MEET THE BAND

Like many of the great reggae and Island bands that came before them, Coco and the Nuts hails from the cornfields of Northern Illinois, where on a snowy winter night, in Coco’s basement, the band was born. Ever the perfectionist, Coco sought authentic Jamaican born Rastafarians for the band – but, as authentic Jamaican born Rastafarians are somewhat rare in rural Illinois, the following three guys ended up as the group:

“Kingston” Mike Colle (a.k.a “the King”): Guitar wizardry, vocals, moral compass. As a child he and his family escaped from behind the iron curtain with only the clothes on their backs and the instruments in their hands. Settling in suburban Melbourne his parents secured seats in the prestigious Melbourne Symphony. The boy in the meantime began his career in local skiffle groups, moving on to lead guitar positions with the G'DayBirds, and then DingoCream. The 70's saw him in solo outings eventually washing up with Coco and the Nuts.

“Coco” Mark Demian: Bass guitar, vocals, keeper of the drum box, composer.  While growing up in the wilderness, Coco had the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors. His Uncle Marley used to take him on trips, and combined with the time he visited his grandfather’s farm near Cocoville City, it undoubtedly gave him the appreciation for bass. In fact, the first time he held a bass they became fast friends. It was eighteen inches long and weighed almost six pounds . . . a colorful mixture of greens and browns. He released the bass back to its world to play again with other bass organisms. His inspiration has always been Sir Paul and Geddy. He also performed with “Sail On”, “City Boy Peepers” and “The Windy City Hoppers”. He is the founder of the chart bustin’ band called “Coco and the Nuts”. Today he continues to travel abroad promoting his book “Cocology”. 
Equipment: A “customized” Backline bass rig (ever resourceful, Coco did the customization himself by coloring the face plate with multicolored magic markers).

“Negril” Bill Mayer: Keyboards, synths and electronic noise making, bongos, vocals. As a young lad Negril studied piano under the prestigious “K-Tell / Ronco Big Note Songbook” method of piano instruction . . . upon failing the “K-Tell” course Negril turned his attention to playing keyboards and synthesizers which enabled him to utilize electronic wizardry to mask his lack of musical expertise. Equipment: Interestingly, Negril uses no actual keyboards in performance, instead relying on a complex combination of smoke and mirrors to simulate music.