About Us

Formed in the summer of 2005, Time To Breathe has everything it takes to provide the ultimate Pink Floyd experience.
When you see them in action, not only do you get a band which sounds like Floyd, you experience a real show - just the way the music was meant to be presented: High quality sound, professional lighting/effects and dedicated musicians mean you'll want to come back for more.
Take a look below to find out more about each band member.

Jim | Terry | Neil | Chris | David | John | Richard | Jim | Darren

Jim Hutchinson
Guitar & Vocals

jim@timetobreathe.org.uk

After seeing an advert on television for The Shadows Golden Greats when I was 11 I just had to have an electric guitar, but I really didn’t know what one was! My parents wouldn’t buy me one so I saved up £10 and got myself a second hand acoustic guitar, sat down with a lolly pop stick as a pick and learnt to play!.

I played in several bands through my school years, my first being "Cert X" when I was 13. After I left school I just played with mates and jammed for several years eventually teaming up with a mate in 1990 to form a club band call “Mirage”.

"Mirage" split in 1994 and became "No Alibi", playing covers including Floyd – this is where my love affair with Pink Floyd began. "No Alibi" gave way to "The Humpin’ Toads" in 1996, the highlight being main stage at Northampton Derngate Theatre. The Toads had a love for Queen so we changed to “Majesty” in 1998, playing all Queen covers.

Unfortunately due to illness I sold all my guitars and equipment and didn’t play for 3 years. In 2001 I formed "Spices Like Us" then later that year "Alibi", playing lots of Floyd. In 2003 the bass player and myself set up “Out of The Flesh”, being joined by Sharon in early 2004.

"Out of The Flesh" split in June 2005, but undeterred, myself, Darren and Sharon teamed up with the guys from "Chaos Theory" plus Val, Richard and Jim to make up "Time To Breathe"

Equipment:
Hiwatt Lead 100 R Head Valve.
Hiwatt 4x12 Speaker cab.
Dave Gilmour EMG Guitar pickup system fitted into Candy Apple Red 1996 USA Stratocaster.
1980s Japanese Fender Candy Apple Stratocaster.
Line 6 pod live XT fx floor board
15 Channel UHF Radio Guitar System

Terry West
Guitar & Vocals

terry@timetobreathe.org.uk

Self taught, Terry has been playing guitar since the age of 16 and has played in bands such as Laid To Waste and Adversary, mostly heavy rock, since he was about 18. He was then invited to join Wilfred Hyde White, a classic rock band and quickly gelled with the existing band members, who included John and Neil. The band progressed and changed through the years, becoming Area 51 and then Chaos Theory, playing such prestigious venues as Leicester City FC and Blenheim Palace.

Previous to playing the guitar, Terry played the keyboards as a hobby, achieving Grade 5 on the electronic organ and a gold medal from Technics Music Academy.

From a young age, Terry sung in choirs and shows in fantastic venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Kings College - Cambridge, Bath Abbey, Bristol Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, Peterborough Cathedral and theatres such as the McKinley.

Terry uses Fender, Ibanez & Gibson guitars, Marshall amps and a Line 6 POD XT Live for effects.

Neil Smith
Bass Guitar & Vocals

neil@timetobreathe.org.uk

I began playing the bass guitar at the age of 15, in a band with some school friends. I had no idea how to read music, but learnt to play ‘by ear’ accompanying my favourite records at home. We had a couple of small support gigs, but it was soon all over with me leaving school at 16, and the others staying on to do A levels.

I then was asked to join an established ‘60s club band, and continued with this for some time.

I would not dare venture towards a microphone, even to do backing vocals!

Rhiannon, a pub/club band came along next, and then a stint playing blues. It is at this time that I started to overcome my shyness and take my turn at ‘the mic’. Wilfred Hyde White, a classic rock covers band was next, with 3 members of Rhiannon involved - and me as the lead vocalist! What a turnaround of events! We lasted about 5 years, then after an 18 month lay off, we came back as Chaos Theory, playing classic rock and progressive covers.

In 2003, due to other commitments, I left Chaos Theory and went into what I thought was ’musical retirement’. Then a call came out of the blue in 2005 and I auditioned for Time To Breathe, and I’m still here!

Equipment:
Trace Elliot 400W bass amplification
Trace Elliot 4 x 10 bass cabinet
Trace Elliot 1 x 15 bass cabinet
Zoom bass effects
Nady wireless guitar system
Shure SM58 microphone
Yamaha and Fender bass guitars

Chris Beahan
Keyboards

chris@timetobreathe.org.uk

Having started playing piano in local pubs at the age of 16 in what was then home, the Peak District, Chris decided to point his thumb in the direction of London in the mid 80s, most notably to end up performing in the pianobar of George Best’s nightclub in Mayfair. Transferring to the international pianobar circuit of Scandinavia in 1985 Chris toured as a solo artiste living mostly in Sweden for a total of 7 years, before finally realising there was perhaps more to music and the world than “play it again, Sam” and another one-pub Swedish town, respectively.

7 further years of full time touring thus ensued at overseas resorts and Cruise Ships, including aboard the QE2 as part of the covers band Spangle, as well as long term residencies for the Hilton and Sheraton hotel chains in Turkey, UAE, China, Israel and Morocco. Performances were occasionally leading a 5-piece band but more usually as the other half of the Lounge Duo, Body & Soul. In 1999 however he decided to quit the travelling and pack the keyboards away to embark on the ultimate and most challenging tour to date – fatherhood!

