Methiant Llwyr Live at the Old Quarry, Lampeter

In 1984, inspired by Kiss Alive ll, Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast and my own lack of ability on more complex instruments I bought my first second hand Honer bass guitar for £25 in Llanybydder, West Wales. It was downhill from there...

In 1985 I played my first live gig with Welsh Language Punk band ‘Methiant Llwyr’ (with Edwin Morris- guitar, Hefin Davies- vocals and Heulyn Roderick- drums) in the Old Quarry In Lampeter. The band lived up to its name (which in Welsh means ‘total failure’) by promptly splitting up after the one performance.

Mach4 Live in Lampeter

In 1985-86 we formed school heavy rock band Mach4, me and my mates Dave Hobbs (guitar and vocals), Matthew Jones (guitar) and Alastair Upton (drums) and got my first taste of drinking cheap cider and playing Kiss covers. I grew out of the former quite quickly, but my taste for the latter never left me... 

Despite constant gigging playing a mixture of originals and covers on the West Wales circuit and the recording of a funny-but-futile demo tape, the band was soon to run its course when the other three brighter members passed their exams and went onto college. 

Black Orchid Live

Myself, having not got such good grades, instead graduated onto legendary Welsh Thrash Metal band Blak Orkyd (with Andy Veasey- vocals, Dave Hobbs-guitar, Dave Huxtable- guitar and Joe Clancley- drums) and thereby instantly went up in my own estimation.

The quality of metal produced was first class but while I admired the fact that all their songs were in E minor, and therefore interchangeable, I admit I did find it taxing to play a whole live set without a single Kiss cover. With a still unreleased live album in the can the band split up in tears.