Second Guitar

For my 18th birthday I got a Fender Strat in Leeds. It came with a Carlsboro valve amp and a Fuzz Face pedal. It was wood finish with a maple neck. I bought if from a guy in a bedsit who world-wearily told me he had "played it in Branigans" which was the height of cool for a Leeds player. The guitar was US made in about 1964 and with hindsight I should have got it renovated [the tremolo arm was gone and the nut and bridge needed sorting] and kept it for life. I didn't. The photo is of a similar guitar.

I learnt a lot with the guitar and it went with me to my band in Liverpool - The Candidates for Wax. We only had two gigs. The first gig was part of Merseyside Multi Cultural Week that I was helping to organise. It was a lunchtime gig in the student bar - the Sphinx. Each day for the week a different band played. We were on the Friday, on the Thursday was another new band on a very early gig - Echo and the Bunnymen. [We didn't bother checking them out, sure they would be rubbish]. The gig went really well. Great feeling. Me on lead guitar, Andy on rhythm, Pete on bass and vocals and Steve [I think] on drums.

The second was at a university disco for rugby playing types. Loud punk music was not what they had come to hear. In the end we got out alive only with the help of Joanna's boyfriend who excelled himself. I remember as we pushed the amps back down the road to Liverpool 8 and our flat in the snow at 2 in the morning that we all felt pretty good. Considering. It was our last gig.