Roy Andrews
Born 20th August 1958 in Eastleigh, Hampshire
My Granddad taught me to play the banjo when I was 14, and after getting my first electric guitar in Woolies as an Xmas present from my Mum and Dad, I learnt to play Shadows instrumentals before learning a few Status Quo numbers.
After leaving school, I joined a few school mates, Dave Hobson (Bass)Phil Taylor (Guitar)form a garage band and drafted in Brian Marshall (Drums) to learn a few rock numbers, mainly Status Quo, but Paranoid by Black Sabbath also featured and still does 30 years on!
I met Martin at 18 and forged a life long friendship. Martin played piano and keyboards and we decided to get together to learn a few punk numbers and started to write a few of our own; 'I'm Useless', 'Rufus Reggae', 'Plastic Bag' andNeighbours'some of the first. We always joked "this time next year we will be miwwionaires" long before Delboy and Rodney!
We decided to form a band at the end of the 80's performing all of our own material in and around Southamptonbecame The Injectors with Ed Goodall (Guitar and vocals), Denis Jacobs (Lead Guitar), Pete Crook (Drums) and Viv Lobb (Sax). By now I had taken up the bass guitar.
The band split after a few years and I moved to Sussex with work and formed a new covers band which became TRAKs. Terry on rhythm guitar, Roy on bass, Andy on lead guitar and Keith on drums and vocals.
After moving back to Hampshire I joined Silver Machine, another band playing rock covers with Duncan Lefeuvre on lead guitar and vocals, Angus Ross on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Anthony Haikney on drums. The group stopped playing regularly due to ill health but Duncan bumped into a drummer (Mike)a new kit into his car at Fret Music in Shirley in 2004 and suggested Mike contact me as he wanted to form a new rock covers band.
That summer, Martin, Pete CrookI went to the Isle of Wight Festival and saw The Stereophonics, The Who and David Bowie headlining. We were so inspired that Martin and I decided we should form a bandMartin on lead vocals, me on bass and Mike on drums.
Another quick trip to Fret Music and an advert in the window found 'guitarist want bass player and drummer to form classic rock covers band'. A call to Colin and Black Dog were near to formation. Rod joined a few months later when Colin bumped into him in a music shop in Salisbury and the rest as they say, is history.
Rod Lewis
Made in Wales a long time ago!
First picked a guitar up when I was eleven years old. It was a Spanish guitar and was pretty awful! Had three guitar lessons with a doddering old lady- which was clearly not for me and decided to 'go it alone'. My path to guitar megawas set in place!!
I practiced and practiced for the next hundred years (well it seemed like it at the time!) numerous bands with my mates Steve (guitar and later keyboards) and Phil (drums) back in the valleys remaining in the doldrums for a long time. Played in most of the high spots AND all the low spots in South Wales
to be continued.................