NOT many people can say that they have played in a band with Lady Cora from \u2018Downton Abbey\u2019. But Simon Nelson can. Last month, the guitarist completed a tour with the period drama actress Elizabeth McGovern, who heads up the group Sadie and the Hotheads.<\/p>\n
\u2018I met Elizabeth in her pre-\u201cDownton\u201d days,\u2019 says Simon, when I meet him at his home in London. \u2018My brother Steve is a guitar teacher and about seven years ago he put an advert in a local paper, offering lessons. Elizabeth got in touch because she wanted to learn to play some Bob Dylan music.<\/p>\n
\u2018When Steve started her lessons, neither of us knew who Elizabeth was. We gathered that she was quite a famous actress, but we are not particularly into films so didn\u2019t recognise her. Steve encouraged her to write some songs and straight away she did. She is very bright and creative, so was able to come up with some really quirky, interesting material.\u2019<\/p>\n
After a few songs had been composed, Simon put together a band to back her and record the songs. Since then, Sadie and the Hotheads have been making music. They try to arrange their diaries around Elizabeth\u2019s busy filming schedule.<\/p>\n
\u2018Elizabeth is very open to talking about being in \u201cDownton\u201d,\u2019 says Simon. \u2018She was also in a lot of films in the 1980s\u2019 [such as \u2018Once upon a Time in America\u2019, with Robert De Niro] \u2018and it is funny to hear her mention some of the stars she has worked with. She\u2019s very friendly.\u2019<\/p>\n
Simon explains how the band\u2019s name came about: \u2018The name Sadie gives Elizabeth a character to slip into, which she likes. The \u201cHotheads\u201d part is ironic, because none of us is.\u2019<\/p>\n
Even before he became a (hypothetical) Hothead, Simon made his living making music. He got into playing guitar in his early teens. He used to go home from school during his lunch break so he could practise. \u2018I was very enthusiastic,\u2019 he says. \u2018I played with bands in my teens, and when I turned 21 I became a full-time musician. I\u2019ve performed in some beautiful places, such as Bermuda and Australia. I\u2019ve also enjoyed playing for a variety of singers, including Beverley Knight and Alexandra Burke.\u2019<\/p>\n