Piano at 5 years old, Guitar at 15 years old. I have never received any formal lessons or instruction in how to play any musical instrument or learned how to read music transcript, therefore my recordings help me to release and express my own personal emotions and feelings creatively using the inspiration and influence I have gained from listening to music in all of it's different forms.
What was the first concert you ever went to?
My own. A concert held in a village hall when I was 16 years old and in my first ever band. We had screaming girls at the front of the stage but it was the lead singer they wanted (not me).
David Bowie at Middlesbrough Town Hall 1972 (pre Ziggy Stardust), Pink Floyd at Newcastle City Hall 1972 (pre Dark Side of the Moon), Rory Gallagher at Redcar Jazz Club 1972.
What gear do you use?
U.S Fender Stratocaster Deluxe Plus, Ibanez A36, Taylor 314 6-string, Takamine EF381SC 12-string, AXL gold tricone resonator, Sevilla BM classical, Roland RD-600 Digital Piano, Ensoniq SQ1 Plus, Emu Proteus 2 Orchestral, Roland D110 rackmount, Alesis Midiverb 3, Roland GR-20 guitar synth, Boss BR-864 8 track studio, Dunlop GCB-95, Sola Sound Tone-Bender Fuzz (70's original) , Zoom 9000 guitar effects processor, Fishman Aura acoustic imaging blender, Boss VE-20 vocal processor, Mandolin, Hohner blues harp, Bandmaster chromatic harmonica, percussion, AKG C 1000 S and Entex PS58 microphones, Studiomaster Session Mix 8-2 Gold, Tascam Porta Two HS recorder, Steinberg Cubase, Steinberg Pro-24, Audacity, Steinberg Masterscore, Marshall MG series 30dfx combo amp.
My favourite piece of music is the one I'm going to write next.
Who was your biggest musical influence growing up?
The theme from 'Z cars' (60's UK TV cop drama series), It's the first tune that I attempted to play on the piano. From then on, I was influenced by everything I heard.
Are you in a band? Have you been in bands?
Several rock bands, semi-pro duo, solo acoustic guitar, Jazz workshop ensemble for the last 3 years after a 20+ year break from performing so that I could concentrate on developing new skills in music composition, recording, and music technology. I have always had a keen interest in music production, arranging and mixing.
If you could jam with anyone, who would it be?
Robert Johnson is definately the guitarist that I would choose so that I could learn from him and discover what made him tick. I would then fast forward to the 60's and outshine all of the white guitarists who were inspired by him and his contempories.
There are many living musicians and bands covering many genres that I would love to play along with including: Klaus Doldinger, Leo Kottke, Richard Thompson, Chick Corea, Larry Coryell, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Waters,Gilmour & Mason (Pink Floyd), John McLaughlin, Ry Cooder.
What's the biggest audience you ever performed to? What's the smallest?
3 times on local radio as solo artist (?), A few hundred with bands and duo.
The smallest is when I'm writing and performing alone which is for most of the time. It's the only time I feel totally relaxed and at ease because I've gradually become anxiety-ridden over the years (probably due to my self-imposed exile).
The most memorable is always my previous performance.
You're stuck on a desert island and only get to bring one album with you. What do you pick?
I could never listen to one album repeatedly so it would be pointless. I'd only end up hating it. Some music does have nostalgic value for me, but i mostly want to hear something new and different after I've played any particular recording a few times. I'm always searching for interesting new music to hold my attention. It's such a joy to hear the beginning of something different and great for the very first time, and not knowing how the remainder of it will turn out. 'Awesome' is an over used word these days, but it describes that experience exactly .