Biography

Singer & Raconteur

I started playing a Chad Valley tin banjo at 10 'till I blistered my thumb and was hooked!  Bought my first home-made guitar at eleven and been playing ever since. Must get better at it one day!  Played in beat groups in Cumbria, then found folk at 17.  Fell in love with twelve-string guitar at 18 and been playing one ever since. Moved to the Midlands in 1969, played at The Olde Red Lion and Lobster Pot in Rugby and then ran the Corner House Folk Club, Bedworth for some years in the early seventies.  Met Malc Gurnham, Dave Sampson, Bob Kirkpatrick, Dave Bennett et al. Dropped out due to work and family and now getting back into it. Influences have to be Tom Paxton, any '60s pop, Colin Scott and Harvey Andrews. Loving the scene now and hoping to develop my entertaining style with more original material, (okay, and some new jokes!). Currently working with lyricist and author Jill Pickering of Majorca to produce original material, featuring in my performances already.  Hope to expand this greatly. My debut album Shifting Sands is now available via the GEMM website. It is also available at Head Records, Royal Priors, Leamington Spa or direct from Dave

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After great success with the trial at Bedworth Folk Festival, Dave is now running workshops on 'Compering' and 'How to Present Yourself as a Performer'. These can be run at festivals, Clubs or as private sessions. If interested, please contact Dave for full details.

Al Fresco were recorded live in their three sessions at Bedworth Folk Festival, 2006 and are hoping to produce a demo CD for circulation to Clubs and for sale at gigs. Watch this space!

Dave has also joined Romany Pie as Lead Guitarist (all right, only guitarist!) and lead singer. Gigs for the band will be posted here as they come up.