Chuck Simms

from Victoria BC

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About

Chuck Simms

Instrument	Level
Bass	Professional
Guitar	Professional
Vocals	Professional

Chuck Simms was born in Soest, Germany in 1961. His father was a professional musician in the Canadian Armed Forces. Chuck always enjoyed music, and the first rock recording in his house was an 8-track tape of Jesus Christ Superstar which was crucial in his musical evolution. He watched Yellow Submarine when he was 14 and became obsessed with The Beatles; he remains a lifelong fan.

It wasn’t until the end of high school that Chuck began playing bass and later guitar. For most of the ‘80s and ‘90s his focus was on original music. He was inspired by the New Wave and Alternative artists as well as the classic rock of the ‘60s. His first original band of the mid ‘80s, Bruised and Stupid, received airplay on CFUV and several compositions were found on the seminal Random Thought compilation. He was a guitarist, vocalist and writer for The Revolvers, a band that enjoyed considerable success from 1987-1990. Featuring future Sutcliffe and major talent Terry Marshall, this band played the Royal Theatre on several occasions and bigger shows as openers and headliners. The band was part of the first Rocktoria project, and Chuck’s original song (Feeling Down) received considerable airplay on Q100.

From 1990 to 1993 Chuck was also part of Victoria alternative perennials 64 Funnycars in their last lineup as bassist, vocalist, and writer. With Robin Platts he formed Hairplane, who were also featured on 1994’s Rocktoria release. After an absence for three years as a teacher in Northern BC he returned to Victoria and participated on various original projects including The Dandies with Casey Ryder, The Perils of Pauline (with a record third appearance on Rocktoria!) and Ouch.

In 2000, Chuck changed gears. Eschewing originals, he put together That ‘70s Band. This was a massively successful showband in which he played bass and sang. That ‘70s Band headlined the annual Michael Dunahee fundraiser and were one of the premier acts in Victoria. He left in 2007 to form The Sutcliffes with Shaun Wilson and dynamic frontman Terry Marshall.

For The Sutcliffes Chuck switched to guitar and returned to his first love: The Beatles. Though the band has always played a wide range of material, The Beatles catalogue remains the core of their show. The Sutcliffes were on hiatus from 2016 to 2022 when they re-formed and expanded their sound. They offer theatre shows and regularly perform at the bigger events such Government House and Butchart Gardens. This band represents his greatest commitment.

In addition to The Sutcliffes, Chuck also plays guitar and sings in a duo with Shaun Wilson, his longtime musical foil. Their duo the cliffes focuses on harmony artists such as the Everly Brothers and a host of classics. Rock Yacht is a new project that assays the ‘yacht rock’ genre. This band features stellar musicians (Pedro Arbour, Arman Tesoro and Bil Underwood) and offers a new catalogue to explore. As guitarist and one of four vocalists, this band represents Chuck’s approach to music. For each project he seeks material and a theme that will offer new opportunities as a musician and vocalist. He is fortunate to continue to play regularly as guitarist or bassist with a number of great musicians and still loves music as much today as when he was a 14-year-old kid mesmerized by The Beatles.

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