ROD MELVIN had formal piano training until leaving school, followed by Foundation Fine Art studies at Chelsea School of Art and BA Fine Art at Reading University. During this time he made paintings and also took part in performance work with fellow students, including Anne Bean and Graham Challifour called The Moodies (aka as Moody & The Menstruators). After graduation The Moodies performed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and UK art galleries, colleges etc, followed by European Tours, mainly in Germany culminating in a made-for-TV film The Moodies directed by German Film Director and Screenwriter Wolf Gremm.

Rod continued working in performance and music, including collaborations with Lindsay Kemp a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist and choreographer - who trained both David Bowie and Kate Bush in the art of mime - followed by song-writing with Ian Dury as pianist/composer in the band Kilburn & The High Roads. This lead to co-writing the songs What A Waste and England’s Glory among others.

During the early 1980’s Rod became pianist for a ground-breaking comedy project called The Comic Strip which appeared in the unlikely venue of Raymonds Revue Bar Strip Club, Soho. The show created a massive stir in the UK comedy scene, ushering in a new generation of comedians such as Alexei Sayle, Rick Mayall and French & Saunders and is widely regarded to have been the advent of ‘alternative comedy’.

Rod has over the years held piano residencies in top clubs and restaurants including London’s Pont de La Tour; Scotts; Bentleys and has now been resident pianist at The Groucho Club for many years..

Rod has also written music for film and TV, including the feature films Churchill The Hollywood Years and Stella StreetThe Movie.
He also made a cameo performance in Absolutely Fabulous,The Movie.

KNITTING ART WORK

Rod learnt to knit aged 4 and has always knitted. In recent years he has developed a more individual and painterly style of working, combining both the skills of knitting and painting to create a unique body of work.

Commisions can be considered for portraits and/or bespoke pieces.
For further enquiries please email Rod at rooftoprod@hotmail.co.uk