I was brought up with my dad's music taste - 60's to 80's classic rock. The album that got me into Blues was Van Morrison - A Night in San Francisco. That album has blues medleys, funk, ballads, jazz and, to me, is the best live blues album ever made.
I met Chris Baillie in 1st year (12 years old) and we shared the same music tastes, this then led us to rehearsing together for countless years. Due to leaving school we parted ways, got back together, parted ways again and now we're back together... again! I see us as Phil Lynott (being myself) and Gary Moore (Chris) as we seem to disappear from one another but when we get back 'in the studio' we're an unstoppable force!
My musical influences are Peter Green and Early Fleetwood Mac, Rory Gallagher, Ray Charles, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton, Phil Lynott (Solo) and Thin Lizzy, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Frank Sinatra, Steve Miller Band, Pink Floyd, Van Morrison, Santana, Jimi Hendrix - the list is endless!
I first picked up a guitar aged 9 years old, a £20 acoustic from Argos. I was never expected to stick at it but 15 years and countless amounts of pounds later I’m still playing.
I've been in a multitude of bands up until this point. However, none of them ever went anywhere much to our annoyance. As Paul mentioned I'm the Gary Moore to his Phil Lynott and have been many times over.
My influences vary wildly from David Gilmour to Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa to John Sykes and Doug Aldrich. With this in mind I’m never far from a Les Paul and a Marshall.
My main guitar at the moment is a Gibson Les Paul Custom in white. I also have another sunburst Gibson Les Paul and a Transparent Crimson Red Stratocaster. I play my guitars through a Marshall 2266 and a Marshall DSL50 run in stereo through a Vintage Modern 425A cabinet.
To me, the blues is the genre that allows each musician to express exactly what they want just by playing the song. Each song, in itself, is open to interpretation and, particularly with Same Old Story, you will never hear exactly the same song done the same way twice.
This guitar playing malarkey all started when my big brother brought home a guitar from Singapore, I believe I was three or four years old and instantly fell in love with it. Sadly some thieving scumbag stole it out of our front garden and just smashed it up, it was many years before I got another one.
In my teens I was more interested in playing guitar than bass but did dabble with a four stringer briefly, it was a 60’s Fender Musicmaster bass and oh how I wish I still had it.
I became a roadie for a local band when I was 15, some knowledge of guitar’s and gear helped and that was the route I took, it all culminated in me becoming tour manager for Aberdeen Prog Rock legends Pallas, I did this professionally for over three years, and I’m still involved with the band.
I was still interested in playing and formed a band with some work mates and my son on bass, I played my first gig aged 40. That band was short lived as the singer/guitarist buggered off to Spain to run a pub.
I then got involved in another band with some guys who I’d been friends with for years (Mr Onz) the bass player had an impressive guitar collection and was a better guitarist than I was so I had a go at playing bass and loved it. With Same Old Story I am fulfilling a long held ambition to play ’just’ Blues and I’m loving it.
I have owned hundreds of guitars but currently play: Fender Jazz in sunburst, Fender Jazz in metallic red, Fender Precision which is currently in kit form while I re-finish it and do some major upgrades. I have two peavey 300w combos, one is a 2x10 the other is 1x15 and I’m not 100% happy with either so I hope to replace them some time soon.
Some of you may remember me as the handsome (old) drummer from Mr Onz. My passion for drumming started when I was at school, playing the odd gig by the age of 16.
Fast forward a few centuries and Graeme entered my life. We share an interest in beer and caravans. I was a little surprised to hear guitar music coming from his awning one sunny Sandend morning. The conversation that followed involved me recounting the above tale to him and then me being persuaded ‘in seconds’ to dust off the old drumsticks (ok guys, I’ll buy some new ones) and come out to play again.
Several years later, here we are. I have blues in my life, a shiny Gretsch drum kit and an almost permanent smile on my face.
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