I was born in Warrington, then part of Lancashire, in 1954, the year which saw Rock 'n' Roll take off and the end of post-WW2 rationing. Having seen The Beatles on TV as a youngster, I knew I wanted to be a musician.I finally acquired my first bass guitar at the age of 15 and a year or so later, formeda group with schoolfriends Rob Dandy, Rick Teare and Alex Gibson. After a coupleof years and lineup changes, we started doing a few gigs around the Warrington areaunder the name Free Flight ( taken from an Iron Butterfly song!). Keen to improve,I joined covers group Clearway and spent the next few years playing the workingmensclubs around the northwest. In 1976 I moved south, just in time for the punk revolution and joined artrock/new wave band Rikki and the Last Days of Earth, moving on to Jimmy Edwards' band,TheProfile, via Toyah, The News and then a short spell with Random Hold. In '86 I joined the re-formedSham 69 and spent nearly ten years with them, touring America, Japan, most of Europeand occasionally the UK. Shortly after I left Sham, I briefly joined Magic Mushroom Band offshoot, Moonboot Oz, where I met drummer Jim Lacey and keyboard player Quiller Rees, the three of us evolving into live improvising dance/chillout band, The 3 Antennas. Along the way, I've had the privilege of playing with some excellent musicians and performers both live and on record.
I first came across the Stick when I saw Tony Levin playing with Peter Gabriel - I was instantly hooked! Having managed to acquire a secondhand one, I linked up with other players via the Stickcenter website and subsequently attended several seminars in Spain, Mallorca and the Netherlands, where I was able to meet and exchange ideas with other experienced musicians. During this time I became interested in sound healing and music therapy, the idea being to incorporate these principles into my compositions. The versatility and range of the Chapman Stick has enabled me to compose in an original style, almost harp-like at times, yet still able to hold down a funky groove at the low end.I am currently recording my solo CD in a lovely stone cottage deep in the Welsh countryside with ex-Gong engineer Satch Norton and string arranger/woodwind specialist Brian Gulland, of the band Gryphon, who both worked on "Ravensong", the acclaimed album by my old friend and bandmate Susan Raven.Over the last few years I have played at several Small World festivals and indoor events, O O T O festival in Sussex, Glastonbury Assembly Rooms, Guildford Ambient Picnic and various arts centres and associated events.A vegan for almost twenty years, my other interests include yoga, art, psychology, ancient sites, nature and travel.Arts Pulse 06
.. Born to Fly - live at Blue Velvet
