The Band
Rob - Lead Guitar
The Early Days - First picked up a guitar in the late 70’s, blagging my way through Bert Weedons ‘Play in a day’ on a dodgy acoustic. After a while, I progress to ‘house of the rising sun’. By the early 80’s, I am enduring the torture of the Tring School music curriculem, knocking out classics like ‘Tie a yellow ribbon’ and ‘Sloop John B’. Absolute pants. I just want to rock!! Am spared further pain when guitar legend Mike Casey shows me some Quo riffs. Subsequently progress to Maiden’s essential ‘Number of the Beast’. Cracking stuff!! My hair gets very long at this point.
The Middle Bit - Spend the mid to late eighties listening entirely to Rock/Metal, and growing my hair. Disaster strikes in 1989, when my hair starts to fall out. Aspirations to join Bon Jovi are temporarily shelved. Spent the 90’s playing in various pub bands, (with ever decreasing amounts of hair), covering musical styles from funk right through to metal. 1995 sees the first (but not the last) musical collaboration with Buttcheeks Mahoney (AKA Ray Abrahams). Hair gives up the ghost in 1994. Subsequently get a ‘grade 1’, and grow a goatee. The ladies love it.
And Finally - Out of the blue, in Oct 2000, I receive a phone call from the boy Abrahams. He is gigging with Platform Soul, and they are looking for a guitar player. Hair is apparently not essential. Am I interested? Too right I am, they are a fabulous band. Officially join Platform Soul in January 2001, after a very dodgy audition. Am presented with a black crushed velvet disco suit in Feb 2001, and have not looked back since!!