Dave Onions

I'm a roosty singer songwriter living in Kidderminster, but formerly of Handsworth, Birmingham and originating from West Bromwich. I have my own percussive and finger picking style and am self taught. I became interested in guitar at age 14 when my parents bought my first acoustic. I started to teach myself to play left handed - locking myself in my bedroom listening to (mainly) Beatles records and trying to play along with them . Electric blues bands started to interest me so I got hold of a cheap nasty electric guitar which I turned upside down and began to get the blues bug. One night on ’Top of the Pops’ a black guy appeared playing an upside down guitar, Jimi had arrived and with ’Hey Joe’ followed by ’Red House’ ringing in my ears I got involved in a band - "Anubis" - playing a mixture of self-penned material and blues covers. We did get some great gigs and found ourselves supporting what were then just up and coming bands like Status Quo, Groundhogs and Black Sabbath. "Anubis" unfortunately did not get a record deal though and after about two and a half years things fell apart and we disbanded. I cried when we sold the band's battered old Transit, it seemed like my music career was over.....anyway, many years and other bands later (notably ’Four on the Floor’) a chance solo acoustic gig transformed everything and I am now happily working as a solo acoustic player, and occasionally with the band 'Ka'enobi'.
Doing this solo stuff can in the eyes of some people be very limiting but I’ve found that putting everything into it and bashing the hell out of the guitar can produce a massive sound, especially when alternative tunings get in there. Donkeys years ago I read an article by Ry Cooder (I think!) who said “If you’re in a rut with your guitar, tune the thing all over the place and you’ll be forced into finding new chord shapes and positions”. I’ve taken this on board to the extent that sometimes on a gig I can’t remember the tuning for a particular song let alone the words! I know I’m going on but this tuning thing absolutely fascinates me, I don’t always know exactly what the chords I’m playing are from a technical point of view but they sound marvellous to my ears. Check out guitar Joni she knows all the chords - now there’s a great player !
I’ve recorded three solo albums to date - “Homespun”, “Six Degrees of Separation” and “Some People” plus a live "Ka'enobi" album.
My songs cover many subjects - from nuclear waste disposal, war and conflict, the problems created by the legacy of empire building (notably the Sudan and in Australia the plight of the Aborigines) and problems facing the third world.
There is also room for songs of love's lost and gained, plus a little frivolity/humour and a number of instrumentals.
All are delivered with conviction and energy (so I'm told), it certainly feels that way when I get off the stage at the Actress at 2 am in the morning, feeling absolutely knackered. During live performances I use guitars and mandolins, but record with many different instruments including banjo (hitting the banjo with a stick creates a great sound but don't let the banjo police know), kora and percussion.