*** 'Runnin' Down The Dream' *** - Part III of my conversations with Dave Holmes
In our last conversation Dave we discussed ‘The Day The Music Died’...for us anyway, or so it seemed at the time.
“Well we both became busy growing up, or not... :-) didn't we? Taking on careers and a way to live our lives which, for both of us, included 'the plan'! Careers, marriage, children, homes, cars, and all that was so typically expected of the offspring of the post war era of the 50's and 60's. AKA 'baby boomers'.
During the 'marriage years' I was still listening to music but attending live gigs was not an option. The music I was subjected to became very domesticated. I listened to the radio because I became part of a family unit. Top of the pops and televised variety shows were part of the daily grind that was the accepted and mostly expected norm of our lives. Except there really still was that undercurrent so strong that I mentioned earlier. The current of revolution, the carrying of that eternal flame that had begun to be woven into the fabric of my being in the early days of my exploration of the music that is 'my first love and will be my last'.
Occasionally, when finances allowed (as we had to prioritize for our family)I was able to purchase the occasional Rush,ELO, the latter being more acceptable to listen to around the family. Middle of the road you could say. Fortunately I still had my record collection that I had amassed in previous years and any spare money allowed me to invest in a set of decent headphones which allowed me to continue to listen to my collection.
Sadly the inevitability that is so readily available in today's world of divorce meant that my wife, children and I all became statistics. That didn't mean that I had a 'new found freedom' to live life as I pleased and indeed was the exact opposite, I had to begin the painful process of rebuilding my life from ground zero, (I will say this, there were bands and music around during those years that became a part of us as it does with all those involved in any type of life arrangement that involves two people and the acknowledgment of how rapidly your lives can change, it's like The Butterfly Effect isn't it funny how music can trigger strong feelings and reminders of those times in our lives)a particular album that we as a couple listened to at the time was the Album by ELO 'Out Of The Blue' and became a sort of self fulfilling prophecy of the outcome/demise of our relationship.
The next couple of years found me working away, I was traveling a lot and often stayed overnight depending on where I was geographically! This left me wanting entertainment and I found music filled that need, In the form of Blues Clubs and/or pubs with live music. On one occasion I was told about a particular pub that had a function room above, where there was going to be a band playing. I went along, paid my £3.00 entrance fee and joined the other 6 or 7 people anticipating seeing another struggling covers band. Can't remember the name of the group but I was completely gobsmacked when who should enter the room but Eric Clapton and Robert Cray who just 'turned up to lay an incognito set!. I was a bit hacked off as I had just paid 48 quid to see Eric Clapton just two weeks before at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
I'd reached a plateau as far as discovering new music was concerned and the 80's didn't really ‘shake my tree’. It was the era of New Wave and Punk, neither of which really did anything for me! Although bands such as The Stranglers, The Clash and The Jam did emerge from the Punk/New Wave era, but overall there just wasn't a whole lot that grabbed my attention. Shortly before that I had discontinued my subscription to NME, I'd become rather disillusioned when readers polls pronounced the Bay City Rollers the greatest rock band of all time! That was what really killed it for me.)
My journey really began again in earnest after I moved to the South of England. What I found while living down on the south coast was just a fantastic scene as far as live music was concerned. Good live music was readily available and it seemed that every pub had got a gig going on, so that any night of the week I had a choice of where to go and immerse myself in the live experience.”
*** The birthing of Hard Drive Promotions ***
“Some of the people I got to hang out with were quite significant! I'd become a regular visitor to a couple of venues for a variety of reasons, this being great people, great food and drink - the whole atmosphere! I met some great bands and heard phenomenal music. I was seeing on a regular basis, people such as Real Raj, Steve Picken, The Pete Harris Blues Band, Steve Brooks, Jo Long and the Pure Drop. I'll never forget the legend Arnie Cottrell, the brilliant guitar player Graham Bushell who played with Arnie along with Rick Foot. Steve Roux and The White Knuckle Blues Band, Nick Tann, The Chicago 9 Blues Band, Tim Payne, Babajack, Lucy Kitchen, Rabbit Foot and The Doghouse Boat Boys! The list goes on and on - so many more that I could spend all night listing (and I dearly want to) needless to say it was a rich soup of awesome talent of that you can be assured. World class unsigned artists all of them major players in the live music circuit. More and more as I went along to these live events we all became firm friends. Pete Harris would often pick me up to go along to a gig where we'd all help set up the gear and do the sound checks. There were many people with whom I became fast friends and we were like a family. Artists like Rick Foot (amazing double bass player) along with Jo Long and the Pure Drop. Rick also played with Jo in their side project ‘Foot Long’! He also played with Arnie Cottrell and Graham Bushell! Keyboard maestro Ray Drury would play with The Pete Harris Blues Band, Rob Berry and is in great demand by many others. What I am saying is these were world class artists who were unsigned either by choice or circumstances out of their control but whom I firmly believe the world needs to hear!
At the same time I found there were also artists who were quite happy to carry on with what they were doing, playing live, and didn't want record deals and all the headaches that inevitably accompany that life!
One day I was walking down the High Street in Winchester and was heading out to have some lunch! When a thought came to my mind 'Oh someone has great taste' when I heard ‘Little Wing’ playing and I just assumed someone was playing a Stevie Ray Vaughan track. As I neared the area the music got louder and I literally stopped dead in my tracks. What I saw and heard completely astounded me because there was a guy sitting on a fold up chair with an amplifier powered by a car battery. He was effortlessly playing a Strat like it was an extension of himself. About an hour and half later I realised I hadn't eaten any lunch, as I had been totally mesmerised and was in awe of the guitar playing. THAT was how I met Rob Berry, of whom I have said on more than one occasion in reviews and blogs (and I still maintain to this day) has to be the finest unsigned Independent Blues man I have ever come across anywhere. I am the proud owner of every single album that Rob Berry has ever produced and he is quite happy to continue as a professional busker!
That being said, the thing that always stuck me was that these artists need to be heard by the rest of the world! Although I had not consciously decided to be a promoter I was indeed considered a promoter by the artists themselves!
“Passion about music Dave, is something that both you and I seem to have in common”
“Through various life choices I found myself moving to Scotland where I now find myself with the drive and desire to promote and manage unsigned artists on a local and global scale, you might say I am finally Runnin’ Down My Dream”
