The Adelaide Years: Well that was where I was born and grew up.

My Family had a catering business, which I help out a lot in.

 I was the In House entertainer.

I went to Scared Heart Collage, Had a great time there and made a lot of friends.

The last couple of years of school I was playing at least one show a week.

Between the school band that I was in called

Luteum, and playing a lot of weddings for the family

business , I was  playing a heap of  music and learning

what I know now as the standards.

When I left School I got a job at Allan's Music in Gawler Place,

and meet up with some of my closest friends that I have.

Luteum: Luteum was my first Band. My parents

always brought me the best gear. I met up with a

guitar player called Phil Hefferan at School, he was learning guitar, we chatted one day and decided to start a band. I think at the time we looked around the school for a bass player and drummer, but there was no one at the school,. Then one day Phil said, this guy from up around where he lives can play drums, so we organized a jam and then Scott Martin joined the band, then he recommended  a bass player called

Graham Thompson , and the band was formed.

We somehow got this gig from the Messenger

newspaper , we became the Good News Band and played on the back of a truck for the newspaper.

It was a lot of fun, and Luteum was as well, still today I listen back at some of the songs that we wrote, or mainly Phil wrote, and think, that I would love to get back together and record them

today, and see what happens.

 

Andy Upton: Andy Upton was a solo pop singer from 1976-1978. I really don’t remember how I got involved with Andy. It was a real joy playing with him, he had such a great voice. We Did a lot of touring around Sth Australia. Andy had a record contact with Wizard Records, the record producer was Robbie G.Porter. Andy had a Number One hit in Adelaide ,with a  remake  of “Stop in the Name of Love”.

We put on a big concert at the Her Majesties  Theatre in Adelaide, and did all the big pop star stuff. It was a lot of fun

Salvation Air force: Adelaide had some great bands, when I was working at Allan’s Music, I met up with some great people. One of them being Rick Morris, who became my closest friend. He had a band called Salvation Air force , which had a reputation of being the loudest band in town. I was lucky to play in the band for a little while. It had different players at different times, but it taught me a lot about, how to play. Plus around this time I met a lot of muso’s who are still friends today , although I don’t spend a lot of time in Adelaide , but manage thru email to keep in touch.

The later part of the 70’s I started to really enjoy the touring bit and being on the road was great fun. Adelaide at the time did not offer much, there where times I managed to go to Melbourne or Sydney to play ,  I got a lucky break in 1979 when a keyboard player friend was leaving this Melbourne band called AVALANCHE . They had a couple of minor hits, plus my old friend Graham Thompson was

playing bass. It was only for 3 weeks, till there new player was

available to play. So I went over ,played , had a great time, and met some of my heroes, from different bands

I also met three other people who I became close to. Jaynie Morris was Rick's wife, we always had a bond, and still have today, Russell Stork who is always there for and the other is Keith Fowler who worked at 5KA. He has always been a big supporter of what I have tried to do , and help me at lot with the Heaters.

During 1979 A lot of things where going on, I really wanted to get out of Adelaide. When 1980 Came, my dear friend Rick recommended me to Mike Rudd, for his band called the Heaters. I went over there one weekend in April , got the gig , then moved there in May 1980.