Vox Rocks: No girls allowed here!

Ian Tipping and Nick Botham from Vox Rocks in St Neots

He admits it's thoroughly chauvinistic, but Ian Tipping's new music venture really is just for blokes.

Vox Rocks, based in St Neots, is looking for guys aged 14-21 to join their new singing group.

But this is a choir with a difference, singing covers of Stones, Kasabian and Kooks tracks, among others.

"It's going to be very exciting," said Tipping. "We'll be performing new takes on classic songs by rock and indie-rock bands."

Vox Rocks' introductory workshop takes place on Sunday 10 January 2010 at St Neots Town Football Club from 6pm to 7.30pm. There will be rehearsals every Sunday culminating in a community concert at Huntingdon Commemoration Hall on Friday 7 May.

No girls

Vox Rocks could give you the confidence to sing out loud!

But, why no girls? Ian Tipping explained: "We've given the group - Vox Rocks - the subtitle 'No Girls Allowed' and it's a vocal group just for blokes.

"It's absolutely, blatantly chauvinistic and we make no bones about that.

"We're actually trying to encourage more lads to take up singing and we're going to be doing music along the lines of indie-rock and punk - you know, things that guys of this age might be listening to.

"Lots of them think singing's a bit wimpy and given the choice of playing football or going out somewhere to sing, they'd probably choose the football.

"We want to show them that it's really great."

As well as starting up Vox Rocks, Ian is the musical director of the Riverside Theatre Company in St Neots, a professional bass player and member of indie cover band, The Modern Fix.

Riotous

The Kaiser Chiefs predicted a riot, and Vox Rocks might very well cause one, as that, together with Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis, are just two of the songs Ian will have the group belting out in the first session.

"What I'll do after that is take suggestions from the group and hopefully do some of those songs."

Cheap, cheap

Buoyed by funding from John Lewis and the BBC's Choral Ambition project - which supports community choirs working toward a public performance - Ian and his team are able to offer the Vox Rocks introductory session for just £2 and further sessions for £1 each.

The introductory session takes place on Sunday 10 January at St Neots Football Club from 6pm to 7.30pm.

If you can't make it to that workshop, you can still turn up at one of the regular Sunday sessions.

For enquiries or further details, email Ian at Riverside Theatre Company or call 07928 947479.