B i o g r a p h y
Pre-1990 - Originally a piano player from the age of 4, I got to grade 6 when I was 13 before discovering the guitar. The first gig award goes to 'Betrayer' for which I was lead guitarist and vocalist. This was around 1988 and featured covers of Slayer, Nuclear Assault, Sodom, Testament. That kinda thing. I played in about 20 other bands, notably bass and clarinet for psychedelic progressive space-rock or just plain freak band 'The Lemon Carpet Band'. We supported the Bevis Frond on a number of occasious, blew a few peoples minds at a few festivals back in the day, we sounded like hawkwind in places, acted like hawkwind in the rest. Drummer Mark Fabri and I jammed with a very early incarnation of Porcupine Tree. Betrayer went on to support underground extreme metal band Salem Orchid in London before splitting up shortly after. A year or so later I joined Salem Orchid.
1990-1996 - This time comprised of Salem Orchid in various incarnations and a number of offshoot projects.
Originally I joined as bassist in what I call the Second Incarnation, with Nikki Lordi (vocals), and Steven Wood (guitar) and David Gray (drums) from the original band who had recorded the now known 'Sempiternal Sufering/Nirvana Of Agony' demos a year before. We released the 'Garden Of Tears/In The Sand' demo tape around 1991. I left and later rejoined as a guitarist with David Gray, Pete Theobalds and a number of others. We released several underground demo albums under the name of 'Church Of Statan'. Arguably, this is the music that bridged the original Salem Orchid band and the band 'Akercocke' to come.
Along with our original death metal influences we'd also discovered bands like Sonic Youth and their dissonant guitar playing, and Killing Joke, and we were messing with all kinds of influences. Hours of demo recordings from these years still exist on cassette tapes. We had several female vocalists at various points too. Some is more goth tinged, some very avant-garde and more Sonic Youth oriented. I was actually at the first Akercocke rehearsal when there was talk of there being 3 guitarists, but I was pretty occupied with other stuff. Discussions happen occassionally about releasing some of this properly one day. Who knows? The Church Of Statn material often rears its head on lesser known forum sites as downloads, there are at least four albums out there.
1997-2000 - Guitarist with Nightnurse. Signed to Better Records. Skirt single (XFM single of the week, charted in the indie chart). IDF single - first ever use of mp3 for an official format noted by the Guinness book of records, videos, tours, radio sessions and follow up album (never released due to liquidated label. Still have the 2 inch tapes). We recorded at the once legendary Trident, Nomis and Black Wing studios. Amazing days, amazing press, played some amazing gigs, notably turning 300 people away from the Highbury Garage as the Skirt single shot up the chart and was getting played everywhere. As a bonus, we got in Guinness book of records for releasing the first ever mp3 single right in the middle of the uproar when it was first being talked about. 30,000 downloads in the first couple of days brought the server to a standstill.
2002-2006 - Drummer for Interlock, Crisis//Reinvention album and Skinless EP + tours. Also guitar work for a few bands, notably Shellshock as stand-in for 'Kev' video, and Avoidance Of Doubt.
2007-2009 - Drummer for Primitive Graven Image, tours and second album (produced by Russ Russell at Parlour Sound studios). Some writing credits for this album too and I also put down a couple of guitar parts. Drummer for Empyreal Destroyer for shows including Bloodstock Open Air 2008 (with Dimmu Borgir / Opeth / Napalm Death and more), and returned to Bloodstock in 2009 with Priitive Graven Image - marked as a show 'not to be missed' by Terrorizer magazine. Some stand in guitar and bass playing.
2010-2014 - Drummer for Primitive Graven Image, third album 'Psychedelic Episodes' (2012) also some guitar on album and writing credits, tours and festival dates to 2019. Drummer for Morktar (Now Cold And Dead demo + others). Bassist with Devilfork for several shows around (I think) and 2012 including HOTH 7 open air. Drummer for Abgott (2012-2014).
2015-present - Some festival dates and ad-hoc gigs with Primitive Graven Image including out 10 year anniversary show at Eradication Open Air in 2016. Work on 4th album (still in progress!). Part time based in California now. Who knows what is next!