Quality Function and Party Band Playing Good-Time Rock and Pop Music

I’ve been singing all my life; any style, any where. I’m the newest recruit in DisCover, having the pleasure of joining the line up in April 2017. I also perform in an original folk band as lead singer and songwriter, as well as solo.

I have had the honour of performing at some grand venues including The Ritz, The Savoy, Millenium Dome, theatres and a castle just outside Barcelona. I’ve also performed live on multiple BBC radio shows and had airplay on BBC Radio 2.

My ‘day job’ is a yoga instructor and freelance writer, as well as a full time Mummy to 3 future rockstars.

Founder member of DisCover along with Larry and Steve, many gigs under the belt. Guitar nut – if only the budget aligned with the aspirations!

Being both a singer and guitarist gives me the opportunity at any particular gig – depending on how it’s going – to describe myself as a singer who plays a bit of guitar or a guitarist who strangles his way through a few songs.

Likes: making loud noises on stage, recording, real ale, slow jogging.

Little known facts: bought a guitar from a member of Stealers Wheel – shared a singing teacher with Alfie Boe – has a brother who’s a TV political correspondent.

Guilty secret: Big fan of musical theatre, especially Boublil and Schoenberg.

I’m the jack of all trades in the band, playing guitar, guitar synth and slide. The guys also occasionally let me near a microphone, though generally I leave singing to Emma and Graham, who are the experts.

I’ve been gigging regularly since Jesus was a toddler, and have played in bands with members of Adam and the Ants, and of Graham Parker and the Rumour.

When not playing with DisCover, I’m a professional writer. That’s given me the chance to interview famous names such as Joe Bonamassa and the guys from Marillion, and to work with John Otway on both of his autobiographies. I even have a name check on his Wikipedia page – how cool is that?

My love of guitar started when my older sister got her first acoustic guitar at age eleven. Being just a few years younger than her, naturally I pleaded with my parents to buy me a guitar too and that is when my guitar playing journey began. Yorkshire born and bred, I relocated to Wokingham in the mid ‘90s and was pleased to discover that my new neighbour Graham shared my passion for guitar. Very quickly, excited discussions about forming a band began and soon afterwards DisCover was formed, with Graham on lead guitar, Steve on drums and me on rhythm guitar. As we struggled to find a bass player, I had a few bass guitar lessons and took on the role of bass player. Music influences include blues/rock, in particular Dire Straits, SRV, Clapton and Joe Bonamassa.

Like Steve, I am fully retired and now class myself as (tongue in cheek) a professional bass player.

My favourite saying is, ‘Your band is only as good as your bassist.

I’m the drummer, and, along with Graham and Larry, formed the band back in 1998. The 3 of us had played together in another band for 2 years prior to the formation of DisCover, so Larry and myself have been the rhythm section, (engine room), for over 20 years,… and I think it shows!.

I think it‘s fair to say that I am generally thought of as the band’s “manager”, dealing with most of the administration side, and trying to organise everyone to get together, get paid and play the right things at the right time.

My main agenda is to create an atmosphere for people to have fun and enjoy themselves on the dance floor. Highlights for me have been to play on G-Lives main stage, and our regular Farnham Beerex slots.

These days I play in a couple of bands and as I am now retired from all other work I like to, tongue in cheek, call myself a professional drummer!

There have been a few changes to the band along the way, but I can honestly say that the current line-up is our best ever!!