I started singing when I was 14 or 15 at school, same with harmonica but the lap steel is a very recent thing (Jan 2012). I had grown up listening to my mum's record collection - lots of Soul & Motown, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and Traffic. From there I got into The Who, Kinks, Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Small Faces, Cream, Bowie, Hendrix, MC5, Stooges, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, Free, The Band... As far as music in 1980 went it would have been Blondie, The Jam, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Bowie (again), B52's, Talking Heads, XTC, Stranglers, Specials, The Beat, Selecter... so getting on for 30 years!

The first big gig I went to was The Who at Birmingham NEC in 1980. I was 13 and got the coach from Manchester with a schoolfriend. I couldn't hear properly for about 3 days. My favourite excuse ever for not paying attention at school is "Sorry Sir, I went to see The Who on Friday and I can't hear properly".

An Anderwood semi-acoustic lap steel guitar, an Artisan electric lap steel guitar, a Fender Pro Junior valve amp, a 20 quid Strat copy (tuned 5 string open G), a Fender DG-5 acoustic (Dobro tuned), Hohner harmonicas - Blues Harp or Marine Band (except the C which is a Hohner 150th Anniversary Special Edition with a clear perspex middle rather than wood. I thought it was a bit gimmicky but it plays and sounds great so I use it all the time. It's featured on 'Eviction Day'), a Cajon Drumshop cajon and Shure SM58 mics. The Anderwood is my favourite, I use a Dunlop 925 chromed steel tonebar with the Artisan and a Diamond lead crystal tonebar with the Anderwood. To record the demos I use GarageBand on iPhone.

Like minded musicians, independent record companies/film makers, venue/festival promoters looking for bands, groovy cats.

The Who. When I was 12 there was a huge revival of the Mod movement of the 1960's. I got hooked and of course The Who were the ultimate Mod band. The Mod scene faded but I followed The Who, I really like Townshend's lyrics and the way he writes songs. The Who are real originals. The Rolling Stones are right up there too, but in a more obvious way.

I got a record deal with my first proper band Sweet Addiction in 1990. I met the guitarist at school and we became best friends and started writing songs together. The band played really loud British bluesy rock and put out 3 singles, toured all over the UK, got on telly, supported Marillion in front of 25,000 people at Cumbria Rock 1991 which went out live on Radio 1 and did a BBC session at Maida Vale for Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show. We got dropped by BMG in 1994. I continued with music, singing blues, rock, funk and soul with some great bands. In 1996 I formed Psychic Psurgeons, a funk rock band, toured Germany and co-wrote and recorded an album of original songs. I'm currently writing, performing and recording songs with my first solo band MWB.

Steve Marriott (vocalist/guitarist with Small Faces & Humble Pie) because he's the greatest white soul singer that ever lived and he played a mean guitar too.

Cumbria Rock 1991 (25,000) is the biggest. The smallest? I've done gigs to the bar staff.

Rolling Stones - "Exile On Main Street". A classic. The songs, the sound, the playing, it's all there - blues, rock, soul, and it's one of the greatest bands of all time right on top of their game. I'm not sure when I first heard it, I guess around 1981 when "Tattoo You" came out, I loved "Start Me Up" and bought the album, then went and bought all the others.