Year of birth?
1958

When did you start playing?
At 8

Why did you start playing?
My father always played the guitar and I knew I wanted to play the guitar also. There were always instruments and musicians at our house and I can not remember when I first played guitar or piano. I started playing the flute when I was 5, but I naturally picked up a guitar one day and started to seriously practice with it when I was 7 or 8.

Favourite bands?
Genesis, Frank Zappa, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Ten Years After, Children of Bodom, My Chemical Romance, Brand X

Favourite musicians?
Steve Vai, Keith Emerson, Youssou N'Dour, Manu Chao, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Maria Callas

Best musician of all times?
Jimi Hendrix

First album bought?
Abraxas, Santana

5 favourite albums of all time?
at the moment:

Brain Salad Surgery, ELP
Passion and Warfare, Steve Vai
Selling England by the Pound, Genesis
Are you dead yet, COB
Thriller, Michael Jackson


Favourite albums from the 21st century?
- Are you dead yet, COB

First concert (as visitor)?
Soft Machine, August 1973 in Italy

Best live show you've seen
Ramones, Paradiso, Amsterdam 1978

Favourite Kramer song / favourite album?
We Mortals, Life Cycle

Favourite song to play live?
I Believe

Which band would you like to open up for?
Genesis

Highlight of your career on/off stage?
Gig at Montgomery Hall, Wath-Upon-Dearne, UK, 1 September 2007

Down point of your career on/off stage?
Well...down point...? Playing at Paradiso with The Duds in 1978 and forgetting to bring our drummer (I think he still hates us for it...)

Craziest situation on/off stage?
While having a beEr offstage, someone tried to steal my Les Paul. Now me and my Les Paul, we go back a long way...needless to say that she screamed for help, still being plugged in and just "kill-switched", and when we came to HEr rescue someone got hurt...not me...not the Les Paul...

Weirdest item/place you had to sign?
a parking ticket to remove a wheel clamp in front of Paradiso, 2005?

Most embarrassing moment of your career?
Jumping on stage, backwards from the drum riser, and not remembering exactly where the monitors are...

Craziest rumour you heard about yourself?
that I was the brother of someone famous...;-)

Favourite bands to tour with?
My own band

Favourite drink / smoke?
Coca Cola Zero

Dream cars?
DeLorean, BMW 540i, Lotus Europa

Favourite movies / actors?
"The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knight of the Round Table", Monty Python
Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinnie"
Pulp Fiction

Favourite computer/console games?
Grand Theft Auto 3

What do you like to do on your freetime?
Playing the guitar.

Worst habit?
Playing the guitar, always, all the time

What would be your job if not musician?
Guitar player (anyway)

Describe yourself with 3 words:
which 3 words ?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
On stage, playing my Les Paul

Equipment you use?
(Hold on. There's something funny here. I can't stop buying more gear...;-) )

1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty”
1974 Gibson SG Custom
2003 Gibson Les Paul Studio
1989 Ibanez JEM77 Floral Pattern
1998 Ibanez RG450
1998 Fender Stratocaster 50's reissue
2004 Jackson KE-3 Kelly
1986 Kramer Striker 600ST
2005 Vintage VRS100
1972 Hofner Strato
1994 Sakurai Classic
1982 Ovation Applause
2004 Ibanez AEG-10 VS
2002 Ibanez GSR200
2006 Ovation Applause
2006 Squire "Hello Kitty" Stratocaster
2005 PRS SE Standard
2006 Ibanez Artcore AGS83B


AMPS

Bogner The Fish
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis 2.0
Soldano SP77 Series II
Mesa/Boogie 20/20
2 x Marshall 1936
Fender Pro Reverb
VOX Valvetronic AD60VT
Kitty Hawk Junior
Peavey Bandit 65
National GR9577
Hartke B30
Tube Works Real Tube II 19" Pre-amp
Rocktron Pro-GAP 19" Pre-amp
2 x The Box 110 110W Personal Active Monitor

STOMPBOXES

TC Electronic G-System
Boss GT8
Digitech Studio Quad V2
Korg DT-1 Pro 19" Tuner
Ibanez PUE5 Multieffects
Ibanez FatCat Distortion
Morley Classic Wah
Roland GR30+GK2A
VOX VC4 Footcontroller
Behringer V-Amp Pro
Behringer Virtualizer Pro 2024
Behringer FCB1010 Floor Control Board
Zoom G2.1u
JoeMeek 6Q Preamp/EQ/Compressor

KEYBOARDS

Roland Composer
Alesis Photon 25

SYNTHS

Native Instruments Absynth 3.0
Native Instruments Kontakt!
Roland U110
2 x Yamaha FB01
Yamaha TX81Z

E-BOWS

E-Bow Plus

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