Band Biographies

Get to know the members of Ruder Than U!

Elizah Jackson

Elizah has been involved in music for most of her life. She was a member of Mobo Unsigned finalist band Phoenix Nights from 2001-2005. While she was with them, Phoenix Nights represented Coventry in the National Peace Festival in Hiroshima and performed in Tokyo, Japan. Elizah did backing vocals for Riddimstone between 2011 and 2013. She has also done studio work for the Christine Sugary Staple, providing backing vocals for some new tracks. It isn't surprising that her uncanny resemblance to Pauline Black is often mentioned, and she actually played the Pauline Black character at the Coventry Mysteries in summer 2013. When she isn't performing, Elizah works as a Stage Manager and is currently Company Stage Manager at Birmingham REP.

Conor Nolan

Conor is a graduate of the Acting course at the Arts University College, Bournemouth. As a Coventry kid, he's had his fair share of experience when it comes to Ska. Through Ego Performance Company and Coventry-based musician Steve Fardon, he joined the Specialists, a Coventry Ska band. This then led to performing at the Coventry Mysteries in 2013 with Elizah, and starring in the Belgrade Theatre's Three Minute Heroes in October 2014. Playing music and singing in a band has always been a passion of his. He's delighted to be a member of Ruder Than U, with "the best musicians on the face of the earth"! Conor has worked as a tour guide on Dinosaurs in the Wild in Birmingham, London and Manchester and completed two theatre tours in Dubai before the Pandemic. He now also works as a talent agent for Midlands talent agency RED Talent Management.

Sarah Workman

Sarah has been playing various instruments since she was eight years old. Starting with keyboard, then guitar, then self-teaching drums, bass and double bass. Drums quickly took over as a first instrument, but she thoroughly enjoys jamming on her beautiful Fender Strat with Ruder Than U. Sarah also plays drums for all-female, vintage Rock & Roll band the Daisy Chains. She is a trained actor musician and graduated from Rose Bruford College in 2014. She had her professional stage debut in Three Minute Heroes where she met the rest of Ruder Than U. Other theatre credits include Sugar Coat (VAULT Festival and Southwark Playhouse), Girls Don't Play Guitars (Liverpool Royal Court) and Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Sherman Theatre, Cardiff).

Aitch Bembridge

Charley 'Aitch' Bembridge is a 2 Tone legend in his own right. He was the original drummer for the Selecter in the late 1970s and has also played with the Specials. Aitch has also worked alongside Steel Pulse, the Eurythmics, David Bowie, UB40, Bob Geldof, Meatloaf and many more. He is now a music teacher, mentor and is still an active member of several bands; many of which have also been founded by him. In the last few years, Aitch has reunited with Pauline and Gaps and has been touring the country with the Selecter again.

Special guests that have performed with Ruder Than U

We've been incredibly lucky to have some 2 Tone royalty perform with us on various occasions. These include:

- Lynval Golding (rhythm guitarist in the Specials)
- Neville Staple (the Specials)
- Charley Anderson (original member of the Selecter)
- John Shipley (the Special AKA, the Swinging Cats)
- Neol Davies (the Selecter)