About the band

The band started playing together two years ago, although unoffically much longer than that as three of them are brothers. Having spent much of lockdown recording remote covers of various different songs, they began to write more of their own music and in September 2024 they played their first gig at The Sir Walter Raleigh pub in East Devon. Since then they have gone on to release three singles and their debut EP entitled Barnfind, a nod to the remote Devon barn they often use to practice in. They have performed in several venues across both Devon and London, where they are now half-based, and their live performances have started to gain them a reputation for being a reliably entertaining band, with an eclectic collection of original songs which have been described as "crackingly catchy" and "pure joy".

Venues that Johnny and the Lizards have played at recently include:

Ram Jam Records (Kingston), Hux Hotel (Kensington), The Old Firehouse (Exeter), The Cavern (Raynes Park), The Spice of Life (Soho), The Stag's Head (Hoxton). The Beehive (Bow), The Sindercombe Social (Shepherd's Bush) and The Sir Walter Raleigh (East Budleigh).

Meet the Band

Tom Palmer

Vocals/Guitars/Sax

Tom is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Devon, now living in London. He’s the band’s lead singer, guitarist, and occasional saxophonist. When he’s not writing wordy songs about murder mysteries and Walter Cronkite, he’s often playing various instruments in pit orchestras and listening to The Pogues – though rarely at the same time.

Robbie Palmer

Bass Guitar/Trombone

A trombone player by rights, a few years ago Sam and Tom decided it was high time Robbie picked up a cooler instrument. When subtle encouragement fell on deaf ears, there was only one thing for it. One Christmas later, Robbie was armed with ‘Bass Guitar for Dummies’ and officially qualified to occupy the low end of Johnny and the Lizards. No word yet on how much cooler this has made him.

Sam Palmer

Drums

Sam is a drummer, engineer, and peppermint tea enthusiast, also unsurprisingly from Devon. Now living in Sheffield, he sometimes breaks up the monotony of enjoying the spectacular Peak District by mixing the band’s tracks and making impassioned points about audio file naming conventions.

Addison Fry

Keys

Addison plays keys for Johnny and the Lizards, adding both piano sounds as well as B3 organ. Originally from Devon, he often plays in pit bands and occasionally takes charge (whether he likes it or not). Once described as the "keys maestro”, Addison has a knack for playing a wide range of styles and turns Tom’s complex ideas for the keys into reality.