As soon as the kids had grown out of the nappy stage there was a year or so as the keyboard player with function group The Basement Band in East Anglia, before finally moving to Towcester in 2003. Musical semi-retirement finally took its toll by 2007, however, hence the desire to locate a suitable tribute band for him to tickle his ivories with.

A dedicated Floyd fan since hearing The Wall album which changed his life at the age of 14, Time To Breathe “really blew the socks off” at the audition for him, apparently, so much so that just for a split second he actually considered paying the band himself for the opportunity to play with them, before realising he might actually be able to get away with the exact opposite.

Equipment:
Roland D50 Synthesizer
Yamaha DGX-620 Digital Piano

David Smith
Keyboards

dave@timetobreathe.org.uk

Dave started his musical journey at 13 as a brass player, playing cornet and trumpet. This gave him the ‘bug’ for music. He started playing keyboards a few years later, (in the 80’s when synthesizers were the in thing), and played in a 3 piece electronic music band called ‘4th Dimension’, who performed their own, original music. After passing his grade 8 theory at 16, he was the youngest person at the time to undertake a music theory diploma at Trinity College. He is now a multi-instrumentalist, being proficient in guitar, bass and drums. Dave also is able to groan out a few backing vocals.

Dave was soon playing in local rock bands, including Big Al, I.D and is still a member of The Dark Side, which is a covers band that dabbles in Pink Floyd’s music. He was also a member of a Blues Brothers tribute and soul band – ‘The Blues Others’.

Two years ago, Dave bought and now runs Beck Recording Studios and specialises in working with songwriters to arrange and compose their music as well as recording local artists and is also involved in the project management of music festivals, etc.

Dave says - ‘I am honoured to have been given the opportunity of joining Time to Breathe. I just love the music of Pink Floyd and being able to perform it with such great musicians is a true privilege’.

Equipment:
Roland Fantom X8
More to come……

John Sharpe
Drums & Vocals

john@timetobreathe.org.uk

John started out on his musical journey in brass bands and later marching bands playing cornet and trumpet not drums. John has played the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London and also the NEC Birmingham. Then came the drums playing with bands from the Northants area. Most recently John returned from a lay off and joined Time to Breathe on a helping basis but ended up staying on a permanent basis. After a brief absense, John is back with his powerful sound.

John plays Pearl Masters RetroSpec drums in a fantastic Abalone finish, Zildjian and Sabian cymbals.

Richard Markie
Drums, Percussion & Vocals

rich@timetobreathe.org.uk

Richard has been playing drums now since the age of 10, starting out with the usual school bands, under some great tutelage he then moved on to support the county, first at junior level then youth, playing for various groups, with some fantastic conductors and teachers.

He studied earlier in his life with all percussion instruments for the two orchestras, he then concentrated more on kit side with big bands and brass bands. “The level that these bands were at and awards we gathered while touring the country was immense and gave me some great played venues under my belt.”

Now having finished all that and after playing with a few other bands he’s now looking forward to taking on the “Gary Wallis” role for ‘Time to Breathe’. If you can’t see him behind the kit you’ll just have to wait till he catches the Gary Wallis spirit and jumps in the air!

Equipment:
Premier drums & Hardware (7 piece APK, Black)
Sabian Cymbals
Yamaha DTX trigger module
Millennium Roto Toms 6” 8” 10”
Vic Firth sticks

Jim Leach
Saxophones

jiml@timetobreathe.org.uk

Jim has been playing sax on and off since the age of twelve, having played in all sorts of bands over the years covering everything from a classical saxophone quartet and various small jazz bands, through to rock and big bands.

In the early nineties Jim was coaxed out of a ten year lay off by Neil, to join classic rock covers band 'Wilfred Hyde White' where he also played alongside members of rock band 'Chaos Theory'.

Recent years have seen him concentrate on big bands where he has had the privilege of playing with some of the best big band and jazz musician in the world such as Don Lusher, John Dankworth, Terry Lightfoot and Bernie Fenton.

Equipment:
Yanagisawa Baritone Sax with a Berg Larsen ebonite mouth piece
Jupiter Tenor Sax with a Bobby Dukoff 7* metal mouth piece.

Darren Hutchinson
Sound & Lights

darren@timetobreathe.org.uk

I took up sound and lighting engineering back in 2002 for my first band “Alibi” who my dad (Jim) played lead guitar for, after their first engineer decided to pursue a different career. It was around this time when I first took interest in live music/sound & lighting.

Starting with just a small Peavey mixing desk and a couple of speakers I now own and run with my dad a hire company called D&J’s Lighting & PA Hire. I now have enough Lighting and sound equipment to fill three large Transit vans.

Running the front of house for “Time to Breathe” is a challenge and I base all the lighting and laser shows on the live Pink Floyd, Earls Court concerts as close to the real thing as I can with just a fraction of equipment Floyd would have used themselves.

As for sound, well that’s a different ball game altogether, working with the Floyd Tribute is a real pleasure. ‘Time to Breathe’ are more professional to work with, which makes my job a lot simpler and more exciting.

Apart from running the front of house for the Floyd tribute I also do sound and lighting for other bands in various locations in and around Northants, most of the younger bands tend to be into Rock or the Nu Metal scene.

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About Us