The short version:
With over 30 years experience playing music live, I´ve performed music throughout Europe in clubs large and small, from huge Festivals to the cafe on the corner, I´ve played clubs and festivals in Scotland, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Finland. I´ve performed live on radio ( BBC Scotland, NDR deutschland, AFN Germany ) and TV shows across Europe and on The Nashville Network in America.
I´ve had the incredible good fortune to have entertained and performed live for hundreds of thousands of people in my life.
The longer version:
I was born in Scotland in 1961 into a family of musicians, and I´m continuing my family tradition. As a child I won several National Burns Poetry and Song awards for excellence performing Robert Burns`s works, this is something I have carried into adulthood.( see my Scottish Concert )
At 17, I made my first professional solo stage debut performing a version of Mike Oldfields "Tubular Bells" arranged for two guitars, together with my old friend and guitar ´teacher ´ Ian Slater.
At 18 I spent two years in the band The Precious Few, together with Ian Slater backing a certain Miss Margaret Zavaroni - ( yes, Lena´s cousin ; I grew up next to Lena in Rothesay, where all the talented Zavaronis live ! ) , this was my firts band where I learned the ropes. Gigging almost every other night for 4-5 hours playing the hits and backing singers. Now that´s what I call an apprenticeship
Then after working my way through Scotland and England, I left London to tour Europe, where I took up residence in central Germany. While still working the 'acoustic scene', I co-formed, sang and played Guitar and Bass in the Country Rock band Southwest Deluxe .
We toured constantly and also backed such artists as Nancy Griffith, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Wariner, Hoyt Axton, Kris Kristofferson, and German giants Truckstop. Then, when I and the band could go no further together, I left to continue as a solo artist.
I have appeared on various Radio and TV shows on
both sides of the Atlantic including BBC Radio, Radio Clyde (scotland ), Radio
Scotland , NDR Germany, Radio Arc en Ciel ( France) , AFN Europe and The Nashville
Network TV station in America.
Over the years I´ve played gigs with and opened for such diverse bands and artists as:
Genesis, Spocks Beard, Kevin Gilberts and Cirque Du Soleil drummer Nick DiVirgillo.
B.B. King.
The Jeff Healey Band.
Scatman John " I´m a Scatman “
The Dubliners.
The Furies.
Johnny Logan ( Irelands two-time Eurovision winner)
Bianca Shomberg (German Eurovision artist)
Birelli Lagrene.
Mark Gillespie,
( many gigs as a duo and I´ve sang on 3 of his albums ).
I´ve performed at the acclaimed 'Scandinavian Guitar Festival' as the only acoustic artist next to classical virtuoso (and fellow Scot ) David Russell. I´ve performed at Osnabruker Guitar Festival while also demonstrating Guitar and Guitar synthesizers for the Godin guitar company and worked and performed several times at Frankfurts Musik Messe for both Boston´s Tom Scholtz Rockman and Landola guitars.
I was the guitarist and vocalist in the band Celtic Fusion - a fine mix of contempary and modern folk.
I´ve featured on several cd's as lead/guest vocalist, guitarist or both.
I`ve organised benefit concerts for Tibetan refugees and human rights issues, working together with Tibetan artists Lobsag Sherab and Palden Tawo best known for his soundtrack to the movie `Living Buddha` . I´ve performed and organized benefit concerts for the Homeless ; Irish bomb blast victims in Omagh Ireland ; Earthquake victims in Latin America ; Raising money for therapy for a child in a coma ; orphanages in the Himalayas and Tibet, and perfomed and raised money for childrens hospices.
I have constantly toured through most of Europe as a solo artist, in clubs and festivals, large and small, and has entertained hundreds of thousands of people over the years.
updates will follow
Mail me for more information: Gigs, prices, etc.