Peter Bull has been playing music since learning the piano at age nine. During his teens he became interested in the guitar and since learning a handful of powerful 60’s classics by The Who and The Kinks, it became one of his passions. That’s when he first met Shane McLeay. Shane, high school friend Mark Avery and Peter formed the band Alien. Pete says,”We tried writing our own songs and recorded a couple of tapes under the name Horizon, but Shane had already left to join Turn the Page by this point. Shane and I have been friends since we were about 14, and so I feel particularly honoured to have been asked to join the group. It’s quite a nostalgia trip considering we haven’t played together properly since we were kids.”
After Peter left school he continued to study music at what is now known as Southern Cross University in Lismore. “I’m proud to say that I was in the same year as Phil and Joe from Grinspoon and Paul and Warwick from Skunkhour, and have shared the bill with Grinspoon at their first ever live gig” Says Peter. The bands he’s been in include two originals bands, Funky Caterpillar and Pauls Fish Cafe. The caterpillar won the uni band competition at Lismore and got to compete in the final in Sydney, and Pauls Fish Cafe has recorded a CD called POPUNK.
In 1994 Peter became a high school music teacher, firstly at Byron Bay High School where two members from Parkway drive went to school at the time, now he is currently teaching at Taree high school.
Peter played on Lisa Hunts first ever Australian tour back in 1999 and can be heard on the live tracks on her album, Peter also spent a lot of time performing in piano bars since his early twenties both here and overseas. Peter has played with a variety of bands over the years, most currently the Perfect Strangers.
I love recording, writing songs, performing live whether on guitar or keyboards and am really enjoying the opportunity to play with such a talented group of musicians alongside Greg, Paul, Jason and my old buddy Shane.
Shane McLeay and Peter Bull have both expressed how great it is to be reunited musically, “I got an email from Pete one day saying how he read about me in a magazine, went to the website and loved the music he heard and offered his services on keys, guitars and vocals, all of which he is awesome at. I couldn’t wait to tell the guys in the band about Peter’s offer and all the guys knew of him by reputation and it was with great pleasure and a lot of enthusiasm I called him and asked him to join – Pete has really been the icing on the cake and it’s good to be playing with my old high school buddy again after twenty something years” said Shane.