The First time I really picked up a guitar was at the age of 12 in Miss Mannes' music class. She was mental she used to wear suspenders while putting her feet up on the table shouting at the class to pay more attention. However I fell in love with the guitar and for my next birthday my mum got me a £30 guitar from Gordon & Simpsons music store which no longer exists. I was interested in taking music as a standard grade subject but I was discouraged by the music department. As a teenager I was into Led Zeppelin, Guns n Roses, Nirvana etc. But my dear old Dad would insist on me practicing Scottish traditional and 60's folk at the age of 20 after playing in a local rock band Catch 22 with my Cousin Alex and also playing in a Reggae band down in Birmingham I moved back to Edinburgh to form 'Gallows Folk' with my dad we played round pubs Bowling clubs and had many extraordinary experiences. But my Heart was into Song writing and it was around 2000 that I met my good friend Mark Barnett (local songwriter) on a train to Birmingham. He introduced me to many fine people such as Tom Fairnie who really encouraged me and soon I recorded my first CD The 'Travellers Way' at MacArthur music. In 2003 I met Banjo Andy (the name says it all) we spent the summer of 2005 running a mini festival at the Forest cafe called 'Folk off' it was there I met my pal mad Danny Mullins and we went on to form 'The Space Cadets' with Roddy Neilson on Fiddle we played every Sunday at the old 'Left Bank' on Guthrie st. and due to lack of funds and a passion for Scots trad. Roddy and me have now formed the Cosmic Ceilidh band with Maureen Hunter (Mrs Mo) playing Clarsach and Bootsy Ballentyne on Bass, we gig about and have a lot of fun and play a mad mix of music every Sunday 6pm at Susie's Diner West Nicholson st. come see us. x
