This is page four of the diary
Click here for page five of the diary
4th June 06
Getting bored writing about the gigs so I think I´ll just mention them if they were something special. Instead I`ll start the "How I got into music" part of my diary.
It all began when I was about 15 or 16 when my mad mate Steve Reid who sang for the schools only band Siberia (hmmm?) heard me sing in the school corridor and asked if I would take his place in the band as he couldnt be bothered anymore. I didnt see myself as a singer and in fact I was bloody awfull but it sounded fun and I was a big fan of Ian Gillan and had deep purple written everywhere in biro. With Bill Barker on drums (eyes constantly watering from the cigarette in the corner of his mouth), John Rider on Bass, Jim Henderson on guitar and the multi talent Nick Ramshaw also on lead. Nick was already a guitarist of note.Sometimes two notes. We would race our way through Wishbone Ash and later Thin Lizzy covers, but already originel songs were coming through with titles like "Mr Mystery" ,"The Fairy song", "Another day" and the very Mental "Rainbow" with lyrics like "There`s a rainbow (repeat x2) -there`s a rainbow in the sky but it isnt really there at all". Look out Beatles here we come!.
It was a lot of fun and when the Lanky git John decided he couldnt handle the heady road to fame and fortune, I picked up the bass and loved it. But anyway back to the future.
20th June 06
I knew this would happen. I find myself neglecting the diary. And as a few of you have told me that the diary is "the only reason to return your damn homepage" most gigs being private anyway, I will make amends. By the way, the fact that most gigs are closed to the lower classes is none of my doing. I love playing pubs but the fact is I get a lot more dosh* playing private gigs.
Swings and roundabouts mate. I rarely get the chance to play what I like but now and again I`ll slip in a cool song from Elvis Costello or David Gray and watch the reaction. In a way what I`m doing isnt music anymore but Deejaying. Which is a shame but then again there will always be a moment in a gig where I know they`ve stopped wanting to clap out of time a mo and are listening to yours truely.
Did a solo gig other day in a tent somewhere in deepest Bayern for a lovely lady (60th Birthday) and in the break an old guy said "Hey young man can you play some German music?". Normally I say "well you know its sounds silly when I sing German" but this time I thought what the hell and did a load of songs. It made the night and a lot of people happy and I thought "Fuck art for a moment this is what the kids want".
Bloody England drew again with the Swedes. jumped up pansies who are only good for 15 minutes then they are gasping for a fag (same as me according to the trouble and strife*). Though Joe Cole was good. So we are playing Equador in the next round. We`ll lose one nill by an own goal from Beckham mark my words.
Its a bit boring without any pics so here`s one from Wolfersheim live.
*dosh means spondoolaks
* trouble and strife means Wife