Contraband have been playing bluegrass since the early eighties, evolving from a straight "hardcore" bluegrass via a number of other influences (country, blues and acoustic folk) to its current rootsy approach to the music. An acoustic mixture of ballads and upbeat songs feature some amazing banjo and mandolin solos. The music 'moves', as they say!

Rick Tarrant (lead vocals and lead guitar) cites Doc Watson as a major influence to his clean lead pickin', but there is a host of other influences in there as well. Rick has performed both with Contraband and as a solo artist in and around the Southampton area for nearly 20 years, where his smooth singing style has made him a firm favourite,

Hamish Gavin (bass and vocals) is the anchor of the band. A founder member of Contraband (yes, he is that old!) Hamish recalls that he met the other founder members when he was running a successful folk club in Southampton. He realised they needed all sorts of professional help and joined them - they have kept him in the background ever since.

Mark Leggett (rhythm guitar) is the other half of the band's engine room, holding the whole thing down. Another founder member of the band, Mark brings a range of influences, particularly blues, to the band's repertoire.

Richard Holland (banjo and vocals) is a stalwart supporter of the British bluegrass scene, running the Nettlebed Bluegrass Club and acting as the British Bluegrass Association's southern area rep. He has played in a variety of bands, notably Footloose, the resident band at the Nettlebed Folk Club, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the UK, and also in Home Territory. With Footloose he has played on national and local radio and has three recordings, all of which have received good press.

Richard Hampton (mandolin) started on classical guitar, but has been playing bluegrass and bluegrass-related music for over twenty years. He was a member of two Sussex-based bands, Poor Valley and Cross Country, both of which were featured on local radio, and of the resident band of the Cambridge Folk Club, Ricky G and the New Ferretones, with whom he played twice at the Cambridge Folk Festival.