About

I love making music! Before I was given my first guitar for my eleventh birthday, I was playing tunes on the harmonica. Even earlier I can remember Mum sitting at the piano with me beside her picking out the melodies with one finger as she played. During my childhood I spent some years in and out of an orthopaedic hospital because I was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis.  Anyway, it was during this time I started playing the harmonica and the first tune I played was the Christmas carol, Once In Royal David’s City. What a start!

My interest in music grew once I got my guitar, a lovely golden sunburst acoustic that I couldn’t play at all! I was stunned, I really thought I’d be able to play just by looking at it! Tragic! Turns out my fingers were not so good for playing the guitar conventionally, I  was really disappointed. Sometime during that same year I lent the guitar to a friend at school, when I got it back, it was out of tune, sort of. It sounded ok to me and it seemed that perhaps I could do something with it after all. After I twiddled with the machine heads a bit I found I had tuned the guitar to a major chord. I played it on my lap and eventually got good enough to play recognisable chords. Later, after playing and singing gospel music at a local church I became very proficient at playing this way. My first gigs were as a solo artiste at my local pub, circa 1978, in the village where I grew up. Earning £5 per gig and what with all the drinks the patrons bought me I was well away.

During thistime I made an album of original songs, recorded at Wolden Studios. In the early 1980s I formed a band called Nightflyer. With Tony on drums, Pete on bass and me on rhythm guitar, we played at lots of clubs, pubs and hotels in the Devon area.  Over the years the number of band members increased to our biggest lineup which saw a lead guitarist and keyboard player join the band. Tony, as well as being a superb drummer, was very good at making things and he converted a drum stand into a guitar stand for me so I didn’t have to play it on my lap anymore. This was and still is a great piece of gear.

We made an album, again at Wolden Studios. This was around 1983-4 when we laid down six original tracks and in 1984-5 we did another six, this time all covers. The album was called Until You Call My Name Again, which was also the name of the title track. I was inspired to write the lyrics to this song whilst flying home  after a trip to Australia.

In 1989 I emigrated to New Zealand and often played in clubs and private gigs around my new home. During the last 5 years or so I haven’t been able to play gigs so easily, instead I’ve kept my musical life going by doing home recordings and posting the results on YouTube. It’s been great to see some of the responses I’ve had. Not playing gigs meant I had to find other outlets for my music, so for me, the internet is a fab way to do just that!

Cheers,

Pat

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