Line up Mk. 1

1976

Steve Coppuck - Bass Player

     Baz and Steve knew each other at school but didn't become friends until they bumped into each other on their Yamaha FS1E's, at age 16. Originally both started playing guitar armed with the Status Quo song book and no idea how to play a bar chord. With the seeming absolute fortune, that Steve earned as a printing apprentice, copious amounts of gear was purchased on weekly instalments from Nigel Downham at Fanfare International, right down the far end of the Oxford Road. Steve played guitar until John joined the band, and realised what they needed was a bass player. So was ordered straight down to Fanfare International to trade his guitar for a bass. Steve became an immense bass player, with absolutely no training what so ever. He eventually left the band in 1985, but Baz and Steve remain good friends today.

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John Benham - Guitar

Baz went to Reading Technology College in 1977 and ended up buying a 500 Triumph off his mate, Ian Cooksley. Ian mentioned his mate John Benham was looking for a band. John turned up in his white Vauxhall Viva at Baz's Mums house.

'Do you wanna form a band?' Baz asked.

.'Yes', John replied.

Sorted.

Baz says "John was brilliant. I owe him such a lot. He had long hair, listened to Steve Hillage, Hawkwind, and The Pink Fairies. He was also stoned all the time, and wasn't a virgin! He was a fantastic lead guitar player and subsequently the 'Main Man'. John was infamous in and around the rural area that he came from. He was so looked up too and admired that wherever we played, everyone he knew would turn up. Crammed in cars from the ages of 13 to 40, just to see us play."

John was tragically killed on the 12th September 1990. Without John there really wouldn't be a Predatur. With his broad interest in rock music, he introduced us to stuff we would never have discovered on our own. He was warm and kind, and had his own sense of individuality. Plus, he was the only one who could drive and luckily knew Chick Churchill from 'Ten Years After', hence the massive Predatur Marshall backline that was, erm! borrowed?! It's uncertain how much of it was returned to Chick - if any, and its unclear whether he would have wanted it back with the Predatur logo stencilled all over it.

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Long live John Benham.

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Sam Savin - Drums

      Ian Cooksley and John Benham knew Martin Floyd, Electrical Apprentice.

Martin Floyd knew Graham Sam Savin.

Floydy introduced Sam to the rest of the band - it may have been at The Griffin in Caversham. So the famous Mk 1. line up started rehearsing in John's Mum's double garage, Crossways petrol station, Ipsden. This was useful to Sam because driving home he could coast down St. Peters Hill and come to a halt at The Griffin car park. Subsequently everyone who drank in The Griffin followed the band. 

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Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

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Line up Mk. 2

1977

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Roy Bell - Guitar

    Roy Bell or 'Slide Boy Roy' as he is known today, replaced John. John had decided to form another band with an old mate of his. Baz and Steve, not wanting to loose momentum, asked Roy Bell-a good mate from down the Target- to step in. However John's new venture was short lived and Roy, realising John's style was integral to the band, stepped aside.

The Mk. 1 line up was back together and went on to record the 'Take A Walk' single on Quicksilver Records. This line up split in late 1983.

Baz and Roy are still good friends to this day.

 

Looking back on Roy's time in the band, Baz said, "Roy was totally into slide. Showed me how to play 'In My Time Of Dying', which I'd never even heard of before I met him. So I owe him a lot. I was so naïve, without meeting these people I would still be listening to my Mum's Cliff Richard records. He is so funny, even now he still rips the piss out of me. I love him and we are talking of doing something together."

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Roy also speaks fondly of his time in the band. He said, "I first cut my teeth on boogie as a young 18 year old with Predator, as it was spelled back then. I have fond memories of my time playing with Baz, Steve, and Sam. We had a few laughs and a love of boogie blues rock."

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You should check out 'Slide Boy Roy' on Spotify and other popular services.

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Sam Savin - Drums

Steve Coppuck - Bass Guitar

Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

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Line up Mk. 3

1977

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see Mk. 1 Line up

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Line up Mk. 4

1984

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Jim Roberts - Drums

     Steve and Baz met Jim Roberts through their friend Larry Miller at a heavy metal disco in Camberley. Jim was desperate to join the band, even though there wasn't a full line up . He claimed he had only been learning drums for over half an hour but it was fairly obvious to Baz, he had only been learning for 10 minutes. Baz and Jim are still close friends to this day. "Awesome, awesome drummer and brilliant, brilliant bloke. We had such a laugh and rehearsed  as a three piece until..."

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Mick Hughes - Guitar

     Jim had a mate called Mick who played guitar. We had a jam together but it was fairly obvious it was never going to work out. Mick said, "This stuff doesn't really suit me, but I've got a mate called Mick and he would be perfect." Baz says, "Even though we'd never met I seem to recall making an arrangement to pick Mick up from Reading Train Station as he didn't drive. We spent the afternoon at my mobile home in Spencers Wood. It was perfect from the first chord struck and we both knew that we could really define Predatur as a hardcore boogie band. "Mick's Status Quo knowledge was vast and he was able to get a fantastic sound out of any guitar, and any amp. A glorious guitar player, and a perfect bandmate. Rossi and Parfitt, Bowie and Ronson, Mick and Keith, and Baz and Mick. It was that good. Together Baz and Mick restructured the old Predatur songs to add more of a Status Quo influence.

