Toured Great Britain with The Thompson Twins in 1984, toured Austria, Germany and Switzerland and played numerous club gigs in England.
"I was 'stolen' from Viva Lula by Savage Progress. At least, I like to think that. Savage Progress had only worked with a drum machine before I joined. This was the era of a multi-cultural, ethnic 'World Music' bands and performers. We were definitely multi-cultural. Glynnis was African/English - 'Ned' was Asian/English - Carol was Jewish/English and Rik and myself were.........well, we were from Nottingham and Leeds."
Quick memories:
"Standing in a 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' after the first rehearsal. Rik: 'So, Andrew, I heard you used to play with The Thompson Twins.' Andrew: 'Yes - who have you played with?' Rik: 'Roxy Music.....could you add a portion of chips to that order, please?' My jaw dropped to the shop floor. I remembered hearing 'Virginia Plain' by Roxy Music when I was still living at home and dreaming of being in a band. I had met my first boyhood hero - in a shop selling fried chicken. Rik told me he once played in a Working Men's Club in Nottingham when he was just starting out. Whilst the band were playing somebody announced loudly over the Intercom: 'The pie and peas have arrived!'. Everybody left within 30 seconds. The band played on to an empty room.
Supporting the Thompson Twins at the Hammersmith Odeon. It was a holy temple of music to me. Everybody had played there. We played 5 nights. It felt like clocking on for work.
After supporting Tina Turner at The Venue in Victoria, London, Tina's record company had a party upstairs after the gig. I brushed past Rik and Tina's piano player. I bumped into them slightly. Rik said: "Don't worry, it's only the drummer." Tina's piano player grabbed me by the arm and said to me: "Hey man, you're good!" Ahhhh....
After supporting Tina Turner at The Venue in Victoria, London, Tina's record company had a party upstairs after the gig. I brushed past Rik and Tina's piano player. I bumped into them slightly. Rik said: "Don't worry, it's only the drummer." Tina's piano player grabbed me by the arm and said to me: "Hey man, you're good!" Ahhhh....
The tour of Europe. Being made to feel totally welcome everywhere we went. Going into the back of the camper and crying to myself everyday because the emotional strain was overwhelming; Christmas/Birthday/drunk/ego-surges/happy/bored/excited - every single day - every hour - for a month. John Lennon: "It's all too much, for me to take." Seeing my face on a 'K-Tel - Hits of 1984' album cover. Stardom at last. Being lost in the middle of some German town and forgetting which hotel I was staying at."
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