Once in a lifetime

I've led a bit of an itinerant life, and have always been attracted to guitars, motorcycles, cars, music, writing and art. No wonder I've always been broke, but I'm just not a corporate type, so never had any kind of high-flying career. Musically, no doubt my older brother was an influence (as well as the great glam rock era which we grew up in), and I remember hearing the first Ramones album on the record player time and time again, along with New Rose by The Damned, Never Mind the Bollocks of course, The Clash first album, and many others.


I ended up playing guitar in a few bands here and there, and one day, ended up in a band opening for The Ramones in 1987. How did that happen? What a night, and I'll never forget it. Apart from playing to a packed Brixton Academy, and me posing with my big guitar on the massive (to me stage), I also watched The Ramones from back stage, and then shyly loitered around Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny and Richie, who I think was their then drummer, afterwards in the VIP lounge upstairs - yeah, I was a VIP! Fantastic times and the memories are sweeter with age.