BLOGINESS, TALL TALES and RAMBLINGS to PODCAST or not?
For a while now people have been suggesting I write a book of music related stories and how I've survived and made a living in and around the business of music. Never having been a paid musician I've worked around this sometimes peculiar breed in many capacities. I therefore consider myself a "hitch-hiker on the rock and roll highway" as hitch hiking started me on my travels at an early age.
I've noticed people are often confused by my stories as they puzzle with the number of places and time frames I refer to.
To better follow along the timeline I've created below should help.
Also I'm in the process of creating a series of podcasts around my adventures which may help generate written content later?
What do you think? would you listen? sign in below after the timeline and let me know before I waste my time entirely! I would much appreciate your input.....
TIMELINE:
AUGUST 1955: Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, UK
WINTER 1962: The big freeze in UK. First trips to movies: Summer Holiday, Dr No.
First aware of Beatles on Granada TV
JAN 1963: Longshaw Junior School, Blackburn
OCT/ NOV 1963 Beatles on TV, London Palladium and Command Performance. Begin following
Juke Box Jury, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Ready Steady Go on TV.
SEPT 1966: No more 11+ steered to new "comprehensive" school system and brand new
Everton High School. Join "dance club" to meet girls.
1966 - 1971: Start playing records at school dances and youth clubs, Begin buying records and
reading music papers NME, Melody Maker in 1968. Collect soul music Atlantic and
Stax label and Beatles before hearing Hendrix and Pink Floyd in 1969 -70, then
everything changes.
First concert Oct 1970, T Rex at King Georges Hall in Blackburn.
JULY 1971: Left Everton after O levels, work summer in retail, pass entrance exam for Nautical
College in Fleetwood, enroll as Radio Cadet.
Fleetwood Mac, July 5th 1971. Second concert.
Move to Fleetwood dormitory in August.
Begin college as Old Grey Whistle Test goes on air on BBC, immediate distraction.
American room mate and myself and one other are raided by drug squad
for burning insence.
May 5-7 1972: Organize group outing from college to Bickershaw Festival, Grateful Dead, Kinks etc.
Scrounged and bought and sold tickets outside. Mud and rain for 3 days.
May 26-29 1972: Get a ride on Friday night to Lincoln, "Great Western Festival" 4 days, more rain and
mud, great bands.
JULY 1972: Summer work in Blackburn at Co-op. Two Clitheroe Festivals that summer, note
Brinsley Schwarz with Nick Lowe.
AUGUST 1972: Return to Fleetwood and become active in Student Union. Thatcher is minister of
education and begins cuts to students, NUS strikes with Lancaster Uni.Concerts
all winter; Hawkwind, Curved Air, Steeleye Span, Lindisfarne, Mott and more.
MARCH 1973: Rag Week in Blackpool, as "Rag" committee member am invited for drinks with
mayor of Blackpool at The Winter Gardens. Despite being underage (17) got legless
and woke up in phone booth in the snow at the train station. Decide college no
longer for me, the school agreed. Start banging nails with my dad as that was the
only option he gave me for "dropping out". More concerts, almost weekly now.
Hair grows. Concerts: Hawkwind, Bowie, Alex Harvey, Fanny, Quo, Slade.
JULY 1973: Dad in hospital,return to Co-op to work begin dating Rod Stewart fan. First legal
drink August 4. End of summer get hired at Ames Record Bar as a warehouse
guy. Part time waiter at Rovers Return pub.
Go to London for first time with friend Ian, overnight bus, sleep in Park and explore.
NOV 1973: Get tickets from label rep for Who Quadrophoenia at Belle Vue, Manchester Nov 1st.
Nov 13th, Queen opening for Mott at KGH, come in store and we put album in
window for free tickets.
DEC 1973 Dec 11th Janet convinces me to go and see Faces with her and her friend, Bus from
Brinscall to Manchester, Free Trade Hall. Become Faces convert!
Jan- March 1974 Blackburn is boring and depressing need to get out! New girlfriend, more
concerts, Ames becomes a drag, Lots of partying. Begin applying for hoilday camp
jobs for summer. Walk out at Ames.
APRIL 1974: Leave for Bournemouth with Doug and Stu. Live rough work day to day
JULY 1974: Hitch to Buxton alone for Faces, Humble Pie .
Take off to Torquay, arrested for possesion.
AUG 1974 Hitch to Windsor free festival with 3 girls and tent. Festival raided.
Return to Bournemouth meet London boys at QDeck and move in.
SEPT 1974 Move to London - Rotherhithe with Steve. Work temping, then Gleesons in
Peckham.
