Musician, Author, Artist, Idiot
I love creativity - the ability to create something from nothing - whether it is a song or a guitar riff, a story or a painting. The almost magical feat of going into a practice room with my friends with nothing more than an idea and emerging a few hours later with a new song is what keeps me going. It may not pay the bills, but it keeps me sane!
I have played guitar with SOUTHPAW for over twenty-seven years and have loved it (most of it anyway - I would be a liar if I said it had all been plain sailing). In that time we have managed to record five albums, three EP's, appear on countless compilations, toured the UK and Japan, get played on Radio 1, support some top-notch bands, get great reviews in Kerrang! and Metal Hammer, run our own 'Meantime' record label, sit alongside Blink 182 on a Rocksound cover disc and even achieve the staple accolade of any band - the inevitable split-up and reunion! Over the years I have been given free-reign by my friends in the band to act as our 'in-house' engineer, producer, graphic designer and, during gigs, raconteur and Idiot. If it's creative, I will have a go at it!
After recording and producing our fourth album, 'Destination', I decided I would have a go at writing something (inspired, funnily enough, by finding some really old school books in my parents loft, filled with stories and imaginative nonsense). I had an idea for a novel, something I hadn't seen before, and started to sketch out a plot. This 'sketch' became my debut novel 'The Tale Of Rufus'. I have recently released my second novel, 'Unexpectedly, she woke up...' and have just begun work on my third. There are still enough ideas bouncing round in my head for a second 'Rufus' book, a survival story concerning an odd creature as well as a supernatural thriller. And then there is the new SOUTHPAW album to finish, and all the other side-projects that continually pop up...
I am also a Brown belt in Khong Chang - a rare form of Kung Fu that originates from Singapore, not widely taught in the UK.
I have played guitar with SOUTHPAW for over twenty-seven years and have loved it (most of it anyway - I would be a liar if I said it had all been plain sailing). In that time we have managed to record five albums, three EP's, appear on countless compilations, toured the UK and Japan, get played on Radio 1, support some top-notch bands, get great reviews in Kerrang! and Metal Hammer, run our own 'Meantime' record label, sit alongside Blink 182 on a Rocksound cover disc and even achieve the staple accolade of any band - the inevitable split-up and reunion! Over the years I have been given free-reign by my friends in the band to act as our 'in-house' engineer, producer, graphic designer and, during gigs, raconteur and Idiot. If it's creative, I will have a go at it!
After recording and producing our fourth album, 'Destination', I decided I would have a go at writing something (inspired, funnily enough, by finding some really old school books in my parents loft, filled with stories and imaginative nonsense). I had an idea for a novel, something I hadn't seen before, and started to sketch out a plot. This 'sketch' became my debut novel 'The Tale Of Rufus'. I have recently released my second novel, 'Unexpectedly, she woke up...' and have just begun work on my third. There are still enough ideas bouncing round in my head for a second 'Rufus' book, a survival story concerning an odd creature as well as a supernatural thriller. And then there is the new SOUTHPAW album to finish, and all the other side-projects that continually pop up...
I am also a Brown belt in Khong Chang - a rare form of Kung Fu that originates from Singapore, not widely taught in the UK.
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A random selection of pictures, past and present!
One of my faves is the 'John Peel Memorial Traffic Island' taken on the isle of Unst, Shetland - a genuine tribute to a much-missed man. |
