Meet Ben Little

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The USA Years:

1958 I was born Steven Thomas Little in Los Angeles, California on 15 February.
1960 My family moved to Las Vegas when I was a little over a year old. My Dad Lester played upright bass six nights a week in the lounge of The Sands Hotel with The Ernie Stewart Trio. There was always a piano, guitar, and bass in our house, so music was always present. Just like my Dad, The Beatles also had a huge impact on me as a kid.

The Adelaide Years:

1967 Our family moved to Adelaide
1969 As an 11-year-old, I received a ukulele for Christmas and that sparked a love of playing instruments. I also started practicing the guitar.
1973 I got my first electric guitar and that changed everything. In High School, I was in a band playing Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Rolling Stones, and Deep Purple to name a few. We called our first band COSMIC FROG (later shortened to Frog)
1975 In our last year of high school our band, now called MORPHEUS won a Battle of the Bands at The Come Out Festival. This led to our first recording and booking agent. We played professionally around Adelaide from 1976 to 1978.

The Early Sydney Years:

1978 MORPHEUS moved to Sydney. Four musicians and two roadies, all living in a four-bedroom house in Lewisham for $80 a week. If you have ever read, “He Died With a Falafel in his Hand”, that is what life was like
in 1978 Lewis ham. We rehearsed every day, downstairs in a shopfront and worked five and six nights a week playing all our own music, supporting everyone from COLD CHISEL, THE ANGELS, MIDNIGHT OIL, INXS and
even THE RAMONES, THE VAPOURS and DR FEELGOOD.
1980 The ‘new wave’ bands influenced a name change and we became DAMAGED GOODS. We cut our hair and changed our songwriting style. Our trademark was wearing pyjamas onstage! We even headlined the famous Bondi Lifesaver.
1981 I was asked to form a band around a singer, GILLIAN EASTOE. The music scene was now sliding downward and
we weren’t working enough to make ends meet, I got myself a gig in a Chinese Restaurant playing guitar & bass in Market Town Leichhardt. We were called THE BLACK O RCHID TRIO.
1982 I got a dream gig, playing bass in a Beatles tribute band, THE BEATS (formerly THE BEATNIX). I had to wear a Sergeant Peppers uniform. I was paid a wage and for the first time consistently played in front
of large and enthusiastic crowds. We also did a lot of touring. There were many writers in this band so
we formed an original band called COLOURS who rehearsed and recorded our original material.
1985 We moved to Perth and became THE SYDNEY BEATS to try and make some “BIG” money. That was a disaster, too long and sad to re-tell here.
1986 I moved back to Sydney and scored a residency at Marrickville RSL Club every Friday night. We were called THE ECHOMANIACS.
1988 I was asked to join STORMY MONDAY. We worked 5-6 nights a week and did lots of touring. We played everywhere.
1988 My teaching career started at Guitar World, in the City. In Late 1988, I joined SWANEE. A career
highlight was playing in front of 30,000 people at an open air concert in Southport, supporting JIMMY BARNES.
1989 I joined a trio called DBM and we became Alex (MOVING PICTURES) Smith’s backing band. We toured a lot and even made a live performance on Hey Hey It’s Saturday!
1990 Played in a 60’s band called THE ECHOES. It was a great learning experience as a guitar player. It was also around this time I did many guitar clinics for Electric factory (a musical equipment
wholesaler)
1991 I joined a Cold Chisel/Barnes tribute band called THE LAST STAND. There was lots of touring interstate.
1995 I joined a cover band called THE MISFITS. These boys had four residencies a week and were playing quirky covers. I also formed an original band called THE BENDERS.
1996 THE MISFITS BECAME MOLLY RASHER. We enjoyed four residencies a week. 1997 – MOLLY RASHER released a six-song CD. This band played until 2000 with various lineup changes and even recorded an original album under the banner ULTIMO.
1998 Toured Ireland with MOLLY RASHER.

The New Millennium Years:

2000 My teaching business THE GUITARHIVE was started. I also started playing solo gigs and acoustic duos.
2001 This was the year that the ‘SESSIONS’ started at The Welcome Hotel. This is a unique acoustic music session with three musicians playing unrehearsed at a table!
2003 Re-joined SWANEE and played in LITTLE BIG HORN.
2005 The first HIVE LIVE was performed with GUITARHIVE students at The Australian Youth Hotel.
2006 I released my second Solo CD ‘CHAIN OF HEARTS’ on 23 July 2006. The CD Launch was held at the Australian Youth Hotel with the CHAIN OF HEARTS BAND. HIVE LIVE 2 and 3 were performed.
2008 Joined the Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute, BAD MOON RISIN’ and BEATLESONGS acoustic tribute.
2011 The formation of CONCORD JOE. This is a blues-tinged rock band playing mainly original songs. THE BELL also formed this year.
2012 The first of many MORPHEUS reunion gigs at The Whitmore Hotel.
2013 Release of CONCORD JOE’S self-titled EP – Concord Joe. HIVE LIVE 8 was performed on Rocks Rhythmboat. THE ‘SESSION’ moved to The Bald Rock Hotel.
2014 THE BELL RESIDENCY AT BALD ROCK BEGINS
2016 CONCORD JOE ALBUM GOLD DUST RELEASED
2017 PRISONER OF PEACE SOLO ALBUM, MORPHEUS AT GERMAN CLUB, RIVERVIEW SESSIONS START
2018 HIVE LIVE NINE BEGINS