Iconic Music & Media - Uiscedwr

Alan Prosser Biography

Born in Wolverhampton in 1951, Alan describes his upbringing as "totally normal, except for driving parents and siblings demento with whistles, recorders, and banging on the piano."

As Alan's childhood love of music developed, he experimented with a wide range of instruments including guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bowed psaltery, bones, bandura, various guitar synths, and the sitar (he admits faring less well with drums and the trumpet).

Alan dropped out of Kent University "...to become a medieval minstrel" and his early musical career included playing in groups including The Clee Three, Beggar's Institution, Dane John, Cuspidor, Tundra, Longport Buzz and Fiddler's Dram,  which was founded by Dave Arbus of East of Eden.

Alan's main instrument is the guitar and he has a reputation among fellow musicians as a perfectionist, renowned for his prolific practice. His musical influences are wide-ranging - from medieval music to the American South, from pop and rock to Britain's folk-revival guitarists.

Alan's career has included a stint in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band but he is best known as a founding member of The Oyster Ceilidh Band, later Oysterband. He has been the groups guitarist / vocalist for thirty-odd years and his trademark guitar is an essential part of Oysterband's distinctive sound, whether playing finger-style acoustic guitar on unplugged outings or driving the band's electric line-up with power chords on the Strat. As a songwriter and arranger, Alan has made a significant contribution to Oysterband's repertoire.

Away from Oysterband, Alan's recordings include Hall Place released in 1997 and co-produced by Alaric Neville, Makerfield released in 2003, and Nomads Cellar Sessions (with Lucy Randall and Brendan Power) released in 2006.

Alan lives in Canterbury with his wife and son.