just back from holland and belgium

About me:

I was born in Colne Lancashire in 1954 i spent most of the next 15 years or so living between Colne, Nelson and Blackburn My first love was Wrestling from the age of around 11 i wanted to be a wrestler . I went regulary to the imperial ballroom in Nelson and started to regulary to go to Bill Robinsons gym in Failsworth Whilst in Nelson i used to do a bit of seconding and used to hang out and sometimes travel with the likes of the royal brothers, adrian street, said saif shah and judo pete roberts. when i was around 15 i suppose i just grew out of it probably around the time i discovered girls. My first proper job was as a milkman in Blackburn after year or so i quit and thats when the music came into my life. I moved to Birmingham and started hanging around Bogarts learning my trade by humping gear in and out of the Club for the likes of Judas Priest , Sundance , Bronco and the steve gibbons band. I also did the same at Barbarellas. I moved to Guildford in 1976 and got my first paid job as a roadie working for the nashville teens we toured all over the uk for 18 months Around 1977 i did a bit of work for Adrian Hopkins merchandising for the likes of thin lizzy wishbone ash ufo and weather report. in 1978 i got my job as a tour manager working for a band called last flight who supported amongst others AC/DC , WHITESNAKE , EDDIE MONEY AS WELL AS HAVING REGULAR RESIDENCIES AT THE MARQUEE THE BRIDGE HOUSE AND THE NASHVILLE ROOMS. around this time i got a job with edwin shirley trucking doing security for their new site in west ham the site contained besides thousands of pounds worth of trucks also the equipment for the likes of Queen , ELP , Iron Maiden Wings and the Rolling Stones. There were also several rehearsal rooms with up and coming rock bands from the east end used. I also went out taking backline to its owners in some very nice locations. in 1981 i met the dirty strangers when i stage managed the isle of man rock festival in douglas IOM i ended up working for them for a while as well as a rehearsal rooms at hammersmith studio. Whilst there i started working with smash artistes booking gigs for the enid eek a mouse black roots GBH and Divine i also went on the road with forrest and eek a mouse as tour manager who i worked with on and off with for the next nine years in the next few years i was tour manager for yellowman gregory isaacs wailing souls and barrington levy i also stage managed the european SUNSPLASH TOUR with sly and robbie which took me too 7 countries i was also working as a local tour manager in Holland for wanted concerts with wishbone ash uriah heep and steve marriott. in 1986 i moved to germany at set up Cat Concerts booking tours for Steve Marriott ,Chicken Shack ,Snowy White,Black Roots and the tygers of pan tang i was also responsible for booking Dates for James Brown Gil Scott Heron and bo diddley i worked for Kolner Empire for 6 momths booking bands yet again and managing High n Dry who broke up straight afterwards.after 6 weeks in New York getting my shit together i had a complete change i worked on building sites in London ,Brighton and Horsham whilst living in camden town and stoke newington also in this time i had time off to travel across canada by greyhound bus from Toronto to Victoria (vancouver island) it took 8 days but it was great fun i stayed in victoria for 3 weeks then went back on the train to winnipeg staying in Banff awhile then by greyhound to FARGO ND MINNEAPPOLIS ST PAUL CHICAGO AND DETROIT THEN BACK TO TORONTO. When i got back to london i got a job as security at the mean fiddler looking after bands security backstage. in 1993 i worked as stage manager for the gods of aor in Wigan , Milton Keynes and Paris with Mark Free, Ian Parry, Jeff Paris , Jaime Kyle and Shotgun Symphony After this i did 2 tyketto tours promoted a rock club in Colne (my home town) and worked for bands the outsiders and dragster on my return to holland i worked for breakthrough management booking tours for FM and Gary Hughes.i then became stage manager for Fleetwood Mac on a 1994 european tour. The last full time music job i had was working with Dick Dale on a european tour on which i had a stroke at the age of 40 it left me paralysed on my right side in the last 13 years i still done a little bit in the biz i booked tours for Hitman Blues Band BIG DEZ o/d saxon storm warning boked gigs in spain germany and the czech republic and i am currently promoting gigs in riffs blackpool and working with metropolitan booking agency in amsterdam thats my life up to now except the best thing ever EVER happened to me MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND MARCELLA GAVE ME A LOVELY SON JAKE THE APPLE OF MY EYE HES 4 and starts school in september IT CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS Hope you enjoyed reading about my life it would great for you to leave me a comment ps whilst on tour in austria in july 2008 i had another stroke and i have had to retire completely LOVE CAT www.metropolitanbookingagency.net since i wrote this i have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had several blackouts and i am feelig like shit it would be nice to hear from any old mates out there