RR: At the moment, I am just enjoying playing in a band. The music we are playing is Indie rock, more so from the current bands, you can see that their influences come from the early eighties Indie rock bands like Joy Division, The Smiths and The Cure, so I feel very comfortable with them.

 

 

RR: I have been friends with Huw Davies for longer than I can remember and one day he said he fancied getting a band together with him on vocals. I had been in a band with Huw before when he was on keyboards so I thought if he was willing to try something totally new to him then so was I. It had been at least 15 years since I had played in a band so I literally dusted off my guitar and we started rehearsals. We have had some member changes but the present line-up besides myself and Huw are Don Smith (bass) who started at the same time and alternating between Phil Lawson and Dave Thomlinson on drums.

 

 

RR: My first musical experience was through my 3 older sisters who were constantly playing the Beatles, Stones, Kinks etc - Brian Jones made a really big impression on me early on. However, when I was around 16 I was into doing motorbikes up and I repainted an old BSA for a mate who was short of cash. He gave me a Strat copy as payment and that was my first guitar!

 

I got serious, initially teaching myself and jamming with all sorts of musicians. I had lessons with a classical teacher who informed me that playing a guitar left-handed was not acceptable and refused to go any further until I turned it round. When I asked why, he explained that if you are in an orchestra you would hit the person next to you. My idea of sitting on the end was apparently not an option. It was difficult to start again but I still today play air guitar left-handed.

 

 

The first band I was in was Gerry Dean and Margaret McGee and The Lincoln County Boys. This came about quite by chance as I had worked with Paddy the bass player. I literally went to see him backstage, picked up an acoustic, as you do, he took one look and said "I didn't know you could play". The following day he gave me a cassette and some sheet music, told me to learn all 30 songs and I was playing next Saturday! Can't really remember the first gig, think it was The Wortley, but the second was a week at Batley Variety Club supporting Roy Orbison. What an experience! Thus began my apprenticeship.

 

The other two guitar players were top class, Stuart Taylor on lead and Mally Hamilton on pedal steel. As I remember, the tour bus was a classic, the back was cleared for the gear and the seats were positioned in such a way that we could sit  round and jam whilst in transit. Memorable moments were a Radio 2 session in London and travelling the length and breadth of the country supporting some top American country singers.

 

 

 

RR:  After Gerry Dean & The Lincoln County Boys I played with a few bands nearer my own age doing covers, however, around that time I saw two bands who really impressed me - Rough Mix and Terra Pax - Terra Pax's frontman, Mick Walker, had a real presence about him.

 

I met up with Kev Davies (bass) and Steve Robinson (guitar/singer/songwriter) and together with Trev Mitchell we formed The Hurt. Trev had once been in The Guiness Book Of Records for drumming and he had enormous experience behind him. We did covers but Steve wanted to do original stuff so I started writing songs. Steve later moved to America and has done really well - he is still recording. Check out his website at www.steverobinsonmusic.com/mcguinn.html

 

I had a chance meeting with Mick Walker one dinnertime in a pub. I went over and introduced myself and told him we were doing something entirely different to what we had been. The key thing was I could write music but lyrics did not come easy to me. Consequently we got together that afternoon and recorded songs on his 8-track that he named Gunther. I knew we would get on!