Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Rose
Still a rebel at heart I originally come from Manchester. At the age of 15 was introduced to the Ranch Bar in Manchester which at the time was a Bowie/Roxy club next door to Foo Foo's Palace. David Bowie being my all time idol from a very early age.The Ranch saw the beginning of the Manchester punk scene and I was very fortunate to have been a part of it. I went to all the early gigs...too many to recall (or perhaps that has something to do with the large amount of alcohol I consumed back then!Buzzcocks being one of my favourite bands then and now and back then I was also engaged to the fabulous Pete Shelley for a while and we are still friends today which is great and I still love you Pete!******************************************************* ************************************************************ *** I wore 40's suits and the highest winkle picker shoes ever (bought from Karl Twiggs in Manchester, a second hand shop in Longsight and Grandmas Wardrobe in Stockport) always wore Biba makeup and had my hair changed on a weekly basis by the wonderful Billy! We also shopped in Seven Miles Out in Stockport and Bus Stop,Derbers and The Last Picture Show in Manchester. I remember very fondly buying a pair of thigh length pink leather boots and my (late) father nearly passing out!! We drank Blue Tulips in Tommy Ducks and I loved every moment.***************************************************** ******I saw all the bands worth seeing and met most of them including the late great Joe Strummer and Johnny Thunders. I can been seen at the front of the Penetration gig at the Electric Circus (you tube on the left of this) next to the idiot throwing beer at Pauline (who received his punishment)! As always I came up laughing....too pissed to care! Also at the front of The Clash (on the left also on you tube) at The Elizabethan. I knew the very talented photographer Kevin Cummins back then who pulled me out of a particularly wild Clash gig and saved me from a severe crushing! Kevin has sent me some pictures of me taken by him at The Oaks (Slaughter and the Dogs) in the audience watching The Worst, Clash and Pistols all of which will feature in his forthcoming book - until the book is out I have to keep them to myself!! And I really do appreciate his trust xx I have great memories of the Worst, the Negatives, Jon the Postman, as well as the brilliant Buzzcocks, Ramones, Clash, Pistols, Johnny Thunders and the list could go on and on! It was great to have met so many people who ended up as icons in punk history and be at the start of what I consider to be the best thing that ever happened to music. I feel so lucky to have been around then and had such amazing experiences and would change nothing.....************************************************ ***********Now I live in Newquay Cornwall, have met some lovely people here who have accepted this 'Northener', am divorced, have two great kids James (22) Olivia (14) who are both totally into music. They both listened to Buzzcocks, Clash etc before they were born and have both been brought up surrounded by music. Olivia lives with me, James with his girlfriend Fiona. James is an amazing drummer who just cannot seem to find a decent band to play in so if you need a shit hot drummer let me know!! James and I went to gigs for years together and we saw bands such as Rancid, NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise, Bouncing Souls, Alkaline Trio, New York Dolls to name but a few along with our yearly trip to the Reading Festival and I watched him and Darren stand in awe of the amazing Iggy Pop who I first saw at the age of 16! (Lust for Life tour). He is still one of the greatest performers I have ever seen. I have recently resigned myself to the fact that I cannot not face another year in a badly erected tent, holding my breath in the most disgusting toilets on earth (these days I need soft toilet paper, a vase of flowers and a good magazine) and being crushed at the front of the stage...to me it is not worth going to a gig unless you are at the front! I am (very) honoured to have been included in Alex Ogg's brilliant book 'No More Heroes' which must have taken him forever to put together (if you have not bought it yet you must!) and I consider Alex to be a great friend also. Have contributed to various punk web sites including Paul's 'Punk 77', shared my 'hazey memories' with Greg Fenton for his forthcoming book. Back then I was a hairdresser which I suppose was more in keeping with the 'image'....now I am a Bank Manager! How the fuck did that happen.....well my life was never planned out and I certainly didn't plan that one!! I justify my corporate 'selling out' by convincing myself that banking needs someone like me??!!If you ever get the opportunity to sneak into my office unannounced you just may catch me listening to the Clash on my IPod whilst reading some fasinating material on the latest interest rates..... The best thing about my space is all the people I have got back in touch with from back then and the lovely new people I have met through my page. I am still totally passionate about music and there is always music playing in my home! And like Mel (Soulkiss) I am amazed how many 'Pisces' friends I have on my page!! So what is next......who knows!!****NEWS**** I have been promoted which just proves that 'old punks never die...they become (senior) bank managers!!!!!'********************************************** *************And I really want to mention the friends I had that are no longer with us.....Vaughan Moody, Steven Cartwright, Chris Thorpe and Janet Mather.....I miss all of you so much.....far too young xxxxxx RIP********************************************************* **Me age 15!!