DOUBLE YELLOW LINE

Lead Vocals: Chris Williams Nov83-Mar88

Guitar: Nick Maunder Nov83-Aug85 (2)Ben Ashby Nov83-Mar88

Guitar: Chris Wong (occasional)

Keys: Andrew Brook Mar85-Jul85

Bass: Ben Ashby to Bass Aug85 (2)Adrian Stan Stanley + vocals Aug85-Oct86 (3)Dave Pollitt Oct86-Jul87

(4)Stuart Davies Jul87-Mar88

Vocals, Drums: Simon Bishop Nov83-Mar88

"Double Yellow Line formed in November 1983 around three former pupils from Parkside Community College in Cambridge, Bishop (drums/vocals), Ashby (bass), Williams (vocals) and then Hills Road Sixth Form student Maunder (guitar).

The band started out playing gigs at parties and pubs in the Cambridge area. This included support slots with renowned ‘hippy prog’ band The Enid at London’s legendary Marquee Club on Wardour Street in June 1984. The band’s line-up changed in August 1985 placing main songwriter Ashby on guitar after Stanley joined the band on bass and backing vocals. It was this second line-up that entered the second Cambridge Rock Competition which ran over nearly three months at the Cambridge Guildhall, which culminated in the band winning the final on 28 February 1986. The prizes included a cash prize; recording time at Spaceward Studios in Streatham; a one-off single deal with Stiff Records (later re-negged on!) and a promotional video with World Video Productions (which was completed).

DYL spent the next six months gigging in East Anglia and recording at The Enid’s ‘Lodge Studio’ in Clare, Suffolk in the summer of 1986. Chris and Simon would also perform at the Hammersmith Odeon as backing vocalists for The Enid’s headline performance there in October. Around the same time Stanley left the band and was replaced by Pollitt. Following a spate of gigs at venues like Cambridge’s Burleigh Arms and headlining at the Cambridge Sea Cadet Hall in 1987 Davy left in July ’87 to work with The The’s drummer Zeke Manyika. Davies replaced Pollitt from July '87 to March '88. After nearly 80 gigs together in a little over four years, Double Yellow Line called it a day in March 1988.

Adrian Stanley left to study at King’s College in London. Chris went onto sing with Ely-based bands Crossland, who later reached the final of the 6^th Cambridge Rock Group Competition and then Beach Blanket Bingo who later supported Oasis at the Boatrace in Cambridge and won the 11^th Cambridge Rock Competition in 1995.

Davy went onto perform and do session work with several international acts including an appearance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops together with the act Banderas, playing on their hit single This Is Your Life in Feb 1991. He currently plays in the ska band Big 10 and teaches bass in Cambridge. Simon would also join him with Banderas and other Cambridge-based groups over the years.

Ben continues to write and record his own material and is currently still performing gigs in Cambridge." CW08/07/2021

(Williams - ??) <> (Williams - Crossland)