I grew up in Hoxton, London, during the 1950s, sharing a council flat with my parents and six siblings. As you can imagine, things were a bit crowded, but we made do. My earliest memories of music feature the Salvation Army band marching through the streets on Sunday mornings.
In 1960 we moved to a house in Camden and at the Catholic primary and grammar schools I attended the only available instruments were the piano and the violin - both lovely, but not quite what I had in mind.
The swinging '60s were in full swing, but they largely bypassed council estate youths like me. Still, the sounds of Motown and British bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles were impossible to ignore. They were everywhere, filling the airwaves with a kind of energy that was both electrifying and just out of reach. My first experience of a live band came during the intermission at Saturday morning pictures. Watching the drummer play made something click inside.
My first encounter with a drum kit happened at a school friend's house, where he let me have a go and I was immediately fascinated by the array of sounds I could create just by hitting things. It was like a puzzle with endless possibilities, and from that moment on the idea of drumming took root in my mind.
1968 leaving school and going straight into work I stumble upon 'Implosion' at The Roundhouse in Camden. Every Sunday from midday to 11 pm this event was a revelation - a place where live bands performed all day long. Immersing myself in this vibrant scene, I spent countless hours soaking in the music and the culture, my eyes glued to the drummers who seemed to effortlessly command the stage. It was a turning point for me. I knew then that I wanted to be part of that world.
After truamatic and turbulent teenage years, I needed to find a way to transform my life in a positve and creative direction... so I bought my first drum kit! Bringing it home wasn't an option; my family had already endured enough noise. Luckily, my friend guitarist Chris Duffy offered his family home for our jam sessions. We had a great time, but eventually, our "enthusiastic practice" wore out its welcome and the drum kit found a new home at The Winchester youth club.
At 'The Winch' I started jamming with Chris Duffy, bass player Paul Francis and guitarist Rene Go (a talented Dutchman I had met while working at Twickenham Film Studios). Rene eventually invited me to join a new music project, but insisted I commit to taking drumming seriously - that was a big decision! Here was the chance to change the direction of my life, so I threw myself into an intense period of practice and for three years I balanced working as a hospital porter during the day and practicing for five hours every night. It was a massive challenge, exhausting, but it was also the beginning of something much bigger for me, an 'amplified life', and the journey that grew into the career that unfolds in the pages that follow.
- Left school at 15yrs with no qualifications
- Truamatic and turbulent teenage years...
- So I bought my first drum kit!
A journey from Hoxton Market to the heart of London's music scene.. and beyond!