Andy profile picture

Andy

Poacher turned Gamekeeper

About Me

Lived in Derby for 37 years. School at Woodlands, Allestree. Degree at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic. Poacher turned gamekeeper. Love my kids (my boy and girl, aged 11 & 7 who know who they are!) and my lovely wife (long suffering and my dreamgirl.) (Been together 20 years now...) Love my music. Other people query my taste! Love Roy Harper, oh and Nick Harper, VDGG, King Crimson, The Who, ELO, The Beatles, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Lindisfarne, Jethro Tull, Spirit and many many more. Was classically trained on the violin from age 7, one of my earliest heroes being Stephanne Grapelli, before seeing Mik Kaminski (who seemed like the Pete Townshend of the electric violin!)My first gig was The Who at Wembley Stadium 1979. First Roy gig in 1982 at Birmingham Town Hall following some jousting with the weekly Music rags. Brushed gently with the proper music scene when I promoted Roy's first Derby gig at the Rockhouse way back in '84. This was followed by a fairly mind blowing trip to the Henge free festival the same year and the Cambridge Folk Fest (meeting the mystery guest.) Great times, but blurred memories. Had to cut my hair before Henge, bad timing, and now it won't grow back where it should be! Some forty Roy gigs later, plus some all time heroes (KC, VDGG, etc.) Oh and I suppose I ought to say that I am gradually building my guitar collection up ready for the day when I finally burst out of my cucoon into a beautiful strummer again. Some of you may know that between 1980 and 1984 I was lead guitarist and vocalist with a little blues rock band which went by the very peculiar name of Shades of Autumn. Great bass player in Paul Lowe, who went on to form Bazaar. When I have got to grips with technology I may just put one of our old pieces on. I am also lucky enough to have a hugely talented brother, Phil, and three nieces, Rosie, Mati and Flissy, who have been known to play together. Watch My Space for one of their numbers also. Phil was the drummer and composer in the band, and also spectacularly good at falling off the drum stool in a drunken heap on occasion. Phil gigs about quite lot around Derby, and has sat in with many other artists (including a young James Morrison, whoever he is.) Blows a mean blues harp...

My Interests

My wife, my kids and my music!

I'd like to meet:

Real people who care about other people. Preferably not criminals, but you can't always avoid them. By the way, I class criminals as people who do not care for others, others' property rights, and who have no self respect, so how can they respect others? Oh, and by the way, I've never met a hero who let me down, but they are mostly only human, so what do you expect? Problem is too many have died along the way, Randy California, Alan Hull etc. If you should meet me, be nice, you'll find I reciprocate.

Music:

See about me! Currently listening to VDGG, Real Time, ELO Out of the Blue and Stand Up and Benefit by Tull, Blodwyn Pig, Peter Hammill, Circulus, Dave Gilmour, Roy Harper, Iron Maiden, Gong, oh the list goes on...and has now got The Feeling added (great pop music and that's not an insult!) Got front row ticket for VDGG at De Montfort Hall in April which was awesome, powerful and dark brooding stuff (what a shock, not!) Gabriel et al at Hyde Park in June and off to Old Trafford in July for the Genesis it's not a tour! (THAT WAS 2007!) Lately I've called in to see Nick H at the Flowerpot. Good to see ya Nick. Good gig, very honest, touching. You should all check him out....he's a good bloke, great singer, not bad on guitar!

Movies:

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Monty Pyton, Birdy, Last Temptation of Christ, Made, certain classic war films (most of them show war for the pile of shit it is!) and old Alec Guiness films.

Television:

Doctor Who, CSI, Shark, Grey's Anatomy, House, Torchwood. Several hundred channels of bilge tend to occupy our tvs, so I try to avoid it mostly, plus it kills conversation at the time!

Books:

Doctor Who, LOTR, Biogs

Heroes:

Roy Harper, Peter Hammill, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and the glorious Tom Baker!