The Joy Of Making A Noise

It was Christmas Day 1964 when I first learned the art and the joy of making a noise. My hardworking mother had somehow found the wherewithal to buy a Dansette record player and half a dozen singles. Of those six singles the only ones I can remember are 'Six Fools' by Texas Bill Strength, 'Wait Til The Sun Shines Nelly' by Buddy Holly, and 'She Loves You' by the Beatles. The first two really didn't do anything for me to be honest. 'She Loves You' set me on fire. This was the first time in my life that a sound set the hairs on the back of my neck on end. It really was such a beautiful noise.

The excitement I felt on hearing that song came from the pure, unadulterated sonic energy. I think the fact that the Beatles sang with the same Scouse accent as we Liverpudlians also had a lot to do with it. In fact as I grew to be a little older I was amazed to discover that the Fab Four all lived no more than ten minutes from were we did.

From that moment on I decided that making noise like that was what I, and no doubt every other kid in the world, wanted to do. I pestered my mother for a whole year until she bought me a guitar the following Christmas. How little did she know that she was gifting me something that would come to provide me with a lifetime of joy and a great way to earn a living.

That first guitar I got was in fact half toy half musical instrument. It was made of pink plastic and had a picture of the Fab Four plastered on the front, right next to the sound hole. However, the guitar came with real strings and actually played really well considering. I remember breaking my first string and going to a local music shop to buy a replacement. That made me feel like a real musician.

Over the years I progressed though a variety of real instruments both acoustic and electric, along with a Marshall amplifier. And it was through the latter that I got into a little trouble.I used to go up into the attic with my elder brother and a friend and we would light some joss sticks, plug in the guitar and amp and rock n' roll all night long.

One night our next door neighbour had had enough and hurled a house brick through my bedroom window. The brick was thrown so hard it not only broke the glass (another beautiful noise to my young ears) but it also took a part of the wooden window frame with it. Ahhh, the price of musical joy.

Then there was the time that some old lady across the street died at home. The neighbours were very quick to blame me for her death with comments like "It was all that bloody racket he makes with that freekin' geetar did it to her." Maybe that was why they sometimes used to call it my axe. Needless to say I took no notice, I just rocked on regardless.

Back in the sixties it seems that almost everybody in Liverpool had a piano, and we were no exception. My dad used to tickle the ivories quite well having learned to play by ear. And of course, that too rubbed off on me and I took to playing the piano.

Over the years I developed a career as a semi pro and full time professional musician and singer songwriter and producer. I Have performed solo, in duos, and in groups, playing with some of the best musicians in the world and producing with Bon Jovi producer Lance Quinn. I have spent a small fortune on instruments and all sort of accessories, but I got it all back a thousand fold.

To date I have recorded two of my own albums, 'Nobodies Pet' and Lost and Found, out on on Bandcamp, and at least two dozen singles. And although I never really made the big time, I have had an amazing amount of joy from trying to make it to the top.

Sadly, this last year I have been forced to stop playing for the very first time in my life, that's almost sixty years, due to the pandemic. Now we seem to be heading out of this awful situation that befell us all just over a year ago and so hopefully I can get back to doing what I love doing the most, the joy of making a noise.