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| Full Name [Nickname]: | | Ian James Wood [woody] |
| D.O.B.: | | 16/04/83 |
| Occupation: | | Bassplayer, Biomedical Scientist |
| Specialist Subject: | | American Football |
| Relevant Qualifications: | | 7 years playing bass; grade 5 & 8 bass, grade 5 violin + keyboard |
| Town of Origin: | | Taunton |
| Height: | | 5'8 |
| Weight (optional!): | | Currently 11st 11lbs |
| Eye colour: | | Blue |
| Hair colour (natural): | | Blond (light brown) |
| Hobbies: | | Gym, Football, Classic cars (MGs in particular!) |
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| Left/Right handed?: | | Quasi-ambidextrous: left for writing, right for most other things but not all. |
| Marmite, love/hate?: | | Mucho love it |
| Favourite thing to do on a sunny day?: | | Go for a drive to the beach in my gorgeous, glacier white MGB GT with my gorgeous gf, Ruth, by my side. |
| Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?: | | Stay in and wait for the rain to stop |
| How long have you been in 'brother john'?: | | Since the start, as in before we 'broke up' the first time |
| Do you like animals?: | | Yeh, I'm a bit of a sap when it comes to animals. I have 3 cats, guys are supposed to hate cats. |
| Weird Fact: | | I can turn my tongue upside down and pop my shoulders at will (even symultaniously!) |
| Favourite film quote/phrase you most quote: | | "If she were president, she'd be Babe-raham Lincoln....." - Garth Algar from 'Wayne's World' |
| Your current mobile is a……..?: | | Sony Ericsson T610. |
| Most Astonishing Fact: | | I've had trials for the Great British American Football team. |
| Favouritest food?: | | Hard choice but I do love Mexican. |
| Most hated food?: | | Any form of plant that looks more like something you'd feed to your pet rabbit. And coleslaw. |
| OK, so how long have you been a Christian?: | | Officially, since 1990 - yes I wrote it in the front of my Good News Bible! But when you're that young it's hard to realise what it truly means to have life in all it's fullness - I do now, it's great! |
| What’s the piece of advice you’d most like to have people remember you by?: | | The trick is to learn from other people's mistakes, not your own. Plenty of people have already made the error you are about to make, but there is one man who is also God who never made any. It's quite obvious that following His example is the best advice in life. |
| Favourite non-'brother john' band?: | | If I was going to say one it would have to be Red Hot Chili Peppers but my music taste has much variation (but not Pop and DEFINATELY no boy bands, thankyou very much!). |
| Favourite number?: | | 87, it was my number in the good old days whe I played for the Loughborough Aces and we won the national championship! Ahhhhhhhh memories. |
| Person you would give your last Rolo to: | | My very own babe, Ruth |
| What’s it like being in a band called 'brother john'?: | | It's really exciting proclaiming the Good News and helping inspire Christians to worship. No gig is ever the same and setting up is always fun/entertaining (especially when people don't see eye to eye or we get into theological debates). If we were a non-Christian band we would have split up ages ago due to arguments! |
| What is the thing that really gets your goat?: | | Arrogance in any form. That and guys who buy cheap, small cars and spend more money on body kits, spoilers, and exhaust systems than their cars are worth/worthy of. |
| What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?: | | I lost my faith for a short time due to relationships/girls. I didn't want to be alive any more and beleived every lie the devil fed me. |
| And the best?: | | God lifted me from the darkness and saved me. My friends had a big part in helping me along the way also. He’s rescued me from pain, death and self-destruction – I never want to turn away again. Miracles happen today, just ask anyone who knows me and what I was like before I properly turned back to God. I’m so thankful that I can be a part of God’s work in this band! |
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| Biography: | | Well, I started off my musical life as a violinist – believe it or not! Just like my brother, Mark, I began lessons at the age of 5. Unlike Mark, I decided to stop as I was doing my A-level finals and my teacher wanted me to do grade 8 at the same time! Don’t call me lazy, ok? I owe a lot of my ability to pick up bass relatively quickly to the violin, and the teaching skill of Mary Trewin (my violin teacher). Basically I got bored with violin and after dabbling with the keyboard for a couple of years decided to learn a rock instrument. Seeing everyone played guitar and I prefer to be more in the background than the spotlight, bass seemed the best option. I’ve never regretted it. Gordon Francis (my bass teacher) is brilliant and he took me all the way to grade 8 in a few years. That shows a good teacher! (anyone who can teach me has to be).
