Cacophany Arkestra

Bob Heath first became involved in Preston Carnival in 1987 working on a placement from a Fine Arts Degree Course at UCLAN. He enjoyed working with the Caribbean community so much that he went back the next year and began to make "Carnival friends".
Bob was initiated into carnival arts by Gana Mcoy - The Dominican artist who made all the impressive backpack pieces that graced the road march at Preston Carnival... strange, sparkly, other worldy creations. In those days carnival or "Mas" was a large community event with networks that stretched to other urban centres of the UK.Bob and Alastair Price were in a Post Punk band - Dwarf Americans and Bob had just bought a sax preparing the way for Cacophany Arkestra (this was 1990).
The Preston Caribbean community was always very friendly. Gana invited Bob to Liverpool carnival and Nottinghill. Around the same time Bob made the acquaintance of "Sparrow" - Philip Duncan - a most passionate advocate of Caribbean carnival - and great band leader of Spectrum Association. Phil took Bob to Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester Carnivals to play "Mas". Bob began to realise that Mas was bigger than than the Road March - it was like the tip of a gigantic iceberg surrounded by a sea of golden rum!!! Every year since then he has made new discoveries about Carnival and would like to thank Gana Mcoy and Philip "Sparrow" Duncan amongst others for opening the door.

Andrew Pye has been heavily involved in carnival for 11 years. 5 of which he was Chair of Spectrum Carnival along with Philip Duncan.

Andrew played a big role in the running and organization of the group as well a contributing to the design and making of both the costumes and Backpacks. Also he had the honour of been carnival King two times  and coming first and second in both the King and Queen and the main procession.

He also played a role on the Preston Carnival Committee for two years helping organize and run the event.

Wanting to take a step back from his running organizing and to rediscover his love of carnival through been a participant.

Andrew joined Cacophany Arkestra in 2014 and the keyboard player, it has been a great learning experience and a great opportunity to develop his musical talents in many styles of music.

What's a drummist? John Morrow is, it could be said that a drummist is self-taught part kit part junk percussion player. What might a drumist bring to Cacophany Arkestra? Well usually, too many bits and pieces along with a curiosity and love of feet on the ground rhythms and exploration. John is a veteran on the pots and pans and is more experienced in early years education and working in specialist settings than playing proper gigs.
John started shaving his sticks down in workingmens clubs from the mid 1970's until the working men disappeared along with Federation Ale and the old gigs, such as The Marquee (Wardour Street London W1) and the Burns Howff (West Regent Street Glasgow G2) and sleeping in broken rusty vans in various layby's up and down the A1 from London to Kilburn and the High Roads and back.
John's major claim to financial success in music is rooted in Anthony Charles Lynton Blair's Y2k celebrations, whilst sponsored by Arts Council England's Year of the Artist in partnership with the beautiful supportive Guildhall Arts Centre (where the marble head was removed from the famous statue) the year john nearly made a whole weeks wages out of just being resident drummer on the Earlsfield Estate in Grantham for a whole year where 200 drummers once banged pots and pans and dustbins for one whole afternoon and one old man thanked john saying, "Son that's the loudest noise I've heard since the blitz". John is now into world fusion folk jazz street improv and just jamming with mates for sanity.

Marcele has been playing Mas since 1990. Marcele is a peripatetic music teacher, teaching Steel-pans, Sax, clarinet and keyboard. Marcele also plays pans in Preston Steel Pan Orchestra.