I have been a professional musician for 50 years or so, and now retired. HOORAY !
I first started playing guitar in 1963 at the age of 17 when a pal of mine at school (Audley Park, Torquay) Tony Ives, offered to teach me "Apache" by the Shadows. He had a Fender Strat and I spent hours learning everything I could from him. I was hooked ! The first band I joined in 1964 was the "LAST TIK BAND" ( formerly the TELSTARS of Torquay). I worked with band leader Tony Waldron at Torquay music shop Paish & Co, and he asked me if I would like to join the band on sax. A week or two of begging and grovelling and my dad bought me a Conn tenor sax. A few lessons followed with Tommy Dunlop and my sax playing career began.
The Last Tik Band. 1964-1968.
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The LAST TIK BAND 1964. Left to right : Wiley Barber-drums, Tony (Spud) Gorman-bass, John Snell (me) - tenor sax, Tony Waldron-vocals & keyboards, Bob Pring-guitar. A great band and lots of fun.
The Indiana Highway. 1968-1970.
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"SUBDUED HUBBUB" at the Shiphay Manor Club. 1970-1973.
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The Shiphay Manor Club, Torquay. 1970-73. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of all members of this great band "Subdued Hubbub". We were fortunate to be signed by EMI in 1973. On the left is myself on guitar, with Rod Smith on bass. On the right is Robert Shaw on the drums. Not shown is Keith Setters - brilliant Hammond organ & superb vocals (later replaced by Ginger Taylor) and Mickey Jaques-guitar.
The Hip Hooray Band. 1974-1980.
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Some info on the Hip Hooray Band can be found in the book "Oh No! It's Local Rock and Roll" by Barry Sowden. I played with this Exeter based band for the best part of seven years. I think the highlight was backing Basil Brush at the Old Vic in London. If you read the book you will see we played a new years eve gig in Dubai in 79/80, where we were paid £10,000. Months later I was paid my cut by the band leader. It was £30 ! I left the band soon after as you can imagine ! Left to right = Bob Lynch- keyboards, myself-guitar/tenor/alto sax and flute, Mack Rae-tenor sax, Grenville Downing-trumpet & flugel, Derrick Tolman-sound engineer (later replaced by the Chief - David "Chiefy" Hitchcock), Roger Pike-drums, David Mulvihill-bass (band leader), and Robin Phillips-guitar. Me on the right on stage at the Dolphin holiday camp, Brixham on a Country & Western night.
"SKYLINE". EARLY 1980s.
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"OCEANAIRE". 90s and on.
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