| Rebelski | - Martin Roman Rebelski is keyboard player for Doves
- His debut album, Thanks For Your Thoughts, came out in March 2003
- The follow-up, Stickers On Keys, will be released by Twisted Nerve in the autumn.
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Martin Rebelski is no stranger to big gigs. With Doves, he’s played festival main stages and theatres all over the world, but it’s different when you're in charge. Especially when you're totally in charge. As his bus toils around Manchester picking up the various members of his live band, the fact that his manager is at home with a bad back and he’s in charge of himself and everyone else today seems to be weighing heavily on him. When he arrives at violinist Lizzie Hoskin’s place to find her A string broken and no time to fit in a trip to the music shop for a replacement, the weight gets heavier. Thankfully, his band are also, for the most part, long time friends, so a quick phone call ahead to London, where cellist Naomi Hart is already ensconced, allows the plan to keep to schedule, as she is dispatched into the metropolis to find a new string and Martin’s rising nerves are calmed.
 | | Mike TV on the Rebelski bus |
On board the gold bus (it’s the “bling bus”, according to guitarist Simon Poulston), things are fairly relaxed as seven parts of the Rebelski live experience hurtle towards London, heading for a late afternoon soundcheck. For Lizzie, it’s a dream come true to play the Royal Festival Hall. Classically trained, it’s akin to turning out at Madison Square Garden for a rock star, so the string incident has left her a bit jittery. A stop at services for food and magazines settles her a little, but the sight of the 60s concrete of the Hall puts everyone’s nerves up a notch.
 | | Mike TV, Ollie Collins and Cath Evans soundcheck |
Things inside aren't going entirely to plan. Badly Drawn Boy is having a very long soundcheck so Rebelski and co will have to wait. It seems that, as a support, you do an awful lot of waiting, especially when you're there to provide guest vocals, like Beats For Beginners’ Mike TV. “It’s easy for me,” he grins, “I just turn up and sing.” Those playing the other instruments, such as bassist Ollie Collins and drummer Cath Evans, don't look quite as relaxed.
 | | Naomi Hart and Lizzie Hoskin, Rebelski's strings |
Eventually, Damon is finished and it’s Rebelski’s turn. Because of the size of the venue and the fact that Gough is Martin’s label manager, the band are treated to a longer and fuller soundcheck than most supports get. There’s a sense of relief, especially from Naomi and Lizzie, who, as the strings section, have the most to lose in a concert hall of this scale. And what a scale. The Royal Festival Hall may be a concrete monstrosity on the outside, but in the auditorium, it’s a brown and red beauty, with boxes jutting from its flanks like golden dodgems and a star specked roof looming way above. Find out what happens next in part two...
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