Tim

Being something of a loner from an early age, I became aware of some strange 'epiphanies' in nature. Accordingly, I began to seek spirit links between Nature and Art.

My earliest listening material that seemed to exemplify this was Can, Neu, Hawkwind, 'old school' Irish / Scots trad, and some classical music.

Essentially, I liked music that was Earthy, somewhat chanty or rhythmically repetitive or ethnic.

All this changed when at the age of 13 in February 1973 I heard Dark Star from 'Live Dead'; Garcia's spiralling guitar phrases were a revelation.

This set me on a course that generally had no interest in other types of music except returning occasionally to those already mentioned. One of these diversions included an 8-year obsession that led to master classes on Irish Uilleann bagpipes in the 1980's.

I have never been really serious about trading huge amounts of Dead tapes, preferring quality and analysis.

I would probably not have started the painful path of musicianship had I not heard Jerry. But I did, and at the age 15 I started playing acoustic guitar. I was only in one band during the 70's. They were a kind of fusion between Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, but of course it had to 'jam out' in songs.

Being keenly aware of a lack of interest in Grateful Dead music in England (probably due to not enough sunshine or something) and judging the musical trends at the dawn of the 80's, I became an artist by hobby and an industrial chemist by profession.

This changed for a short while upon meeting Ian Whitehouse, a fellow Deadhead and guitarist, who was at University in Coventry.

Jamming for fun alone, we had plans to play folk clubs as an acoustic duo and aspire from there. However, work dictated that Ian would move to London (circa 1982).

Ian eventually met other musicians and formed the Cosmic Charlies.

Having seen the band several times but never being asked to jam (except on one occasion), my final opportunity to play Grateful Dead music seemed to have gone.

Meanwhile, the original line-up of the Charlies had disintegrated and provisional plans for a reunion (without the original lead guitarist) were proposed for the annual Spiral Light British Deadheads' party. The big, long-awaited phone call finally came.

Naturally, since being asked to be lead guitarist with the Shotgun Ragtime Band, enough effort and practice has gone into it to have filled the years when it was only a dream.

Now having been with the ensemble that has included successful gigs in Switzerland and Germany the dream is coming to fruition, though geographic and commitment problems within the band mean that rehearsals and gigs have to be slotted into busy lifestyles.

I hope to be able to be doing this when I'm too old to carry on. I just hope there's always ears to hear.

Could I begin to tell you how much this music means to me? Doubt it.

Tim