216660690

Hello folks,
My life has been one big rock'n'rollin' emotional roller-coaster that hasn't fallen off the rails yet, and I don't intend getting off it just yet either. From my early days back in Glasgow singing in bands to present day, still singing and causing 'mayhem & mirth' wherever I go. ..My first taste of the big time came with Flying Squad way back in 1978 we released one album, a Francis (the fan's are leaving!) Rossi (Status Quo) produced self titled affair. We thought we had made it and were on our way to the big time! Ha! The Harsh Reality then was, 1: bad timing, punk was the big thing then, and we were no punk band more of a Thin Lizzy influenced type of outfit, & 2: crap management. We did have a reunion in 2005 in Guernsey where 2 of the band (Monty & George) have lived and brought up families since the band broke up. We used to play there often and were superstars there too. It was a gas playing all our old tunes and spending quality time together, catching up and tripping down memory lane. "Ye canny buy it"!
After Flying Squad I had various gigs before moving to London with my manager H.S., where I eventually got together with the legend that is Pete Way. I had released a novelty record with a (slightly) famous Scottish singer Fiona Kennedy, on the B side was a rock song (nothing like the A side), which the late great Bob Halfin (Halfout, our pal) played to his son Ross (Rock Photo God), who then played it to his big buddy at the time Pete, who had just split with Eddie Clarke and was putting a new band together (breath). I then get invited round to Pete's house in Twickenham for a bit of singin',shoutin'n'screamin', got the gig, simple as that, right place, right time! Lovely!!!
The first Waysted album 'Vices' recorded at Moor Hall Hotel in Battle (near Hastings UK), put us on the map and we toured the UK & Europe supporting Dio then came the legendary Ozzy, Motley Crue & Waysted tour of the US in 1984. After which came numerous line up changes and the recording of the 'Mini Album' in '84, which we toured with Maiden, then we recorded 'The Good, The Bad, The Waysted', which we never toured as I left the band in 1985 due to a difference of opinions over rehearsing for a festival in Israel, (I knew what Waysted rehearsals were like and 1 day is definitely not enough!), I should have stayed as the festival was a fiasco according to all reports and the band had a right old jolly up staying at a 5* hotel, I didn't have any big fall out with Pete, there were outside influences at work... So I walked.
Then came various different adventures: I joined The Q-Tips (where I met Big George, now a life long friend), I opened a cafe 'The OK Cafe' in Radlett (Bruce Dickinson did the official opening, cutting the red tape) jammed with some good people then too, (Radlett) Ray Minhinnett, Andy Pyle, Andy Powell, 5 Go Jazz were formed in MK, I met my wife to be, Soo (now divorced), started 'The Troubadour Years', which began in Spain then continued in the UK, Denmark & Portugal, I then ran a bar in Milton Keynes (Dukes), where I first met Paul R.D. Haslin, we formed Fin & Co. (Big G, RD, Little Dan), we were the house band & many a great night was had there during that period, I joined Hellzaboppin' (great name) a 10 piece jump jive band, we released one CD 'Did You Hear That', that is killer if YOU ever get to hear it!, then came 'Handbags & Gladrags' for The Office with Big George, (Have I Got News For You fame) we never actually recorded the whole song, it was a one day session & Ricky G & Steve M weren't gonna use all of the track, they just need incidental bits for TV shows, shame really, as The Stereophonics later proved. Also no one knew how HUGE the show was gonna be, what a wonderful thing hindsight is, innit!!! more later
KEEP ROCKIN!!!
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