Steven Mingetown & The Cocoa Shunters have been going since 1998 under various different guises and changes of personnel; founder member Nick, the singer and gitar player is the sole original member. Originally called The Honkys they became Casino Boogie, Pussy O' Shea, The Flying Martini Brothers and now Steven Mingetown and the Cocoa Shunters. They started playing pounding rock and roll covers- speciality: Memphis, Tennessee- and wearing suits. Later the rock and roll took a Stonesy, countrified feel and Nick got his country string-bending chops in order. At the same time they became frustrated with bands that played six songs in the same idiom. Variety, that's what was needed. Of course, they admired The Great Dialectic of The Beatles and The Stones but after that they enjoyed acts like The Kinks, Captain Beefheart, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Tom Waits, Bonzo Dog Band, Sinatra, Al Bowlly, George Formby, Chuck Berry, The MC5, Robert Johnson, Ian Dury, The Band, and, in smaller doses, Bob Dylan. The main thing was bring back a little theatre into it all: bands had given up on all that and of course that was where it all started- look at one of the greatest rock and roll acts of 'em all, Little Richard. Stuart Headey is now the other half of the Cocoa Shunters until a suitable rhythm section has been found. They know a drummer who is a psychiatric nurse; they find that highly appropriate.