The Third Space is a band from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK, comprising long-standing friends Hendrik “Henk” Kleinsmiede and Joe Farthing.
Joe and Henk played in a band together back in the 1980s but like so many others, were forced to give up music in favour of real jobs, which they hold down still.
But music has always played a large part in their respective lives…and friendship. Between them, Joe and Henk have been to see many bands and go to Glastonbury together most years (subject to availability of tickets!)
Henk learned to play guitar as a teenager; used to write songs, and after a 20 year hiatus, now does so again. Having practically given up guitar (other than for doodling) he started a guitar collection whilst living and working in the USA (2003-2012). But it wasn’t until he moved to San Jose, California, in 2011 that he started to jam every week with a friend named Lou Ponticas, a bluegrass picker, rockabilly and blues player. That’s when he rediscovered his love of music and composition and once again started to play in earnest.
Joe has played in bands all his life. As a young teenager, he played in the 1960s flavoured band “Eleat”, who once performed to Princess Diana at a Prince’s Trust event. Later he founded the band “Inside Out” and played in “Moving Positive”. An ardent Beatles fan, Joe started playing in a number of Beatles tribute bands in recent years, including “It’s The Beatles” and “The Vox Beatles”, based on the south coast of England. He is George.
Henk moved back to the UK from the USA in January 2013. After 20+ years of seeing each other socially (and playing together only occasionally), Joe came round to Henk’s house in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in February 2013, brandishing an iPad, a copy of Garage Band software and a device called an “apogee jam” which basically allows one to connect musical instruments to the iPad or computer. Right there, Joe instructed Henk to start recording. That’s how this started.
Over the next few months Henk did nothing but. The results he would share with Joe, who would then work on, and improve, whatever Henk furnished him with. Thus, slowly, did “The Third Space” begin. The band is “virtual” in the sense that Joe and Henk rarely work together in the same room, but rather leave files for each other to work on. That’s also where the name comes from. Henk occupies one space. Joe another. In between, there is a third space, where the music is made.
This website comprises the fruit of their efforts to date.
Henk’s downstairs neighbour is a very talented young man by the name of William Manwaring, now 17 years of age and on a sound-engineer’s course. William frequently records “The Third Space” and also plays some of the instruments; guitar; bass and keyboards. An excellent on-line session drummer by the name of Max Saidi (wantdrums.com) plays drums and percussion; Robb Hutzal from StudioPros (studiopros.com) sources keyboards; percussion; violin and peddle steel; and a producer called Kevin Paul (kevin-paul.com) mixes the results.