Band Members
Ricky Wright
Ricky Wright is the Lead Singer and frontman of the band. His career started in the mid 80’s, and has flourished ever since. People are amazed by his voice, it’s so strong and powerful. He is also a nice guy to boot. Definitely a major focal point of the band.
Ricky started his career in 1985. His first band was the Beat Boys, which achieved moderate success on the Northern Beaches. He then joined The Bandits, who had four appearances in the early 90’s in the Channel 10 Series Star Search. Glen A Baker was one of the judges, and was amazed with his likeness to the famous Stevie Wright, of the Easybeats, one of Glen’s favourite bands. Ricky met Deek Rivers when he joined the Bandits. They formed a very strong bond and have been playing together, in and out of bands, ever since. Ricky also played with the British Invasion Tour at the Entertainment Center in the Mid 90’s. The band was received well and everyone thought they were part of the tour.
Marvin Storm
Marvin Storm joined the Swinging 60’s in 1988, and is one of the members of the original line up, along with Deek Rivers (who owes him $10.00 since March 1989). Born in England, Marvin was raised in East Africa where he first picked up a guitar. Records were hard to come by and he learnt by playing along to local tunes on Radio Uganda - he sings some Kinks songs in Swahili if required (Ray would like that)! He returned to England in his early teens to discover that he had learnt guitar with the wrong tuning. Despite this, he practiced hard and played in many local and touring show bands, including Smiling Hard, Charlie and the Wide Boys, The Jazz Sluts (who played anything and everything but jazz) and The Betty Ford Clinic, all popular acts on the southern England circuit. Many chilly late nights in the back of a knackered, rusty old Ford transit van eating cold fish and chips!
He lived in Paris for 4 years, playing in French rock star Eddy Mitchell’s backing band, then on to New York where he was a regular in the infamous Lone Star Café house band (regular jammers included Joey Ramone and “Miami Steve” van Zandt from the E-Street band). Shortly after arriving in Sydney, he heard the jarring opening chord of “A Hard Day’s Night” whilst strolling past the Golden Sheaf Hotel. Upon entering he recognized Deek on stage with whom he had played in various put-together bands. After two beers Marvin joined the embryonic Swinging 60’s and vowed to stay forever - the rest is history. Marvin has a fetish for vintage 60’s guitars and amplifiers and usually plays his red 1962 Gibson 335 guitar (”Lady Christine”) through his beloved Vox AC30. Tone to the bone!
NickyMarriot
Nicky Marriot is the Rhythmn Guitarist and vocalist. Nicky lives and breathes the Sixties. If you want to know anything about the Sixties ask Nicky. If he doesn’t know, he’ll know where to look. Nicky sings a large number of songs and is the newest member of the band. Nicky brings some real drive to the band, he cooks it up real good. He’s a good singer to boot.
Nicky has played with the the Hitmen and the Johnny Cannis Band for over 20 years, and with these line-ups has toured around Australia extensively, with some overseas dates.
theshadow
Morris Minor
This gentleman is a seasoned musician who as played in a number of the major 50’s and 60’s cover bands in Sydney for over a decade. He has backed many solo performers. The bands that come to mind immediately that you might know would be The Bandits and The Fab Four and yes he is as skillful as he is mysterious. You will have to come to a show to check him out.
Deek Rivers
Deek Rivers: Bass player and sometimes vocalist, if you can call it that. Deek has been in the band from the beginning and will be to the end.
Deek started his musical career in 1966, playing Rhythm Guitar in local unestablished bands. He turned to Bass in the early 70’s, and played around getting his chops together. In 1974 he was one of the original Bass players with ACDC, Jasper and Bobby Dazzler. He then played in a famours covers band, called Rubber Band. Deek then joined a band called Boy Racer, consisting of Dingo and John Baxter. Fantastic songs. Little success was achieved, as there was so much hot competition at the time.
In the late 70’s Deek did a stint with Rose Tattoo, that was a lot of fun, he has no tattoos. In the mid 80’s Bobby Benton and Deek together formed The Swinging Sixties. Deek left the band briefly, to play with The Bandits, which is where he met Ricky Wright. Deek, Marvin, Ricky, Morris and Nicky are The Swinging Sixties, and Deek would have to say this is one of the best line-ups we have ever had.