shane5736

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Band to Join.

ABOUT

I started playing bass in a Brisbane punk band called Orphan back in 1993. Whilst I had been playing guitar for years before that, including in a couple of knock about cover bands (Ruprect and the Monkey Boys and I'm Greg and I'm Proud), I thought playing bass would improve my chances of getting in a quality band. I reckoned that every band needs a bassist and there's not many of them, but there are loads of guitarists, and most better than me, so it was a supply and demand thing.

Orphan was a pretty wild band. The bare footed guitarist and singer/song writer from Byron Bay had a home made pre-amp and rather than buy new strings, he would simply tie them together and crack on. The sound was original and unfettered with loads of Big Muff and Wah effects. We jammed hard at a studio in Fortitude Valley and played a home gig and one at the Kahuna Pub in the city.

In 1994, I moved on to an originals indy band - some say it was I discovered that the guitarist in Orphan had done time in prison and heroin, but not so. The band Listen, played some good stuff and we scored a couple of gigs in Brisbane and the Newmarket Hotel. I was then posted with the Army to Wagga, then Sydney then Melbourne.

Moving to the UK 1999 and a new band formed called Dirty Sanchez. The singer was once in a boy band and the Scottish guitarist was special. We played gigs at the Students' Bar, Royal Oak and The Prince of Wales near Shrivenham.

In 2001, my knock about Dimboola cover band 'I'm Greg and I'm Proud' reformed under the new name The Proud, and with me on guitar and vocals, as the two singers were either married or in Darwin. We practiced and gigged in Freckies Bar of the Dimboola Hotel, with good crowds, especially New Years. We played in Jeparit, Murrayville and Nhill pubs - all without incident, well except for our drummer being arrested for being a late night drunken perv.

Back to the UK in 2003, and a knock about band was formed called Dirty Sanchez II with me back on guitar. We played a couple of gigs in the Mess and BOSC in Bordon. A few years later and The Riot House was formed with Danny on guitar, Ben on drums and me on bass. We jammed hard up the Garrison Church and mainly gigged at The Red Lion, school fetes, but also a posh jockey's wind up on a purpose built stage under a big oak tree.

As Camp Commandant in Kosovo, I ordered the purchase of musical equipment and the formation of the PIFWCS (Personnel Indicted for War Crimes) - another cover band, but with me on guitar again.

The Riot House reformed under the name The Lock Ins with Danny on guitar, myself on bass, Mike on drums (from Blondelle) with Carla and Naomi on vocals. Mike had toured Europe and Japan with Blondelle and was particularly talented. His claims to fame were that his Dad turned down the drummer job with Status Quo and he snorted a line of a drum stick. We played several gigs at The Cricketers in Kingsley, including the inaugural Crickfest.

Back to Australia and to the countryside of Daylesford, Victoria. I joined a band called Indigo Creek, which played originals and covers. Jane was the talent in the band as the guitarist and singer/songwriter, with Dave Woolcock on drums and myself on bass. The band jammed hard, and secured an infamous gig at the Senior Citizens Club In Daylesford, which lead us to form a country covers band - The Midnight Special.