Trev Thoms
Encyclopedia
Trev Thoms also known as Judge Trev Thoms and Judge Trev was a British
guitarist
.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he played in a blues-rock
group with hints of progressive rock
and heavy rock
called Iron Maiden - not the famous group
of the same name - along with Barry Skeels, who later played for Zior and eventually became a tour manager
for acts such as Black Sabbath
, Saxon, Manowar, and Yngwie Malmsteen (another member of the band was called Steve Drewett, but probably he is not the same person as the one who later founded The Newtown Neurotics
). They recorded one album called Maiden Voyage.
He later played in the seminal British Blues Boom band, Spirit of John Morgan. He has backed such luminaries as Graham Bond
, Gregory Isaacs
, Steve Gibbons and was a member of Steve Peregrin Took
's band Steve Took's Horns with Dino Ferari on drums
.
After The Horns broke up in the late 1970s both Thoms and Ferari joined ex-Hawkwind
's Nik Turner
in Inner City Unit
. Thoms also worked with Turner and Twink
under the hybrid Pink Fairies
/Hawkwind
name Pink Wind. He later formed Atomgods
and has worked with other ex-Hawkwind members including Ron Tree. He and Ferari formed their own version of Inner City Unit called Judge Trev's Inner City Unit. A regular 'collaborator' he also played with the revived Pinkwind featuring Nik Turner
& Twink
(ex Pink Fairies
) and after moving to Brighton regularly appeared with Slim Tim Slide (Tim Rundall) sometimes under the pseudonym "Stinky & Stumpy", a partnership that continues sporadically.
He played festivals such as the Big Green Gathering
, Cosmic Puffin Festival
, Glastonbury
, Earthwise etc., performing his solo acoustic set or with the reformed Inner City Unit with Nik Turner. He also played gigs as Trev and Kev with Kev Ellis, singer from Bubbledubble.
He also ran the website Real Festival Music where he also wrote festival reviews.
Thoms died on 8th December 2010 from pancreatic cancer
.
During the last years of Trevs life he was active in forming The Real Music Club in Brighton (see facebook page) and indeed his last ever gig was at a RMC event to celebrate his birthday, and his last recordings were with fellow RMC members Paradise 9. With the aim of promoting local talent as well as providing an outlet for his own work the club continues both live and on radio and annual Trev Memorial gigs are ongoing.
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...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he played in a blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
group with hints of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and heavy rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
called Iron Maiden - not the famous group
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
of the same name - along with Barry Skeels, who later played for Zior and eventually became a tour manager
Tour Manager
A tour manager is the person who helps to organize the administration for a schedule of appearances of a musical group or artist at a sequence of venues .-Background:...
for acts such as Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Saxon, Manowar, and Yngwie Malmsteen (another member of the band was called Steve Drewett, but probably he is not the same person as the one who later founded The Newtown Neurotics
The Newtown Neurotics
The Newtown Neurotics were an English punk rock/post-punk group formed in 1979. They were noted for their openly political music.-History:...
). They recorded one album called Maiden Voyage.
He later played in the seminal British Blues Boom band, Spirit of John Morgan. He has backed such luminaries as Graham Bond
Graham Bond
Graham John Clifton Bond was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s....
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, Steve Gibbons and was a member of Steve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
's band Steve Took's Horns with Dino Ferari on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
.
After The Horns broke up in the late 1970s both Thoms and Ferari joined ex-Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
's Nik Turner
Nik Turner
Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer...
in Inner City Unit
Inner City Unit
Inner City Unit is a British punk/space rock band fronted by ex-Hawkwind founder Nik Turner on saxophone with Judge Trev Thoms or Steve Pond , Dead Fred , Baz Magneto, Dave Anderson or Nazar Ali Khan , and Mick Stupp or Dino Ferari on drums.-History:Thoms and Ferrari were both key members of...
. Thoms also worked with Turner and Twink
Twink (musician)
John Charles Alder , better known as Twink, is an English drummer, singer and songwriter who was a central figure in the English psychedelic movement, and an actor.-Early life and career:...
under the hybrid Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
/Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
name Pink Wind. He later formed Atomgods
Atomgods
Atomgods were a UK heavy rock band from late 1980s.The band were formed by former Inner City Unit guitarist Judge Trev Thoms, the first recording lineup consisting of Hiro Sasaki and Kofi Baker...
and has worked with other ex-Hawkwind members including Ron Tree. He and Ferari formed their own version of Inner City Unit called Judge Trev's Inner City Unit. A regular 'collaborator' he also played with the revived Pinkwind featuring Nik Turner
Nik Turner
Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer...
& Twink
Twink
Twink may refer to:* Chaffinch, a small bird in the finch family* Twink , a term for young or young-looking gay or bisexual men* Twink, a character from the Nintendo 64 game Paper Mario* Twinking, a role-playing game behavior, esp...
(ex Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
) and after moving to Brighton regularly appeared with Slim Tim Slide (Tim Rundall) sometimes under the pseudonym "Stinky & Stumpy", a partnership that continues sporadically.
He played festivals such as the Big Green Gathering
Big Green Gathering
The Big Green Gathering was a festival with an environmental focus which happened during most summers between 1994 and 2007. It was held at various locations in Somerset and Wiltshire in England...
, Cosmic Puffin Festival
Cosmic Puffin Festival
The Cosmic Puffin Music Festival is held at Easter each year on Mersea Island at Mersea Youth Camp, near Colchester in Essex.The aim of the event is to raise money and awareness for charities. Musicians perform entirely for free, with no fee, rider or fuel costs showing their support for the...
, Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Earthwise etc., performing his solo acoustic set or with the reformed Inner City Unit with Nik Turner. He also played gigs as Trev and Kev with Kev Ellis, singer from Bubbledubble.
He also ran the website Real Festival Music where he also wrote festival reviews.
Thoms died on 8th December 2010 from pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.
During the last years of Trevs life he was active in forming The Real Music Club in Brighton (see facebook page) and indeed his last ever gig was at a RMC event to celebrate his birthday, and his last recordings were with fellow RMC members Paradise 9. With the aim of promoting local talent as well as providing an outlet for his own work the club continues both live and on radio and annual Trev Memorial gigs are ongoing.
External links
- [ Trev Thomas] at allmusic
- [ Judge Trev Thoms] at allmusic