Biography
The performing arts are deeply ingrained in twenty four year old Anthony's DNA, primarily being influenced by his loving family which is rich with musicians from both his mother and father's sides. His grandparents for example, consist of a classical concert pianist, sea shanty singer, a country and western front man and a piano teacher as well as a father who has spent his life playing with pop and folk bands. As a result of being taken to watch his father's band perform, it gave him the chance to regularly interact with other professional musicians during his childhood. It's safe to say that Anthony has been raised by favourable people to develop a budding musician with his upbringing proving to be an advantageous foundation to build his own musical career.
Anthony's inborn musical ability helped him find his place at school soon becoming a part of the school choir, though he really found his feet when he began violin lessons at the age of eight. It wasn't long before he was invited to be the leader of the school orchestra and even play live at the weekly open mic nights his father ran where the landlord would make exceptions for him to be in the pub as a minor. This open mic night would be the meeting ground for many local bands including the band Anthony was first a part of, being invited to play his first paid gig with an Irish Folk band at the age of fourteen.
Secondary school saw Anthony expand his passion for music, he'd spend his lunch times hanging out in the music department befriending the instrumental teachers and other musical children where he began teaching himself instruments such as the drums and piano. By the the age of fifteen he was involved in band projects forming the young folk duo 'Frantic' with melodeon player Francis Brown where they would perform on the main stage of Dartmoor Folk Felstival. This was also the year he went on to tour Germany with the Sheffield punk band 'Leather Zoo' where he added another dimension to the band's sound using high distortion and delay effects on his electric violin.
He went on to study Music and Music Technology at college, here he would earn his 'ABRSM Grade 8 Classical Violin Performace' award as well as 'The Rotherham Young Musician Of The Year Award'. At the age of eighteen he would frequent the local Sheffield music venues and bars, unknowingly growing his own network of Sheffield musicians, providing him with multiple opportunities to become a session player, recording and giging with bands from Jazz, Folk, Country and Pop genres.
He now performs with multiple bands on the violin as well as the guitar and provides backing vocals for bands such as 'The Roy Orbison Experience' (a tribute to Roy Orbison) that he co founded and 'The Tom Killner Band' (a blues and rock singer songwriter) to name just a couple. He's currently working on more musical projects this time involving his younger sister who is a singer and ukelele player.