Band History

Final Demand was formed in the mid 1980s by a group of four Swansea musicians who shared a common interest in Rock music and an enthusiasm and spirit for the way it should be played.

The band formed in early 1986 with an original line-up consisting of:

Ian Evans: Drums

Rob Stevens: Vocals

Martin Hill: Bass

Keith (Floss) Evans: Lead guitar/Backing vocals

The band played for 9 years predominantly around the Swansea music circuit, but also ventured further afield around the UK from time to time.

During this time on the Swansea scene they gained and maintained a loyal set of followers who appreciated Rock music performed well. Throughout this time, other local musicians joined and left the band at various times:

Don Richards : Keyboards

Colin Ellwood : Keyboards

Ian (Ant) Evans : Guitar

Jim Rees : Guitar

Final Demand split in 1995 - with the original line-up still intact. They ceased playing as Floss, one of the original band members, was moving to The Emirates to work as an I.T. teacher.

Not long after the band had finished, Martin had moved to West Wales and he soon began playing in a band called Empty Pockets, and about a year later, Martin approached Ian and Rob with the prospect of forming a soul band with the members of his new band. Ian and Rob were both keen to start playing again after their time off since Final Demand, and so they agreed and The Feelgood Factor started gigging on the South and West Wales scene with an excellent brass section (who called themselves The West Coast Sound and who went on to play with Joe Cocker and other famous musicians).

About 4 years later, The Feelgood Factor broke up and after some time out Ian and Rob were itching to get back into the rock scene. It was now 2001, and they talked about reinventing the spirit of Final Demand and decided to resurrect the band with new musicians to replace Martin and Keith on bass and lead guitars.

Firstly, they approached Kev Williams, who had played guitar for Trebanos based outfit No Sleep, and planned to pair him with Ian "Ant" Evans from one of the old Final Demand line-ups in a twin guitar attack. This never got started however because of Ant's domestic and work pressures, so after a while and some scouting, they approached Chris Price, who was known from Morriston Comprehensive school days and for his excellent guitar work with Morriston based Ouch Monkey!. Chris was available and he also shared the Final Demand taste in music.

This proved a master stroke as Chris and Kev, who had never met before, gelled immediately in a guitar assault that now only required a power bass player to join Ian on drums to drive the newly resurrected Final Demand sound. Ex. Ouch Monkey! bassist Nicky Davies was considered, but he was already playing with a couple of other bands and so Ian and Rob then decided on an audacious approach to ace bass player, vocalist and all-round musician, Gus Williams, who was one third of the renowned but now disbanded power trio Ranka-Chanka, and who was (and still is) living in Cheltenham. Gus hadn’t played since Ranka-Chanka stopped playing in 1998, and so jumped at the opportunity to team up with some of his old school mates.

The new line-up was now complete and Final Demand came back to life at an inaugural gig at Ellington’s in Swansea on January 24th, 2002. This is the line up that is now belting out a wide variety of music from all eras around the Swansea gigging circuit – and beyond.

Ian Evans: Drums

Rob Stevens: Vocals

Kev Williams: Guitars

Chris Price: Guitars

Gus Williams: Vocals & Bass

Final Demand – Rock & Pop Music through the annals of time!