Nearly Dan began life around 1995 as a 5-piece
band called Baldwin’s Casuals (the name of Mike Baldwin’s clothes
factory in Coronation Street), performing quality cover versions at
venues in Stoke-on-Trent.
The initial set included a few Steely Dan classics, such as
Kid
Charlemagne,
Josie, and
Home At Last. In
those early performances it was clear that there was a natural
affinity for the meticulously crafted grooves and allusive lyrical
style of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.
As public demand grew, more Dan songs were added, and before long a
major proportion of the set was comprised of Steely Dan's
extraordinary three-decade-plus catalogue. It was then that the
suggestion of a tribute band was mooted, and Pete wryly named the
band, Nearly Dan.
That line-up was
Steve Hayes (guitar/lead
vocal),
Gary Davies (keyboards/vocal), Rob
Rolph (lead guitar/vocal), Pete Bacanin (bass), and Rob Phillips
(drums). As self-appointed manager/band leader/musical director,
Gary enlisted a 3-piece horn section and scored all the arrangements
over a period of a few months. Diane Davies and Kate were also added
to the line-up as backing vocalists.
Intensive rehearsal soon followed and, on 25 April 1997, all the
hard work culminated in a memorable opening gig at the (now sadly
defunct) Wheatsheaf in Stoke-on-Trent.
Since then, Nearly Dan have toured consistently all over the UK and
Europe, gaining critical acclaim for their performances, including
the Glastonbury and Big Chill festivals, and make regular
appearances at the Jazz Café, Camden - a venue that usually eschews
tribute bands of any kind. In 2006 the band were invited to play
three nights at the prestigious Blue Note Jazz Club in Milan, adding
signatures in the dressing room guest book along with those of their
heroes, such as Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, Robben Ford, Marcus
Miller, and the Yellow Jackets.
The band celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2007, continued to
flourish in 2009 with appearances at the Birmingham and Coventry
Jazz Festivals, and enters 2022 to celebrate 25 years of giving
their fans the spirit and sound of Steely Dan.
"When chances to hear the real thing are so uncommon, Nearly
Dan's approach is faithful, though not reverential, and relaxed
but as tight as their namesakes, and their uncannily precise
imitations are testament to hours of rehearsal and a great deal of
talent."
So, is it as good as seeing the real thing?…well, Nearly…