I was incredibly lucky through the 1970's and '80's to be asked to help some great bands to travel around the world and entertain their fans.
I hope Road Stories will capture your interest in those bands for who I was privileged enough to be the tour manager. I wanted to tell my story in a less conventional way, and so each page has a playlist to listen to in the background, while you can search through photo albums and original itineraries, check out the concerts via links to YouTube and listen to me telling some stories, as well as chatting and reminiscing with some of the artists, musicians and others who had their own parts to play on the tours. If you don't have the music yourself, then please consider buying it, there are links created to downloads wherever possible.
I sat with my friend Paul Goverd and basically just told him stories which we recorded for the site.
My aim is for Road Stories to stay 'alive' with new stories, told by others involved, as well as me adding material as we go along thus creating a 'living book'.
During this period in time, touring was still in it's infancy both in terms of production capability and the places and venues the bands could go to entertain. It was also still a generation with no cell phones, no computers, no fax or email, so setting up and organising these shows was done a little differently than it is today. Communicating was via office phones, payphones, telegrams, the postal service, couriers and telex.......
It was fantastic to be able to work within the environment of live music, surrounded by people (the audience, the fans) who were out for an evening wanting to have fun.
So this site is a an ever expanding story that will grow over time I hope, with stories, interviews and photos being added. You'll be introduced to some of the crew and to some of the artists who were integral to the events herein, and that I had the great fortune to work alongside.
About me in 1970
Still at school doing A levels. In June, I bought two tickets to the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet at the second original “Glastonbury”......
.....Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues, Byrds, Flock, Santana, Canned Heat, John Mayall, Steppenwolf, Johnny Winter, It's a Beautiful Day, Fairport Convention, Colliseum, Keef Hartley, Maynard Ferguson big band, Doctor John-the night tripper, Country Joe, Hot Tuna. What an amazing line up.
On holiday in Torquay in August, I got to see Derek and the Dominoes and Taste in the same week.
And the bands I saw after school at the Oxford Town Hall, the Catacombes Club and Stonehenge Club...........
Jethro Tull, Yes, Savoy Brown, Terry Reid, Free, the Groundhogs, Wishbone Ash, Renaissance, Stackridge, Colisseum, Juicy Lucy, Mick Abrahams, Wild Turkey, Black Sabbath, Kevin Ayres, May Blitz, Third Ear Band, Audience, Mott the Hoople, Daddylonglegs, Spirit of John Morgan, If, The Wild Angels, Osibisa, Skin Allley.....and loads I can't remember.
I guess you can say I LOVE Live Music.
My CV over the years
EDUCATION
: The Oxford School, Oxford
: North East London Polytechnic HNC in Business Studies (2 years)
: Cranfield School of Business (Work Study)
Recent Employment
2014 - 2019
Tour manager for Loreena McKennitt Greece and Turkey June/July 2019
Writer of Live Music Production, interviews with UK Pioneers, published September 2018
Writer Multimedia website www.roadstories.co.uk
Stories of life on the road as a tour manager with rock bands in the 70’s and 80’s
Tour Director for Tony Denton Promotions UK Arena tours for
Once in a Lifetime - The Osmonds, David Essex
Legends Live - Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Mary Wilson and The Drifters
Legends Live - Suzi Quatro, David Essex, Hot Chocolate
2013
Tour Director for Tony Denton Promotions
80‘s music artists - Mediterranean cruise & Falkirk football stadium shows
Tour Director for Keziah Jones tour of France
2012
Tour Director for L’Arc en Ciel World Tour
2011
Tour Director for X Japan World Tour
Tour Manager for Supertramp, Canada & France Tours
2009-2010
Tour Manager for Supertramp European Tour
Tour Manager for Squeeze Uk & USA Tours
2008
Tour Manager for Mike Oldfield in Spain for Showcase of new album live in Guggenheim Museum
Commenced writing a book on the History of UK Live Music Production
2006-2007
Tour Manager for Mike Oldfield Europe
Tour Manager for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Russia and Poland
Production Manager for Chester Hopkins International UK Tour of James Last Orchestra
2005-2006
Tour Manager for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel UK & Europe over 70 shows
and part time business consultancy for his Management Company
Tour Manager for Alsou on West Life UK Tour (for Roger Searle)
2004-2005
Tour Manager for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel UK & Europe
Tour Promoter for James Last UK tour
Site Manager for Eddie Cochran Festival Chippenham (for Roger Searle)
Managing Director of thebluepenguin.com – Internet Mail Order Co
2004-2019
Sales Director of MouseBean Ltd – New ergonomic hand rest invention
1994-1998
Creator and Partner of The Circuit
the first ‘live music’ marketing and promotions company in the UK aiming to send ‘baby bands’
on their first tours. 51 tours set up for all the main record labels in UK for bands such as Supergrass,
Feeder, Bush, Skunk Anansie, Kula Shaker, Bluetones, Catatonia and many more...
1989-1993
Creator of the first Internet website selling tickets for all main music concerts securely
online in UK & Europe
Director & Co-founder of Black Island Studios, London W3 : 35,000 sq. ft. Music Film & TV Stages
Producer of the first legal raves at Docklands Arena in association with Promoters MCP &
artists including The Shamen, Snap, 808 State, Adamski, Black Box ..
Music Consultant for large Sponsorship Co. CCS.
Live Music Consultant for West End Venue “The Orange” SW6
1987-1988
Manager of “The Dreaming”
Business management of 2 writers obtaining publishing and recording contracts and financial
backing from Publishers, - Rondor Music and Record Co, - EMI
Production Co- Ordinator Fuji Television, Japan & Sony Music. Japan
Previous relevant Music related experience
1980 - 1987
: Supertramp - 2 World Tours
: Paul Young - World Tour
: Duran Duran - 2 World Tours
: Icehouse - UK & Europe
: Adam & the Ants - UK & Europe
: Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow - South America Tour/Production Co-Ordinator
: Paul McCartney & Wings - UK & Japan
: Cockney Rebel - UK
: XTC - World Tour
Tour Manager (unless stated otherwise)
1972 - 1979
: Kate Bush - UK & Europe
: Sniff & the Tears - USA & Canada
: The Cars - UK & Europe
: Sailor - UK & Europe
: Rich Kids - UK
: The Grateful Dead - Egypt & Europe Tour/Production Co-Ordinator
: Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - UK & Europe
: Frankie Miller - Europe
: Sailor - Europe
: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours UK Tour Production Manager for MAM
: Harvey Goldsmith Ent Production Co-Ordinator
: Miles Copeland - Production Co-Ordinator
: Wishbone Ash - USA Tour Asst Tour Manager
References
: Roger Searle - RogerJSearle@aol.com
: Kaz Utsonomiya - kaz@rockthekazmo.com
