryant is a drummer and percussionist who has worked with a wide range of artists and contributed to many top flight recordings to much critical acclaim...
, Then Jerico
Then Jerico
Then Jerico are a British rock band who became popular in the late 1980s.-Career:Mark Shaw formed the band at the age of 21, recruiting bassist Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren and poaching guitarist Scott Taylor from Belouis Some....
, There She Was, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Tom McRae
Tom McRae
Tom McRae is an English singer-songwriter.-Career:The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teen experimented with his mother's guitar...
, Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley is an English pop singer-songwriter, occasional stage actor and radio presenter who gained celebrity as the lead vocalist for the 1980s band Spandau Ballet.-Early life:...
, Toyah Willcox
Toyah Willcox
Toyah Ann Willcox is an English actress and singer. In a career spanning more than thirty years Toyah has had 13 top 40 singles, released 22 studio albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays and ten feature films, as well as voicing and presenting numerous television shows...
, Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of uillean pipes.- Early life and career :...
and Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...
.
Beggs went on to work as an A&R manager for Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
, became a contributor to various guitar publications, and is now a staff writer for Bass Guitar magazine. He is also a Patron of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based guitar and bass school, Guitar-X.
He has recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
and released two solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s: Stick Insect (2002) and The Maverick Helmsman (2004).
Beggs and Askew have been heavily involved with a new duo called Industrial Salt, who have been successful in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They have also written material for Claudia Mills, a finalist on the BBC TV talent show, Let Me Entertain You
Let Me Entertain You (TV series)
Let Me Entertain You was a daytime variety show that aired on BBC Two from 21 August 2006 and ended on 22 June 2007. The show is presented by British funnyman, Brian Conley, with co-presenter Christine Bleakley.-Format:...
.
A reformed Kajagoogoo with Beggs, Askew and Croxford Neale toured in 2004. Since then Limahl and Strode have both rejoined and the band has toured extensively over Europe in 2008 and 2009.
Beggs is confirmed as a member of Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
's touring band in support of Wilson's forthcoming solo album, Grace For Drowning
Grace for Drowning
Reception for the album has been generally positive. Ben Bland of Steroboard wrote positively of the album, stating "For a work so defiantly widescreen in its intentions as this, it is truly remarkable that there is nothing that could, or rather should, be accused of being filler or being over the...
(Beggs also plays on the album). According to his Facebook page has also been recording with John Young
John Young (musician)
John Young is a British progressive rock keyboardist and singer from Liverpool.-Biography:Young spent his early years at the Liverpool Cathedral where he was classically trained on the keyboard and voice. His first bands were mainly semi-pro jazz rock bands, and he played in these into the mid 1980s...
and others—a new prog-rock project entitled "Life Signs".
Instruments
Beggs' primary instrumentsMusical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
are Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. His bass guitars include a Tanglewood acoustic bass and a Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
jazz fretless, a prototype Ashbory bass
Ashbory bass
The Ashbory bass, designed by Alun Ashworth-Jones and Nigel Thornbory, is an 18-inch scale fretless electric bass developed in 1985. This scale is just over half of the 34-inch scale of an ordinary bass guitar...
, a 5 string Wal bass (modified by Beggs to include a midi pickup enabling him to trigger synths), an Aria SB, a Kramer, a Musicman Stingray and a Rickenbacker 4003 FG. He has also significantly modified a Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
to a fully midi able instrument triggering midi from both bass and melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
strings. He has named this the "Virtual Stick". He uses a TC Electronic RH450 bass amp with RS210 and RS212 cabinets.
Singles
- "Big Bubbles No Troubles" - RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
PB 42089 - June 88 - # 59 UK - "Bad Times" - RCA PB 42041 - August 88
- "Where Did Tomorrow Go?" - RCA PB42317 - November 1988
- "Big Bubbles No Troubles" remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
- RCA PB 42089 - February 89 - # 41 UK - "Big Bubbles No Troubles" remix - RCA PB 42788 - April 1989
Albums
- Homelands - RCA - 1988
- The Lost Years Volume One - available from Nick Beggs website
- The Lost Years Volume Two - again, available from Nick Beggs website as of February 2010
Albums
- Stick Insect, 2002 CD Stick Enterprises
- The Maverick Helmsman, 2004 CD Stick Enterprises