After playing in various bands at school, college and one from my church called “1 Word”, which had the same kind of mission statement as Brother John I decided I liked playing live music. But simply playing live music wasn’t quite fulfilling enough, I mean, what does it actually accomplish? Sure, you get money - but you can temping at a meat factory. You get respect from people, perhaps? You get enjoyment out of it there’s no question. But do you get the opportunity to change people’s lives?…turn their future around to the promise of salvation? No. Not with secular music anyhow. And some indeed do the very opposite. God, through Brother John, HAS and IS doing the former in real people’s lives just by opening their hearts as they listen to our music. It’s incredible!! As a Christian it is my duty, will, and passion to spread the Good News of the Gospel in any way I am called to by God. I thoroughly believe that Brother John is my calling and God has blessed us ten fold after our small acts of faithfulness to Him.
My stereotypical leap of faith came as I was at uni in Loughborough. Brother John had split and we were all getting on with our lives (reminds me of the 1st episode in the 2nd series of Phoenix Nights…………..anyway). I was half way through my 1st year and loving it….too much really. Then along comes Tom on MSN messenger saying that the band might be getting back together! This propositioned me with a dilemma: to stay at uni and finish my degree, or to leave uni and do Brother John. After much prayer and advice and endless “what should I do??” type prayers I decided to take a year out from uni with the band to see what developed. You can tell what developed as it’s over a year and I’m still here! Actually, God provided me with a new degree/job training in the lab that is local to Brother John, pays for itself, and gives a salary on top. God is faithful. That’s not to say I don’t miss Loughborough - I miss all my mates there and the American Football very much. It was the hardest decision of my life up to that point.
Then came the rain. From the very start of my ‘year out’, it seemed the devil realised we were onto a good thing. The hardest six months of my entire life were those first six (from sept 02). I was in deep depression and literally couldn’t go any lower, I wanted to be dead. Just read Job, I can empathise totally. Except Job was much stronger than me, he kept his faith throughout. I lost mine for a short time and my life has and had never felt more pointless. God won’t stop bad things from happening to you just because you are a Christian, or that you think you may not deserve it. That was a very hard lesson for me. But my eldest brother taught me that when the bad times come just ride them out, keep going whatever because it will get better one day. He’s not a Christian but I still feel God used him invaluably to help me get through those black times.
Pretty much as soon as I decided that I was going to follow God and worship Him as he deserves, no matter what * crap * was going on in my life, everything started to improve. I could cope with things suddenly a lot better. From then till winter 04 things have been on a steady incline and now I feel better than ever, all thanks to God for rescuing me and not giving up on me even when I turned away and cursed Him. He’s just amazing.
