DrWiddly

I'm a husband, father and part time Rock God (yeah, right! as my daughter would say). I've been spanking the plank for longer than I care to remember. Had loads of great times, (hopefully) made some good music and definitely made quite a few life long friends.

I began my serious playing career back in the mid 1970's on the London pub circuit in a band called Evil Ways (which also featured Adrian Smith later of Iron Maiden fame on guitar and vocals). The band signed to DJM Records in 1976 and we changed the name to Urchin . I played on the debut single Black Leather Fantasy before leaving in early 1978. A couple of years after leaving Urchin, I joined Berlyn who had some moderate success in the early 1980's but split up before the band achieved its potential. By a strange quirk of fate, some old demo and live recordings were picked up a few years ago and we had two albums released by High Roller Records in Germany in 2005 & 2006.

After a break from bands and gigging for several years in the late 80's and early 90's, I helped form the classic rock covers band Rewind with ex-members of Berlyn and Cairo. I'm now with a rock covers band named Full Metal Jacket playing the North London/Essex circuit.

As well as my Heritage H150 CM, I own several Patrick Eggle guitars made in the 1990's, an Epiphone Elite Les Paul and an Elitist 335, a couple of Yamaha Pacificas (which for some reason I prefer to Strats!), a Palm Bay Cyclone (for those Raaaaawk moments) and a Yamaha electro acoustic. Amplification consists of a selection of rack gear (I like the convenience of midi and lots of presets for live work), a Trace Elliot Trident combo and head, a Laney TT100 head, a Wharfedale TCT50 head/2x12 cabs & TCT35 combo and an Orange Tiny Terror. A TC Nova System and a selection of pedals (Mainly modded Boss) provide effects. I've just ordered a Digitech GSP1101 which I'm hoping to integrate as a effects unit with the valve amps.