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First gig | First band | Splodge | Upstarts | Godfathers | HMK | Glam Rockers | To Bob | Web Design
In the Beginning:
It all started for me back in 1970 when I was 11 years old during the power strikes, I was born and bread in a Pub called the Rocket in Great Yarmouth and during the power cuts every body came to the pub as there was no TV, lights or jukebox so we had to make our own entertainment, and one person called Jethro came in with a old guitar, he was the life and sole of the pub at the time and I saw for the first time the power of being able to play the guitar. I Went upstairs and got a old batted guitar my parents brought back with from Spain years before and learnt my first chord E min. It had begun I was hooked.
My first show that I ever went to:
I had got the bug and had to go and see a live band a Jethro who was giving me lessons told me to go and see Screaming Lord Sutch who was playing at Tiffany's that night, as I was only 12 at this time and you had to be 16 to get in, so I put on my flair's and platforms and got in no problem and even got into the bar area for a Rum and black,has this coffin was carried from the back of the ballroom to the stage complete with flaming touches, as the coffin was put in place some thing was about to happen to change my life forever. A guitar solo that blew me apart "intro of rollover Beethoven", the first time I had ever seen strobe lights has the coffin opened slowly giving me a tripping vibe and that after night I had made my mind up? I wanner be up there on stage and play like that guy. Years latter I found out that it was none other than Jimmy Page on the axe, no wonder I was tripping.
My first live performance:
14 years old now and Mr Dye & Mr Lord
my teachers were giving me guitar lessons at school they also had a band called
Chalk and were playing the Valentine dance and offered us the support
if I can get a band together in time. Lucky for me I lived in a pub so we had
a room to rehearse in and my dad backed me all the way rather than follow my
brothers footsteps
and end 
up in Borstal, he even got me a white Fender Strat latter on,
anyway got my mates and family in the band and called our self Cosmic
Love what a name but we done it and ended up headlining the gig and
got my sister to make me and my nephew Neil (Trucker ) Brown glittery outfits,
I have got photos of our first gig under lock & key. Feb.. 14 1972 Valentine
ball Alderman Leach school Gt. Yar.Norfolk.
My first Real Band:
The Crabs
Funny the same line-up as the first ever gig stayed together for years, just like Spinal tap the Bass player rather than the drummer was the only member that changed. Cosmic Love became Tezzer during the Glam rock high lights and we got signed to a Publisher after going to London thinking that we where going to become stars over night, we recorded some pop songs and then nothing happened, no record deal. I did support my al time hero Marc Bolan & T.Rex at the same gig I saw my first show Tiffany's Gt.Yar Years went by and then the Punk movement came along and we jumped on the band wagon and Tezzer became The Crabs and we worked hard touring non-stop all over the UK playing shit houses and some good gigs and invited Virgin Records to come and see us at Depford empire with the Ruts & a Reggae band. But the bass player and the drummer had a row on the way to the gig and Will the bass player walked out so we ended up playing as a three piece and we was shit and to rub salt into the wound, the Ruts got signed to Virgin records. The Crabs biggest clam to fame was a track on the Farewell to the Roxy LP and two Radio 1 John Peel sections and also playing on Fulham Football team's record," These Boots are made for walking"The single nowadays is going for £75 on E-bay.
Splodgenessabounds:
After
the Crabs we joined Gary Holton from TV fame and singer of the
Heavy metal kids, but as he got busy with his acting he put us on to
his mate Max Splodge who's band had just left him at a bad time, it was just before his first major tour to promote a lucky hit he had with a novelty track added on the B side of single. The track was called Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps"
and the rest was history. The second single was already recorded, Rolf's old hit "Two little boys"so we had nothing
to lose on joining Max for the one tour. So we believed after going to Wales to
rehearse all we done was go to the pub and got drunk,that carried on for the
next four years with a few albums in between bars and tours, but I loved it
and often play the odd Splodge gig. First time I played on stage with Darryl
Bath was on tour with Splodge and Daz was playing with the UK Subs and stood
in for Splodge on Bass one night.
Angelic Upstarts:
Me and Max Splodge joined the Angelic Upstarts just to help Mensi out have to have a change and it was a change. At first it
was great, we went to strange parts of Europe like Yugoslavia during the war, and I was really excited when the Upstarts was booked to tour the USA East, West and the bit in the middle. Our first two shows was at the Olympic Auditorium I also recorded at least five albums with The Upstarts. I saw a fair share of riots before, during or after the gig.
I finally got sacked after a shit gig in Hamburg for being totally out of it, forgetting the songs and fist fighting
with Max, I must admit I was unhappy and got blotto on everything and anything I could find. When
you don't enjoy it any more it time to move on ,so I did. But I do miss playing with the lads.
Godfathers:
Mick the To Bob bass player and original splodge guitarist
got me this gig as the band left the Brothers without a band with a few days
before a big Euro tour so I got Les Riggs from (cheap and nasty) on drums me
and Mick on Guitars and off we went on tour with about six 
songs
and learnt more songs on the sound checks. It ended up being a fun tour with
lots of stories and I stayed with them for two albums and 100's of gigs over
ten years, even Darryl Bath joined for a Spanish tour but he played how he
wanted to and not how it is on the record, it was to much for brothers, for
me' music and feeling wise', it was some of there best gigs the Godfathers had
played, one night they even jammed on the encore! very un godfather like.
H.M.K:
These guys where my heroes and I ended up playing
first with Gary Holton's band before joining Max and then with the most of the
H.M.K. band,(Ronnie Thomas, Keith Boyce) and who should be on the other guitar
no 
other
than Darryl Bath, we played a few gigs with Dave Smith on vocals taking Gary's
role as the frontman, we even recorded a track produced by Micky Most, it was
doomed from the start, but we had a good time recording it, and how often do
you get a chance to be produced by the one and only Mr Most. At the end of the
day the Heavy Metal Kids was Gary, even with the most of the original band and
a great frontman! it was not the same without the star Gary Holton R.I.P.
Those Glam Rockers:
Me and Darryl back together again this time with platform boots and I got the photos to prove it. Also had (the Boys) Honest John Plane playing guitar Darryl's other half of the Crybaby's. Honest blagged us on the Die Toten Hosen Xmas tour of Germany playing to packed clubs all over Europe ending in there home town in front of 7000 punters a night for 3 nights. The best I have ever been looked after for a opening act. We got the works on that tour spoilt rotten.
To Bob:
I am going to miss out the rest of the bands I have played with because TO BOB is the only band that matters nowadays and history will tell all. This is not just a tribute band every gig is unique depending on the mood of the band and each song is like a piece of art, never the same twice.
Rockas:
Rockas is the name of my web site design and development company. After making this site I decided to go full time and become professional. Check out my online Portfolio www.rockas.co.uk