Well, that turned into my testimony but nevermind. Hope to see all of you at a gig near you soon! And those of you who have read this far on the biography of a lowly bassplayer must be bored or sad. But I like you! God bless, always. Ian/woody. |
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| Full Name [Nickname]: | | James Alexander Truett [anything that rhymes with Truett] |
| D.O.B.: | | 14/11/83 |
| Occupation: | | Drummer, Music shop owner (jaywalk) |
| Specialist Subject: | | Music retail, drums, skateboarding, sleep and food of all kind. |
| Relevant Qualifications: | | played piano for a few years an got to grade 2!also guitar for seven years and drums for 6 years. |
| Town of Origin: | | Yeovil |
| Height: | | 5' 9 |
| Weight (optional!): | | 11st |
| Eye colour: | | Blue |
| Hair colour (natural): | | Blonde(blonde) |
| Hobbies: | | fishing,eating,skating,drumming,guitar.....anything musical too. |
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| Left/Right handed?: | | Right |
| Marmite, love/hate?: | | hate |
| Favourite thing to do on a sunny day?: | | go to the beach an chill out or just go somewhere random. |
| Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?: | | play my drums |
| How long have you been in 'brother john'?: | | since the very beginning of time |
| Do you like animals?: | | used to have a couple of cats but they didnt like me cos i got allergic reactions to them.so i stay away from animals now. |
| Weird Fact: | | ive played the guitar nearly as long as tom and yet im the drummer!!its cos im not very good!also coming back from soul survivor one year i fell asleep in the car and we arrived at Toms house, he wanted to wake me up to say goodbye, he hit me quite hard in the head a couple of times but i still didnt wake up!!woke up later, none the wiser!( i was quite tired!) |
| Favourite film quote/phrase you most quote: | | ''.......these arent the droids you're looking for''(star wars-a new hope) quality film! |
| Your current mobile is a……..?: | | Seimens S55 |
| Most Astonishing Fact: | | Played for Somerset rugby team(Ivel Barbarians) |
| Favouritest food?: | | Curry,tai or a good roast |
| Most hated food?: | | Already answered this one |
| OK, so how long have you been a Christian?: | | I made a commitment when I was 7 cos I was afraid of death....but as for actually starting to have a relationship with jesus.......probably about 14. Hopefully im closer to God now than I was then cos hes the only way to live an I know he will never leave or forsake me no matter what. |
| What’s the piece of advice you’d most like to have people remember you by?: | | Believe in jesus cos life without him life isnt really life at all.........you cant really compare the two.1 john 3 v 16 says ''....this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us'' sounds pretty good to me. also wash behind your ears and for my close friends all the 'one liners' that I say which make you laugh! |
| Favourite non-'brother john' band?: | | Have to agree with Ian an say RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS....all the way. |
| Favourite number?: | | 13, just to be contravertial.......... |
| Person you would give your last Rolo to: | | Me cos everyone else would have eaten the others |
| What’s it like being in a band called 'brother john'?: | | Its such a great blessing to be able to tell people about god in a way which I really love. I have no complaints!sometimes its funny cos we can get a bit annoyed with each other an have the odd argument!!but its all part of the package.The best bit is seeing people come to the lord at a gig or recieving a letter from someone saying how the CD really touched them and brought them closer to God for example.Its moments like that which make it worthwhile. |
| What is the thing that really gets your goat?: | | Pride.whether thats in me or just in general i cant stand it.Also when I dont get any post in the morning!oh...and chewing gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe! |
| What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?: | | Probably similar to Ian in that i went through some bad relationships which left me quite scarred. |
| And the best?: | | To be honest, lately ive realised that so many things are blessings such as being able to get into the shower whenever you want, or being able to drive to the shops!there is so much in my life which i take for granted, which, when i sit down an really think about it im blessed beyond belief. The main thing is that God rescued me from my sin an saved me. nothing can better that. The other things are being in brother john and lately ive just taken on a music shop in street with tom and it has completely blown me away.ALL things are possible with God. The main thing ive realised is that without Christ I am nothing and only by his Grace can I live. |