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Steve Coppuck - Bass

Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

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Line up Mk. 5

1987

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Karen Cooper - Bass

    Dear old Danny, of Purple Turtle fame, had some how managed to con Reading Borough Council into renting him the 3rd floor of the Co-op above Walkers Funeral Services, which he turned into rehearsal rooms. This is where Baz, Mick, and Jim rehearsed bass playerless until Danny introduced them to Karen, his then girlfriend. Karen's easy going and unflappable nature made the Mk. 5 line up a real pleasure to be in. The most memorable occasion being at Silks in Thatcham, where Micks guitar stack caught fire mid gig. Karen merely glanced at it, stepped to one side, and carried on playing. Karen eventually went on to form an all girl band, before relocating to Devon to start a family.

Baz and Karen still keep in touch to this day.

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Jim Roberts - Drums

Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

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Line up Mk. 6

1989

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Pete Knight - Bass

     Pete Knight applied and got the job as the new Predatur bass player. To be fair, he was the only one that applied. He looked like a fat Jean-Jacques Burnel with his leather jacket, short hair, and tight jeans. Baz and Pete instantly hit it off and Pete lit the fire underneath the Mk. 5 line up that became pure chaos. Every gig was ridiculous, such a laugh and brilliant, brilliant fun.  Pete is the longest serving bass player and much loved by Predatur fans.

Eventually Pete relocated to Dorset as the band had started to loose momentum, struggling to get gigs etc. With Mick and Baz wanting to take on another challenge, after dabbling in a bit of comedy (RudePrat), they went on to form RAIN, with Simon Baker and Dave Roberts.

Predatur was put on the back burner.

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Baz and Pete are still close friends, with Pete regularly trying to bribe his way back into the band. No chance fat boy!

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Jim Roberts - Drums

Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

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Line up Mk. 7

2004

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Glen Potter - Bass

       For no good reason Baz and Mick decided to restart Predatur. Glen Potter was the obvious choice as a bass player, being an old friend of the band and probably the only player capable of the job. The band needed his hard rock style and solid groove.  It also helped that Glen was viciously sarcastic and a life long Chelsea fan. Baz and Glen are in regular contact.

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Simon Baker - Drums

     After trying a couple of drummers, which came to nothing, ex-Larry Miller drummer and old friend of Baz's, Simon Baker, was asked to play drums. Although reluctant at first, as his style was more influenced by Sabbath, Ian Paice, and John Bonham, he adapted brilliantly and the band soon realised that they had a seriously good line up. "Playing with Simon was like playing with a pro drummer and he played with such authority. Wherever we played people were gobsmacked."

They took the opportunity to record the album "mean" which was recorded in four days. This was only done to capture the old Predatur songs for prosperity, as Baz had just become a father. Through the power of the internet, they realised old Quo fans were after some fresh new boogie songs and although largely ignored by Quo fans over the years Predatur quickly became a big part of the Quo scene and ended up playing gigs all over Europe and the UK. 

 

Around this time Mick and Baz had started to play with John Coghlan, which unfortunately caused tension within the band. A situation which Baz says he, "should have treated with a lot more delicacy. It really was my fault, I should have and could have sorted it out. But I didn't and we all lost out just as we were about to peak in Europe. We'd lost the one person that had really made us raise our game. Simon was one of my closest friends and I really, really should have handled the situation a lot better and not allowed my ego to get in the way. We did sort it out in the end but I still regret that Simon wasn't part of the band for longer after such brilliant success"

Simon remains one of Baz's closest friends. 

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Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

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Line up Mk. 8

2006

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Pete Laschok - Drums

     Baz was chatting to Joe Sturge at WOMAD festival 2006, when it was in Reading. Joe recommended Pete, who'd seen Predatur many times back in the early days when he was very young, but had never actually spoken to the band. Baz says, "I loved playing with Pete. He had fantastic feel, was a very sympathetic drummer, and ridiculously awesome at playing Ska. I have the greatest respect for him as a drummer and a human being. He was the only person prepared to step into Simon Bakers shoes at the very last moment. It was a real baptism of fire. The second time we played with him was at Platform studios at the start of the 'In Your Garden' sessions. Without his heart we would have truly been stuck high and dry. He is a warm, caring, and humble person and a brilliant bloke. I felt Pete's contribution was underappreciated but strangely years later as 'In Your Garden' enjoys new found popularity, people are starting to fully appreciate his considerable ability." 

Baz and Pete remain close friends.

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We also ought to mention at this time, Damon Sawyer, who was filling in the gaps on drums, as Pete couldn't make all the recording sessions for 'In Your Garden'. Not only did he play on that album but he is a crucial part of the Predatur recording process, having been involved in all studio output to this day it could be said he is the fifth and hidden member of the band.

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Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

Glen Potter - Bass

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Line up Mk. 9

2006

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Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

Glen Potter - Bass

Jack Capon- Drums

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Line up Mk. 10

2007

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Baz Barry - Vocals, Guitar

Mick Hughes - Guitar

Pete Knight - Bass

Jack Capon - Drums

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Line up Mk. 11

2017

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Charles Grear - Guitar

Steve Jones - Bass

Baz Barry- Vocals, Guitar

Jack Capon - Drums

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