Ipswich singer heads for fame

FAME and fortune as the next big thing to arrive in the music world could soon be on the cards for a former Ipswich school boy.

Simon Tricker's dreams of hitting the big time as a singer could be about to come true today after he beat off tough competition to become a member of new group.

The three piece group, called Limited Edition, were put together after a series of auditions held by a London-based management company.

And after years of auditioning for groups and entertaining crowds abroad, Simon now hopes that Limited Edition will his big break.

The 25-year-old said: “It is all going really quickly, it was only four months ago I was working for a holiday company in Fuerteventura.

“It's very early days but it's going very well and we're getting some recognition, we've already performed to 3,000 people at Butlins in Minehead.”

The group have already recorded several songs and Simon met fellow members Ben Fineberg, 24 and Dione Hyman, 23, when they got together to start work on their music.

He said: “It's brilliant to be in the group, it something I've always wanted to do. It's hard performing in front of crowds at first but you get used to it and I feel more comfortable now, and you get better and better the more you do it.

Despite being all boys, Simon is keen to point out the group do not want to be known as a boy band and are keen to stay away from the boy band image, preferring instead to call themselves a vocal harmony group.

“We want to try and stay clear of the boy band image,” the former Copleston High School pupil said.

“I think boy bands have had their day really, we want to be a three piece and we are really trying to keep away from the boy band image even though we're three young guys.”

Simon, whose family live on Main Road, Kesgrave, described Limited Edition's music as a mix of pop and R&B and said he has had tips on how to cope with the difficult music industry from fellow Suffolk singer, Woodbridge born soul star Nate James.

He said: “It's a tough industry but you just have to keep going not give up.

“I met Nate James and he has given me lots of advice and help, I'll send him texts sometimes to ask his advice and he always helps out.”

With a few songs already recorded, Limited Edition started a tour around clubs, but that has been put on hold while they plan to head back to the studio to record more material and their management company, called Crash Management work to find them a record deal with one of the big labels.

Simon said: “We need to get signed to a label, if you don't it is very difficult, and you have to be in the right place at the right time.

“But we're mixing in the right circles now so we're feeling confident.”

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Simon said he first discovered he had a talent for singing when he started performing at pubs in Ipswich. The Brickmakers Arms in Spring Road was the venue for his first live performance.

Simon also took part in the Evening Star's charity talent contest, The Voice of 2000, in April of that year.

Before finding out he had been selected to be a part of Limited Edition, Simon had been entertaining holidaymakers in Spain.

Originally from Essex, Ben has also worked as a singer entertaining holidaymakers, on board a cruise ship.

Now living in London, but hailing from Bristol, Dione used to be a member of R&B group, Gentleman before joining Limited Edition.

Limited Edition aren't the first band to object to being called a boy band - in the 1990's, American group Backstreet Boys said they found the term offensive and insisted on being called a male vocal group instead.