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| Biography: | | ok.....my biography.firstly i was born (like most people) grew up like any normal kid, bought up in a christian family doin pretty normal sort of things then became a 'christian' when i was seven. went to church every week with my folks. started goin to secondary school, doing about average then started joining in with the 'in' people at school(or at least trying!)then i was introduced to drinking alcohol.i started going out alot with friends an gettin really drunk-i was always the first to get absolutely wasted.it was part of my ploy to try an fit in....i guess it kind of worked,it meant i had no inhibitions.went through all of school like that.then when i was 14 i knew i had to get back on track with god or just get on track with him!so i went to a christian camp and god found me in a big way and night after night i was just blown away by gods mercy an grace towards me, that was a turning point because i came home an got baptised a few weeks after and god started to work in my life. anyway did pretty well in my gcse's and got into the college courses i wanted-looking back it was only by the grace of god that i was able to do that.Then got stuck into college and did pretty well but again i got sucked back into the whole scene of goin out an getting drunk and things like that. I couldnt get out of it cos it became my way of fitting in....(i used to to get bullied a bit at school you see) anyway by this point i had given up playing guitar after seven years and started playing drums....i felt a release in being able to play the drums, it actually came quiet naturally, but i think my guitaring helped me in that. Did pretty well in my a-levels and started a year out working at yeovil hospital as a porter. Anyway, over the same period of time I was in bro-j and it was before my year out, i think we did about 8 gigs in about 8 months (while i was in the first year of college) also I went to soul survivor and places like that and God bought me back to a place of REAL repentance not just mouthed words, just broken and standing in awe of him. from that point on i knew that god was the only way(again!). This time i didnt turn my back on him again but with all my effort tried to walk with him. Then I really started using my drumming for a real reason...Jesus. My insecrurities from school were blown away because in jesus i knew i found acceptance,grace an love that was way above my own understanding.he died for me!then something hit me, bro j decided to split...tom was goin away on a year out so no more bro-j.this hit me quite bad....but it was all gods plan.god taught me some valuable lessons...my relationship with God wasnt as personal as it should have been, but it more relyed on friends mainly tom (ie i would only pray when me an tom were together etc) in this time that tom was away i learnt the importance of having a relationship which was just one-on-one. then god placed in me real hunger for his word...something i had never experienced before.i finished college and started my year out as a porter and this hunger carried on and i started living for god and it started being my everyday focus.then i met a girl who changed everything, and my insecurities came out again and i listened to the lie of the devil that i needed a girlfriend to feel acceptance and meaning...i got traped and i got very hurt through it.i wont go into it because i dont want to condemn people, anyway, i lost my head and thought i was 'in love' then we split up in quiet a painful way an i spent night after night crying and i became quiet a horrible person to be around(sorry to all those who had to face it)but gods grace abounded an he set me free from my hurt an insecurities and lifted me out of the depths of hurt. The only place i could seek refuge was to read the bible at that point because it gave me so much peace....'peace that transends all understanding' looking back on it again i was taught a valuable lesson that my security is from god not man. it was one of the times in my life of which i was closest to my saviour to which i give him thanks because had i not gone through that time, spritually i would not be where i am now...but only through the grace of god can i now stand.So about this time bro-j had got back together and we supported steve on our first gig back etc. but only through gods blessing did that happen. now i try my best to live for him but sometimes still mess up, however, i now know where my security is.Then towards the end of my year out i started searching for a slighty better job...tried lots of things like carpentry,electrician, drum teacher aswell as other things but they all came back with no 'go'!!so god bought me to the point of contentment with my job in the hospital and as soon as that happened within two weeks i was in a music shop asking to buy it!put in the offer for it and it was accepted. now i work in a music shop called jaywalk!its such a blessing from god. he bought me to the point of contentment before opening up this job(with tom). funny thing was that two weeks earlier we were recording in lemington spa and went into a music shop to get some strings me an tom joked that it would be funny to own a music shop!!god has a sense of humour!so thats pretty much about it really but i could go on and on about how god has blessed and continually lifted me up and given me grace. now i realise that he is the only way to live i cant stress that enough to whoever is reading this!!anyway god bless (as he always does!)rock on with the god song! |
