Pete Bangert
Pete Bangert is now a semi-pro musician earning his main living managing projects for other people (including music projects). His emphasis remains on being a working musician, and he runs the independent Rising Records label through which a large number of his MusicAL projects are generated.
Pete started his musical career on classical violin before migrating to guitar in the late sixties. Like many around him, he started learning guitar listening to people like Clapton, Peter Green, Mayall, Hendrix, Tull, Wishbone Ash etc.. However, when he heard the Mahavishnu Orchestra his blues-based world fell apart and his view of guitar music required reappraising. In a perverse way this inspired Pete to even greater efforts to match increased expectations and he has produced a remarkable number of excellent products and collaborations on the way.
Golgotha, an original Prog Rock band, was Pete’s first major outing growing out of the Dundee University Rock Band in 1970 and featured some of Pete’s original material in the set.
Pete worked in a number of band projects in the early 70's in the Sheffield and Oxford areas where he supported his income with session work, guitar teaching and luthiery. In the mid 70's Pete returned to Sheffield and in addition to studio and live session work in Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds and Hull worked in the club music scene around the North. This included Midnight Hour and Diamond Jack amongst others.
He later went on to form Phoenix Rising in 1980 as part of the NWOBHM and the Rising Records label. He became a member of ToshRollo in the late eighties before reforming Phoenix Rising as a means of raising funds for Leukaemia Research following the unfortunate early death of the original drummer from the disease.
He continues to aid other musicians in bringing out their product, producing and playing the backing tracks for artists projects, and recording their efforts.
Pete is now working on his latest solo album which brings together some overdue material as well as some new outings.