Peter Wilkinson (musician)

Peter Wilkinson (born Leslie Peter Wilkinson^[1] 9 May 1969 in Liverpool) in an English bass player and singer-songwriter, formerly of Shack, Cast, and Echo & the Bunnymen.

He is currently concentrating on his Aviator project, with which he released the album No Friend Of Mind in August 2015.

Biography

Although having taught himself to play bass at an early age by listening to new wave bands such as The Stranglers and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Wilkinson took an interest in jazz and went on to tour the jazz circuit across the north west of England and North Wales. He gained a college diploma in the genre before deciding that he would never be able to move out of the small clubs he was already playing whilst playing jazz.^[2]

In 1990, Wilkinson joined Shack with whom he worked on the album Waterpistol. The album however would not be released until 1995, due to problems with the loss of the master tapes and the original record label folding leading to the band splitting up.

In 1992, he co-founded Cast with former La's bassist John Power whom fronted the band.

Following the band's split in 2001, Wilkinson released a solo album in October 2002 Huxley Pig Part 1 under the guise of Aviator.^[3] He also began working as a session musician, playing with artists including Ian McCulloch,^[4] Echo & the Bunnymen,^[5] Canadian songwriter/vocalist Simon Wilcox^[6] and The Hours with whom he took on lead guitar duties.^[7]

In 2005, Wilkinson rejoined the reformed Shack, who released two albums on Noel Gallagher's record label, Sour Mash.^[8]

Wilkinson also composes and performs music for TV commercials.^[7]

In 2010, Wilkinson re-joined the reformed Cast for a UK tour in November 2010. The band went on to release the album Troubled Times in 2012 with drummer Steve Pilgrim replacing Keith O'Neill who was too busy tour managing to participate. Following an abrupt departure from a tour in December 2014, Wilkinson confirmed in March 2015 that he had left the band and wouldn't be working on their forthcoming album or touring with the band, stating that "without going into too much detail, I don't really want to do it any more" and added that "they play the same set we were playing twenty years ago and I just thought "I can't do that any more - I can't engage with it".^[9]

Wilkinson released the long delayed Aviator follow up album Huxley Pig, Part 2 in 2012 and follow up single Desolation Peaks on limited edition 7" via Eighties Vinyl Records in 2013.^[10] He is set to release the third Aviator album No Friend Of Mind in August 2015.^[11]

Associated acts

• Shack (1990–1991, 2005–2006)
• Cast (1992–2001, 2010–2014)
• Aviator (2002–present)
• Echo & the Bunnymen (2003–2005)
• The Hours (2006–2007)

Discography

• Shack - Waterpistol (1995)
• Cast - All Change (1995)
• Cast - Mother Nature Calls (1997)
• Cast - Magic Hour (1999)
• Cast - Beetroot (2001)
• Aviator - Huxley Pig, Part 1 (2002)
• Ian McCulloch - Slideling (2003)
• Echo & the Bunnymen - Siberia (2005)
• Shack - ...The Corner of Miles & Gil (2006)
• Simon Wilcox - Charm and the Strange (2007)
• Baltic Fleet - Baltic Fleet (2008)
• Cast - Troubled Times (2011)
• Aviator - Huxley Pig, Part 2 (2012)
• Aviator - By the By: Unreleased Sessions 2002–2012 (2013)
• Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band - Artorius Revisisted (2013)
• Aviator - No Friend Of Mind (2015)

References

External links

• Peter Wilkinson at AllMusic
• Peter Wilkinson discography at Discogs