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| Full Name [Nickname]: | | Mark Alistair Wood, BSc |
| D.O.B.: | | 20th December 1980 |
| Occupation: | | Violinist, PhD student |
| Specialist Subject: | | Artificial Intelligence |
| Relevant Qualifications: | | 20 years playing violin; grades 5 - 8 (distinction) |
| Town of Origin: | | Taunton |
| Height: | | 5'11'' |
| Weight (optional!): | | 4st 9lbs (on Mars - you work it out!) |
| Eye colour: | | Green |
| Hair colour (natural): | | Brown |
| Hobbies: | | Eating, consuming, digesting, cogitating, contemplating |
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| Left/Right handed?: | | Right |
| Marmite, love/hate?: | | Love |
| Favourite thing to do on a sunny day?: | | Barbecue things |
| Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?: | | The Cities and Knights of Catan: Lyndon, I thank you |
| How long have you been in 'brother john'?: | | Goodness me, it's been a while now. I joined August 2002 and am the newest (& oldest) member of the band |
| Do you like animals?: | | I'm pretty indifferent to most. I hate insects (esp. spiders) and like cows, sheep, chickens, pigs and other such edible fauna |
| Weird Fact: | | I can only see in 2D (according to my optician anyway) |
| Favourite film quote/phrase you most quote: | | "Let's shout physical abuse at them!" - Marcus Parsons |
| Your current mobile is a……..?: | | Nokia, erm, something-or-other. I dunno it was free! |
| Most Astonishing Fact: | | I was born 2 months premature at a weight of just over 3lbs (and some would say have been making up for it ever since.) I nearly didn't survive. |
| Favouritest food?: | | Chicken Dupiaza, Pilau Rice and a Peshwari Naan, please |
| Most hated food?: | | Hate food? How could you? Actually, I hate eggs. |
| OK, so how long have you been a Christian?: | | I became a Christian on 5th November 1989 (when I was 8) at a Christian Bonfire Celebration run by an organization called Impact. So 15 years. |
| What’s the piece of advice you’d most like to have people remember you by?: | | Look both ways before crossing...from life into death |
| Favourite non-'brother john' band?: | | The best band in the world is Tree63. My favourite secular band is currently Pure Reason Revolution. |
| Favourite number?: | | i (the square root of -1). I quite like cardinal numbers as well. Let me share some interesting maths... |
| Person you would give your last Rolo to: | | Jesus |
| What’s it like being in a band called 'brother john'?: | | it's quite literally a dream come true! Having said that we argue, don't practise enough and above all blag, but I feel privileged that God has chosen to use me doing something I love. Hallelujah! |
| What is the thing that really gets your goat?: | | My ravenous lion. Also, I don't like 'coolness', chiefly because it escapes me so successfully |
| What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?: | | I continually let God down and that's the worst feeling ever. |
| And the best?: | | But the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in unfailing love. Good flipping job. |
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| Biography: | | I was born at a fairly early age and have been alive ever since. I started playing the violin under the skilled tutelage of Mary Trewin at the age of 4. I do vaguely remember asking my Mum if I could learn after having seen a concert featuring some young violinists from my then primary school.
Throughout my youth my family and I attended what is probably best described as a nominal Anglican church. I remember that it was cold. When I was 8, a new boy arrived in my class by the name of Simon Glass. He invited me along to play footie with the Youth Group of his new church, and I soon started going along on a Sunday morning - the church was Wellsprings Chapel. My Mum was a little worried, thinking I may have gotten into some weirdo church, and she was right: here they actually taught the Bible and took some sort of interest in each other! Before long the rest of my family were coming too and, to cut a long story short, we were saved! Yippee!
When I was 13, I was baptised at Wellsprings by Eric Couchman, who also led me through a pre-baptismal course and whose guidance at that time I found invaluable. Wellsprings also provided me with many opportunities to play, both as part of their first worship group and in a rock band called '1 Word' alongside my brother Ian, James Willis, Tim Webb and Ben Judson.
Since then I have completed my A-Levels at Richard Huish College and a maths degree at Warwick Uni, where I benefitted from weekly prayer and accountability sessions with two of my best friends, Rich and Gemma Adam (née Dhillon). I've now begun a PhD in A.I. at Bath University (tried working for a year - didn't like it :) ).
