About - The Shindigs Function Band

The Shindigs are a 4 piece female-fronted function band based in Essex UK. Playing Pop, Rock, Funk, Soul, Disco & Reggae classics from the 50’s to the present day. Female & Male lead vocals combined with excellent musicianship equates to an extremely versatile quartet.

Since forming in 2011, they have performed for numerous corporate clients such as Johnson & Johnson and Hayes Recruitment at venues such as Porchester Hall, London and Chancellor Hall in Chelmsford, where they supported legendary chart-toppers Hot Chocolate.

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THE BAND CONTACT

Jen is the voice of the band and has had a love of singing since she was a child. After a short lived dream as a backing singer in a band as a teenager, it took her a few years and many drunken Karaoke nights to fulfil her need to sing. She then decided to invest in some singing lessons; this lead her to perform on a West End stage with the pupils of a local stage school, and she was hooked!

Shortly after, she formed a duet called The Songbirds, gigging on and off for 4 years until it came to an end due to family commitments. After performing the first dance song at a friends wedding, Jen was booked to sing at a private party and more solo gigs followed. Since joining Colin, Mark & Paul to form The Shindigs, she has realised that there is quite stiff competition for the role of band diva!

Born in Hackney, Paul 'Coogie' Coogan's musical aspirations were sparked upon hearing his friend's dad playing guitar and singing in his front room. At 12 years old, Coogie began learning classical guitar, followed by jazz a few years later. In 2000, he bought a Roland hard-disk multi-track recorder which he later used to capture live performances at Brentwood's The Hermit and The White Hart, encouraged by legendary sound engineer Paul Smith.

The following year, Coogie began performing an impressive collection of original material and enrolled at university to study guitar-making. 2004 brought the formation of covers duo Jonestown with Mick O' Leary, Coogie's first foray into bass guitar & vocals.

Soon after, he bagged the sound engineer's spot at The Bitter End in Romford, hosting a wealth of signed touring bands. A year-long stint as a presenter on Phoenix FM followed, until a well-received set of improvised covers at a party saw the formation of Beard Of Slugs.

Coogie also runs Brentwood Films Ltd, videography, photography & audio services. He is married with three daughters and outside of music is a fully qualified sports injury therapist.

At the tender age of 10, Mark's love affair with music began when his Dad sat him down and played Led Zeppelin repeatedly, interspersed with lessons in Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep and Queen. Mark was hooked and, much to his Dad's relief, his son's ears were opened to a world of possibilities. Mark soon realised he preferred hitting things and ditched his Fender copy for a set of Hohner drums.

Aged 12, he formed a 3-piece at school with two friends and was tasked with accompanying the school steel band. Just before leaving school, Mark decided to assist the music dept. and test drive the school's brand new drumkit in the empty assembly hall.

To show his appreciation, the music teacher sent Mark to the local drum shop to replace two skins and a cymbal with the wages from his part-time job at Iceland. Music college and numerous bands later, Mark joined NoTHING in 2001, with whom he stayed until their disbandment in early 2009.

He was the original drummer for Beard Of Slugs but handed over the drum stool due to family commitments. Back in the saddle, however, he is "thoroughly chuffed" to join The Shindigs. Mark is married with two young daughters. His interests include eating Jaffa Cakes and obsessing over little-known American TV actresses.

Colin has been gigging solidly in various bands since he was 14. Three decades later he can claim to have learned several chords!

Colin’s parents bought him his first electric guitar at the age of 12 on the provision he learn to play his Dad’s beloved Shadows tunes. To their dismay, this took him much less time than anticipated & he was soon deafening them with AC/DC & Black Sabbath riffs!

His proudest early musical achievement was when his band played the 1982 Fobbing Folk Festival billed as ‘Heavy Metal’ which they were - very!

Thankfully, his taste in music has widened considerably since then, along with the rest of him, unfortunately!

Colin hates having his picture taken & realising he was on to a loser getting anything resembling a smile, the photographer understandably gave up!

A veteran of Britain’s legendary toilet circuit & recording studios of all shapes & sizes, for many years he played alongside Mark in heavy rock band Nothing. A graphic designer by day, Colin runs Media Solutions Ltd.