Born in Shildon, a small railway town in the North East of England, my music career started early. Both my parents were musical and I grew up to the sounds of Glen Miller and my father’s brass band records some of which were 78s . On Sunday nights before my parents would go out dancing, the family would gather around the piano, my Dad would play and sing and he would show me small parts where I could join in. I started taking piano lessons after school when I was 8 until I was 11 . I carried on playing for fun and about this time I started listening to the radio and picking up on the pop music that was being played at the time. I joined a band with my school mates as the lead singer but really wanted to be the lead guitarist. So I bought a guitar and started practising every spare minute, eventually forming a band and playing the workmans clubs in the North of England.

I emigrated to South Africa in 1982 and in 1984 started playing on the professional circuit and the rest they say is shit. The songs represented here are an accumulation of influences from other musicians, surroundings, times and places. In these songs you may hear the different influences, this is because you listen to them and enjoy their music, and on some level aspire to be them . Although you may adopt their sounds and influences in your playing, your own influences will add value, which in a sense is your inner personality talking.

Hope you enjoy.
Paul

Influences
Allan Holdsworth - taking guitar to harmonically different level ie use your ears
Steve Vai- innovation and technical ability
Ingwie Malmsteen - introduction of classical music to the rock guitar
Eddie Van Halen - in his early days totally outrageous
Frank Gambale - he showed me how to sweep
Larry Carlton - the super arpeggio, and triads
John Petrucci - prog god
Joe Satriani - cool compositions, cool guitar
Chet Atkins - anything can fit anywhere, and goofing off
Jeff Beck - using space tension-release imperfect cadence
Tommy Emmanuel - so many notes from so few fingers
Dave Gilmore - taste, and the whole song

Tool Box

Guitars
Ibanez - 7 string Steve Vai Universe
Fender Strata Caster American Standard
Callaghan - Custom built
Tanglewood - Accoustic

Effects
ART GSX 200 multi-effects
Boss GT 8
Lexicon effects

Amps
Peavey stereo-chorus
Ibanez Combo