Before joining 'brother john' in August 2002, I was actually a big fan and was in the crowd cheering them on at many of their 2000/2001 gigs, as well as their first gig back supporting Steve in July 2002. Like 'Amos' before them, I was impressed amongst other things by Tom's ability to write strong, God-focused lyrics to a catchy tune. Therefore, as I mentioned above, I find it a real privilege to now find myself in the band.
My Christian life has been in some ways unsensational, but then that is no adjective to describe the grace of God! He has saved me despite of me and I can take no credit whatsoever for that. I still find it hard to discipline myself to spend quality time with Him and put to death my old ways, but if there's one thing I can be sure of then it's this - God is faithful. |
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| Full Name [Nickname]: | | Thomas Justyn Maynard (Tom) |
| D.O.B.: | | 23/8/81 |
| Occupation: | | Front man of 'brother john' and guitar shop owner -the shop is called jaywalk music. |
| Specialist Subject: | | ? None as yet. |
| Relevant Qualifications: | | Plenty |
| Town of Origin: | | Y E O V I L |
| Height: | | Medium |
| Weight (optional!): | | Medium |
| Eye colour: | | blue |
| Hair colour (natural): | | Medium light brown? |
| Hobbies: | | guitar playing, guitar selling, writing songs, all the normal jazz. |
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| Left/Right handed?: | | Left |
| Marmite, love/hate?: | | My hatred towards marmite could never be put into words. |
| Favourite thing to do on a sunny day?: | | Playing an acoustic guitar outside. |
| Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?: | | Play an electirc guitar inside. |
| How long have you been in 'brother john'?: | | It seems like forever, but in reality a few years. |
| Do you like animals?: | | Yes. |
| Weird Fact: | | In 1863 there were 150 million buffalo in America, but by 1890 only a mere 85 thousand were left. |
| Favourite film quote/phrase you most quote: | | Rock on with the God song. |
| Your current mobile is a……..?: | | nnoying. |
| Most Astonishing Fact: | | I have played gigs in some very strange venues with very strange people, ranging from someones kitchen to a football stadium. |
| Favouritest food?: | | Roast dinners and chinese food - but after a gig a kebab goes down well. |
| Most hated food?: | | Raw onion. |
| OK, so how long have you been a Christian?: | | A long time. |
| What’s the piece of advice you’d most like to have people remember you by?: | | Become more like Christ. |
| Favourite non-'brother john' band?: | | Quite a few - Counting Crows, RHCP, Radiohead (especially The Bends era), Delirious (especially the King of Fools era) and anything that is good. Dave Archer is a guy to look out for in the future to! |
| Favourite number?: | | 7 |
| Person you would give your last Rolo to: | | Lenka Bartkova (the most beautiful woman in the world) |
| What’s it like being in a band called 'brother john'?: | | Interesting. |
| What is the thing that really gets your goat?: | | Meetings that don't solve problems. |
| What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?: | | A nervous breakdown that almost killed me. |
| And the best?: | | Realising the truth and acting upon it. |
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| Biography: | | Hello, I'm Tom, how are you doing? - these are some of my beliefs -
I write songs about my faith and use them in this band. I believe that Jesus Christ is not an old religious figure,I think He's the most important person ever to walk this earth, I believe He is the Son of God and that Christianity is not a dead religion, but is the way of true life.
I believe that every second of life is a gift from God and should be used in such a way.I believe that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
I am blessed with friends, family and a beautiful fiance...I am blessed to own a guitar shop with a good friend...I am blessed to have food and a home....I have everything I need...I have nothing to complain about, yet I always seem to find something to do just that.
I hope that my life will somehow make a difference in this world. I love rock music. I love doing gigs. I love the Lord. And as far as I can I will do my best to love you.
cheers,
tom |
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