Gear |
Gibson Flying V (tasteful guitar), Ibanez RG550 (maniac guitar), Eng Valve amp, Boss GT6 effects, occasional other bits |
| My generation's Dr Who was... | The original and best - William Hartnell |
| Musical Influences ... | Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Metallica |
| Heroes... | Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash Flying V Wielder) |
| Can't be doing with... | Discrimination and prejudgement |
| Best gig ever... | Tangerine Dream late seventies. Freakiest thing I ever saw. |
| Favourite Movies | Bladerunner, Dances with Wolves, LOTR |
| Favourite Song(s) in Set | Can never remember names but I like the ones that break down into mayhem - I like unpredicatability |
| Best Gig I Played at... | Farewell gig with Sparrowhawk. Decided to ignore what the keyboard player wanted me to play and just played like f**k. Then he asked me why I had played better than ever before. Doh! |
Started off with piano lessons when was about 9. I got sick of being beaten up for a sissy every Wednesday evening so that stopped.
When I was about 15 decided to learn guitar. Borrowed a finger shredder from the guy next door and became a hermit until my fingers stopped bleeding.
Then I got my first electric guitar- £25 pounds worth. No idea what it was or what happened to it. Built amps and had several goes at frying myself. Made my first ‘Fuzz’ pedal. Eventually bought a PA amp to play through. My grandad built the speaker cabs. I blew the backs off first time I played through them. Eventually upgraded my guitar to a Watkins Rapier 33.
A mate of mine, Simon Brophy, played bass and he knew some GIRLS who wanted to sing. Off we went playing Olivia Newton John and Ralph McTell. The band was called Prism. This obviously couldn’t last- there’s only so much shame you can take in pursuit of a gig.
Then the bass player and I formed my first proper band – Phaydon. We made up our own music and covered a few Status Quo things. Played a few gigs at college and pubs. Then I left London to go to university in Leeds.
There was a long period of no guitar – probably 10 years. The Rapier got stolen in a burglary and I didn’t notice for 2 months. My personal Dark Ages.
Can’t remember when I started playing again – late eighties I think. I had to buy an amp and a guitar. Made the mistake of getting a Strat copy. That was when I discovered me and single coils don’t get on even though some of my favourite players live by them. Then I got a superstrat. (That got stolen eventually too). Humbuckers at last. I answered an ad in one of the music shops for someone to form a band. I met Anthony Granville-Fall and we formed ELK, later called SPARROWHAWK.. Over a period of about 6 years we played around Yorkshire. This was my progressive rock stage. We loved it and so did some people who heard us- but not enough. I left because we weren’t getting anywhere.
A couple of years earlier I stumbled across a load of people who met and jammed. Jo Jo occasionally sang with us. They had a band called Vital Signs. When Vital Signs got stuck for a lead guitarist they asked me to play with them. Dave B (see Dave’s biog) was the singer with this lot. He broke his finger and asked his mate Dave (our Dave) to help us out with rhythm guitars. Dave mentioned he fancied getting a band together and the rest as they is history.
Still doing a bit with Vital Signs.
Gizza
Gig!