OCT 1974: Live - in bar job at Old Swan in Battersea.
NOV 1974 First night off I met Bonnie in Chelsea Drugstore pub, walked her home to
Belgravia. She was bound to return the USA in January but stayed to travel
together and become a couple. Faces at Lewisham Odeon.
Jan - July 75 After New Years we moved to Bournemouth to the same flat I had in Boscombe
early in the year.Hitched to South of France looking for work, no luck. Return to UK
and set up for summer in Newquay, Cornwall. Red Lion pub. Get engaged in May
and plan to marry in August. Find a flat and work odd jobs. June hitch to Wembley
for Eagles, Joe Walsh, Beach Boys and Elton John show.
July make move to London following Pink Floyd at Knebworth.
Find "live in" work at Six Bells Birdsnest in Chelsea.
AUG 75 August 4 twentieth birthday.
August 23rd wedding at Chelsea Registry, immediate family and reception at pub.
SEPT 75 Apply for US immigration at US Embassy in London.
DEC 75 Arrive in NY with Bonnie, to parents in NJ then to Jacksonville, FL for Christmas.
FEB 76 American Bicentenial, work as a motel maintenance man, painter and odd job man
and pass my driving test in Jacksonville.
Frank Sinatra in concert at Jacksonville Civic Auditorium courtesy of Bonnie's mum.
Eric Clapton and Charlie Daniels.
MAY 77 Drive to NJ then make move to Austin TX at invitation from Mrs Herman Heep.
We both get retail jobs on Congress Ave and find apartment in town.
Concerts: Emerson, Lake and Palmer,
JAN 78 We meet Billy Pritchard from Chelsea St Pubs and Bill Shea.
Convert Nickelodeon diner on E6th St to Maggie Maes and open in May. First
promotion "Commiseration Day" July 4th.
SHOWS: Armadillo World Hedquarters: Frank Zappa, Arlo Guthrie, Asleep At The
Wheel, Willie Nelson?
Antones: BB King, Sam and Dave
Memorial Hall: ELP, Leon & Mary Russell
Paramount Theater: Al Jarreau
Clubs: Jimmy Vaughn, Marcia Ball, Thunderbirds
San Antonio : Rod Stewart (RS Magazine).
At Maggie Maes: Christopher Cross, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe,
Dave Edmunds. Abner Burnett,
OCT 78 Dispute with Bill Shea, move back to UK, Abersoch
JULY 79 St Tudwals pub: Meet Dire Straits in bar when I'm setting up.
AUGUST 4 79 Knebworth, Led Zeppelin
OCT 79 Back to USA , Jacksonville
79 - 81 Springsteen, Kinks, Who (Atlanta)
May 81 Move to Boston, August move to Lexington, GW.
Sept 82 Who, Clash, Santana JFK Stadium.
August 83 Rock Apple Tours Liverpool / London
Jan 84 Move to Ogunquit ME
August 84 Rock Apple Tours Liverpool / London/ Hamburg
Jan 85 Move back to Lexington. Victoria Station, Channel
Kinks catering Lynn
Dec 86 Channel full time management
Jan 87 Edible Rex
Dire Straits Providence
July 87 Wayside Inn, Chatham
winter 87 Catering Providence concerts, Ron Wood at Living Room
Wings at MSG
Summer 88 Wayside Concert series
Winter 89 Karaoke research
Summer 89 Karaoke
Jan 90 Move to UK
May 90 Dingwalls and Channel 4 show. Meet Glyn Johns, Bob Geldof
Chaka Kahn at Dingwalls, Pretty Things at 100 Club.
Steve Marriott at Half Moon
June 90 All back to NJ
June to Jan 91 Star DJs , first CA trip, meet Lemmy and John Entwistle at Rainbow Room
March 91 Back to Channel as talent buyer.
Dec 91 Regroup find house in Chatham move back
March 92 All back in Chatham, work with Mike P.
Book Squeeze, Jimmy Cliff and Best of Boston at Melody Tent
May 93 Orleans Inn and make posters for Melody Tent summer shows
Dec 93 Hired for Melody Tent for summer 94.
April 94 Tent first season remain at tent until July 1997. Work with Mark Quinn
developing internet concepts.
April 98 Return to tent until summer 2008, develop Dixie Tours in Nashville.
August 08 Tour Manage Carlene Carter and work with Johnson Family.
April 09 Return to tent GM/ Production contract.
May 2010 Management contract with Siobhan Magnus
............TO BE CONTINUED......
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