of the Band:  ... it was Saturday the 22nd March 1991 and the Travelling Riverside Blues Band were headlining at the General Wolfe, Foleshill Road, Coventry. When their support band didn't show up guitarist John Alderson & vocalist/harpist Tim James, after 5 minutes "rehearsal", took to the stage and played as a duo for about 45 minutes. It was, of course, a little reminiscent of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee but a lot raunchier. They later played out the night with the band but enjoyed the "support" experience so much that they vowed to one day continue this line-up on a regular basis. Other musical commitments and day-jobs meant that they performed as a duo only twice during the next 9 years - see the giglist for details. On the 16th September 2000, despite "fuel crisis" problems, they performed in Tamworth at the birthday party of "Dolly", a hip 80 year old who wanted to hear the blues and specifically requested them. The success and enjoyment of this gig  inspired them to go out and get work. The band's name was John's idea and pinched from the song, "the Last Fair Deal Goin' Down" by Robert Johnson At long last, the show was born ....           *
	of John Alderson: ... born 9th December 1950, John is a virtuoso guitarist who plays electric, accoustic, and Dobro & National Steel guitars with equal fluency.  He has, over the years, performed with Wandering John, Snake, the Travelling Riverside Blues Band, Meantown Blues Band, ABCD, the Howlers ... to name but a few. His great love and speciality is the blues although he has, in his time, played many styles of music. A showman at heart, John first used a radio guitar link in the late 70s and has, since then, been seen performing behind bars, in car parks, on tables and pretty much everywhere else you can imagine (and a lot of places that you can't). John has a large number of guitars, most of which he made himself, find out more at Delta Resonator Guitars          *
	of Tim James: ... born 12th March 1948, Tim was captivated, in the 60s, by the music of Cyril Davies, which inspired him to become blues-harp player and vocalist with the Boll Weevils, Perfumed Garden and Acme Patent Electric Band ... until he diversified into playing sax, keyboards and avant-garde jazz with Ra Ho Tep, rock & roll with Danny & the Heart-Throbs, US progressive with Monster Magnet,  UK new-wave with Snake, and club band music with the Soul Sect & Condition Red. In 1977 the onset of severe type 1 diabetes then took its toll and by 1979 he was forced to give up playing in bands, due to forever being carried off to casualty departments (A&E). He then DJ'd at the Dive Bar, Coventry for the next 20 years, a far less physical activity - despite the pub's notorious biker customers which he describes as being "great fun". By 1989 medical technology had helped him overcome his problems & he used computer technology to set up the "Tim James one man Blues Band" which is still going today, albeit with few gigs. He has also performed with the Traveling Riverside Blues Band, Howlers, Propellor, Max Holliman Band, Stone Foundation.and the Joe Beale Blues Band. He teaches harmonica & the Story of the Blues to Coventry Primary schoolchildren, as well as performing with the LFD. For his sins, Tim's day-job was as a partner in a firm of Chartered Accountants. He specialized in tax investigations for "difficult" clients & computer networks and retired in 1999 to play a lot of golf, spend a few months in Thailand every year with his wife's family, dote on his grandchildren. and play music at every opportunity. Visit his website for (a lot of) further details ...

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