The story of rock & roll...

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Under the rules we're allowed 3 tunes, all loosely relating the business of what exactly?.. well, it's whatever you want. 

Always should be. I start out at primary getting my first guitar at 7:45 (that is seven years old for £5). 

Birthday present from the parents. Good for playing Irish folk, great for entertaining the family at Christmas. Nice soft nylon strings. Not too loud. Not so hard on my little pre-work finger tips.

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Or was I five years old and pay £7 for it? Can't remember and neither can anyone else. Try getting someone interested in teaching; not any people want to so I teach myself.

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My first band at the end of primary school with Jeffrey Ayres? (no idea where he is now) and brother Martin. I know exactly where he is.

Band is so short lived it lasts just long enough for a publicity photo against the garage door taken by Uncle Chris who’s a very keen photographer; even uses a real camera. Film and everything…

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Live on the Wells Estate, a circle of postwar council housing surrounded by common land where we ride shambolic and incomplete motorbikes. Nothing legal about that at all especially our ages.

Ray across the road performs at clubs, White Elvis flares, suit, long hair and I'm pretty sure, a large medallion, buys himself a brand-new Fender Telecaster and can't wait to dispose of his little Hofner club 60 along with Watkins dominator amplifier. I can't wait to be the new owner, so for a tenner, I start on my road to rock 'n' ruin.

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I used to bash out a punk style tunes without really understanding what it was, particularly as it hadn't been invented yet. Bastardised Rock ’n’Roll; loud and energetic.

Took the guitar to school looking for other musicians to play with, to learn from, trying to make music lesson interesting, relevant, exciting.

 

Walking round the edge of the football field having a sneaky fag, Lawrence my classmate says he wants to be in my band,

even tho so far, no-one else does. I ask him what he can play. Nothing he says, right so you can be the bass player.