About us - meet 10cclo
10cclo - There are 6 of us.
Needless to say, we are all fans of both 10cc and ELO and we love the depth and sometimes oddness of their musical catalogue. Very few tunes are straightforward to play and require plenty of rehearsal...especially for the complex vocal harmonies that both bands are noted for.
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So, here we are in, in no particular order:
Ady Hellyer
Vocals & Guitar
Upon receiving a Woolworths acoustic guitar for his 9th birthday, Ady set out on his journey to rock n roll stardom by self taught means upon seeing Jimmy Page in his black dragon suit and Gibson guitar hanging at groin height, although Ady never quite pulled off the corkscrew hair and stick-thin rock-god look. Ady gained his musical chops by playing the local pubs and clubs from the age of 14 in a band with his brothers then went on to form/join different outfits around the South Birmingham area.
Later on he would form F4 and would write and record their only album of the same name and would go on to perform at iconic venues as The Cavern, Liverpool, and The Hope and Anchor and O2 in London. The works of Roger Waters and Neil Finn has underlined Ady’s love of great lyrics and unique melodies, so to be on stage these days interpreting the words of songwriting giants such as ELO’s Jeff Lynne and the members of 10CC is an absolute dream job.
Paul Boydell
Guitar & Vocals
The year was 1972 and I was 11 years old. My older brother brought home a Wishbone Ash album called Argus. First I saw the inner sleeve and the picture of Andy Powell with his Flying V, then I heard the album which was literally music to my ears and then the piece de resistance, the guitar solo on the album's final track "Throw down the sword", this made me determined to play guitar.
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Fast forward a few years to the year 2000, after playing in club bands around the country, I was invited by an old friend Roy Clinton to join a new band without a name performing prog rock, this band became Prognosis and performed together for many years with John Lewis (below) joining a couple of years after the bands inception. After prognosis, Roy, John, myself and the drummer then went on to form 10CCLO. John and myself are now the only long standing member of 10CCLO and just love performing the music of 10CC and ELO. Long may it continue!
Roy Pearson
Drums & Vocals
Following in my Dad’s footsteps, drums and percussion were a way of life in the Pearson household. Dad started in Liverpool for the 60s Mersey boom. We then followed the work North through the 70s and have stayed in the North East ever since.
I was Pro from mid 80s until 1995, then owned and ran Newcastle Drum Centre successfully until 2007, staying in the industry focussing on the Event side until 2024.
I now play mainly for enjoyment and 10cclo is certainly that, as well as challenging, with both bands requiring complex harmonies as well as tight musical arrangements, it’s never less than exhilarating and great fun to be a part of.
Nick Lawrence
Violin & Percussion
Nick is a classically trained musician from Darlington. He started learning violin at primary school and went on to study at Trinity College of Music, London, where his string quartet coach was ex ELO member, the cellist, Colin Walker, no less!
Nick has played in numerous semi professional orchestras over the years. He is currently a member of the Richmondshire Orchestra. Nick also learnt to play bass guitar aged 30 and he has been in several bands since then and played for musicals in the orchestra pit.
Nick's hobbies are beer, trains & music, not necessarily in that order!
John Lewis
Keyboards & Vocals
Music was my first love...John started fiddling with the family piano at the age of about 6 or 7 and used to pick out by ear the tunes that he heard on the radio. His parents spotted his promise and arranged for piano lessons with a local teacher - eventually taking his graded piano exams and progressing to church organ once his legs were long enough to reach the pedals (insert joke here). Once he discovered the music of Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and Chick Corea nothing was quite the same - he bought a synthesizer and travelled the world and elsewhere with a cabaret band. Eventually ended up in a progressive rock tribute band called Prognosis...and this ultimately led to the formation of 10cclo - what an opportunity to perform such great music!.
Frank Todd
Bass & Vocals
Frank picked up the bass guitar at the age of 13 and quickly realised that bass players were always in demand — so he figured he’d better learn to play more than just root notes! What could have been a misspent youth turned into a lifelong career in music, gigging with countless bands across the country and eventually ending up teaching the next generation of musicians (some of whom even listen to him).
Frank joined 10cclo during lockdown and hasn’t looked back — he’s loving the chance to play such iconic music with a bunch of brilliant musicians who also happen to be great company.
Frank’s hobbies include enjoying good coffee, good music, good stories, and pretending to know jazz theory.