Meet the Band

Chris Le Hat

 Has long been pacing the shadows of Plymouth’s barbican music scene. Originally inspired by classic golden era Hip-Hop he was a crafter of beats with interest in music production before reaching for the guitar in his twenties giving him a different perspective on music writing. Intrigued by the samples used in Hip Hop he traced them to their origins discovering the layers in blues, funk and jazz which influenced the riffs and licks that underpin his unique style. Going full circle he has been sampled this year by London based Hip Hop Collective LAB79. A dark horse, he took his time to reveal his guitar stylings to the musical community, he approached Hannah Shady Lady Leach with his unusual chords and challenged her to find the melody and lyrics for them. Over time they devised an anthology of conceptual numbers now developed for a five piece band and as the other members settled in, Lady Noir evolved to become a fully collaborative project. Chris is the origin of every song, his guitar compositions the first inspiration for each track and his interest in the aesthetic of Film Noir key in crafting the overall feel for the band.

Hannah ‘Shady Lady’ Leach

Stepped out into the Plymouth Open Mic scene as a student performing acapella originals back in 2012, dubbed the Shady Lady when she was working as a lampshade maker after graduating. She is now front woman for three bands spanning a range of genres. Best known for her appearances with Blu Soule singing Jazz, Blues, Funk and Soul with whom she released a CD in 2018 and her first original band The Hottentot Figs writing folk and blues with an original album release imminent. Before lockdown she shared a residency singing Jazz on Burgh Island and was due to take the stage in new musical Damnation Alley as queen of the cathouse: Venus. She and Chris started working together in 2014 when she first rose to the melodic challenge of writing to his complex and unusual chord progressions. Her penchant for the metaphorical is woven through her song writing and the passion in her performance lends itself to the strange and unsettling ambience created by Chris’ chords. She may be a sultry songstress in six inch heels as she steps onto stage but that soon gives way to reckless abandon as she kicks off her shoes and lets the music take over.

Alfonso ‘Saxy Man’ Garcia

Heralds from the small village of Sorbas in Southern Spain where he cultivated his passion for music. Although first drawn to drums with a fabulous sense of rhythm, as his dancing shows, his destiny was to be the saxophone in all its sizes. His studies in the conservatoire and being a member of Sorbas wind band drew him to classical music and Andalusian influences. A seasoned performer he has played with multiple quartets, ensembles and bands including that of Alex Garcia with whom he recorded an album, his other influences stemming from Jazz, Latin and Rock. He transformed the sound of the band when he arrived, a truly dynamic player -His charm, flare and vivaciousness light up a venue, his heart and soul fully invested in every note.

Mark ‘Trigger’ Stuart

Is another familiar face around the Plymouth music scene emerging as a live player at The Cooperage’s ‘Freak Jam Nights’. A grunge loving teen back in the day, he started out on guitar forming a Nirvana cover band also taking lead vocals before coming of age with the gift of his first bass at 18. His obsession started there and hasn’t let him go yet, over time he has played and recorded with numerous bands and artists developing his talents. His varied influences range from Jazz fusion to Funk, Punk and Progressive Rock. Inspired by such a range of genres he has incorporated the styles into his own bass lines on fretless and double bass. Adapting to Chris’ style they design and construct the complex interplay between bass line and guitar lick. A smooth operator, his thick, warm tones slide and swerve around the guitar while being paired with Andy on drums he adds the grit to the Lady Noir sound that gives the edge to the Junk Jazz style.

Andrew ‘Ole Chocolate Wrists’ Naumann

 Is best known as a founding member of Jazz Metal ensemble ‘Little Pinky’, UKHC pioneers ‘Unite’ and Blues Rock trio ‘Wille and the Bandits’. Since performing his first European tour aged 18, Andrew has gone on to tour with artists Including Deep Purple and Status Quo and performed at major festivals across Europe including Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Burg Herzburg. Gaining a reputation for his unique use of African percussion alongside a traditional kit he was awarded the accolade of Best Drummer at the 2016 British Blues Awards. He is a versatile and highly talented man of rhythm who stepped in to lay down the heart beat of the Lady Noir sound. A crucial member of this Junk Jazz experiment!