The early years

At age five, I went through all my old lady's records. Hidden between the Beatles, Rabbit, Richard Clayderman, Nana Mouskouri, Geoff Love and his Orchestra, Demis Roussous, The Sound of Music and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, I discovered two records she swore weren't hers. They seemed out of place, dark, brooding ... even mysterious.

They indirectly set the tone for all future musical discoveries even through the identity crisis haze of the 80's synth-pop/dance excursions versus make-up wearing Goth boy.

It would forever be about the song, the mood, the sonic imagery and that feeling deep inside. It was more show than tell and it was allowed to experiment with different genres, ideas, instruments and sounds whether looking forward to brand new music or digging deep into the past.

It has always favoured the underdog.

It's the reason why the White Stripes can share shelf space with Scott Walker and Link Wray or Joy Division can cuddle up to Daniel Johnston and Jim Neversink.

It's the reason that 1/3 of the top shelf housing label filed albums from African Dope, Mo wax, Ninjatune and Warp are being crushed by various box sets bearing the names Okeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957, Story of Jamaican Music, Can Box, Death to the Pixies, Johnny Cash – Love God Murder, Clash on Broadway and the historic Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. That and an apparent lack of space...

And those are just the CD's.

Hidden between Alien Sex Fiend, Specials, Kinks, Toy Dolls, No Friends of Harry, Wilson Pickett, Elvis and Yello LP's and Sabres of Paradise, Hot Chip, Cypress Hill and piles of 70's/80's disco 12"s lie two records. They're not so out of place anymore but are still dark and brooding ... even mysterious.

By all accounts, I should be a Satan-worshipping, drug addicted serial killer having listened to Black Sabbath's Paranoid and Jimi Hendrix's Smash Hits from such a young age. I even listened to them backwards. Yroeht taht rof hcum os. As the song says, "You never can tell".

Basics

Age: 32 (in 2006)

Birthday: 14 May

Status: Married with one sprog

Employed: Look & Listen as group head buyer (9 years)

Club DJ experience:

• Bangs (Ex-Heaven) 89-90
• Bella Napoli (Downstairs Wed to Sat) 91-93
• Le Club (Thu & Sat) 94-96
• Various ad hoc gigs at Doors (Marshall St), Alcatraz, Viper Room, Redroom, UNSUNG as well as various Le Club reunion parties.
• Currently running and DJ'ing at 'Cellardoor' with Martin Thomas (Ex Redroom) on the first Saturday of each month at the Horror Café in Newtown.

Radio DJ experience:

• Fill in for AWOL DJ's on Cani FM 99-00

Other music experience:

• Wrote for Top 40 music magazine during 92-93.
• Jingle writer with Graeme Sacks (Waddy Jones did vocals on one of our radio jingles for Beechies)
• Dabbled in remixing with Chris Tuck (Constant by Fetish got radio play and a compilation release)

Played guitar/banjo/sang in various groups:

• 'Leonard Street Tourists' with Nick Gilbert (Folk/traditional bluegrass)
• 'Hip Replacements' with Mark Bennett and Alan Lusk (Countryish rock)
• 'We are the Stars' with Martin Thomas and Lu from 13 (Indie covers – Arcade Fire, Joy Division, Bonnie 'prince' Billy, Cure, Interpol)
• Currently playing with Andrew Donaldson doing folk and alt.country stuff

Q & A

From MOJO's 'All back to my place'

What music are you currently grooving to?

Band of Horses, DFA, Explosions in the Sky, Wild Eyes, Jim Neversink, Okkervil River, The Knife, Gravenhurst and two bands I've recently been introduced to: Lali Puna and Metric.

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album?

It would be between Pixies Surfa Rosa and Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. Joy Division by a fraction.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?

Black Sabbath's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath at the CNA in Eastgate. My first 7" was Blancmange Living on the ceiling from the CNA in Darras Centre. I still have both of them.

Which musician have you ever wanted to be?

Ian Curtis or Will Oldham, or at one stage the lead guitarist of Slayer.

What do you sing in the shower?

Bath…not much, but I can do a pretty good version of Gram Parson's Hickory Wind or Sin City.

What is you favourite Saturday night record?

I only listen to records on a Saturday night when playing at Cellardoor. Currently it's New Pornographers, Wolf Parade, She Wants Revenge, Pink Mountaintops, Broken Social Scene, Editors, Organ and Ladytron along with established indie/alternative staples.

What is your favourite Sunday morning record?

Anything by Low, Nina Nastasia, Jeff/Tim Buckley or Edith Frost.

From UNCUT's 'Consuming Passions'

Desert Island Disc:

Palace Brothers – There is no-one what will take care of you. It's a grim listen, but I never get tired of it. In fact, I shelved it for about a year because it started doing my head in.

Bedtime Reading:

I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels and all the off-shoots as well as an indie UK graphic novel called Strangehaven. There are only three volumes so far and they get re-read often. Bedtime is a good time to catch up on the Q's, Mojo's and UNCUT's.

Essential Viewing:

I never miss Six Feet Under or Eastenders! The TV is always tuned to either BBC Prime or SKY. Sopranos, The Wire, Carnivale and Curb Your Enthusiasm are all brilliant TV shows. I'm also a huge fan of all David Lynch's work. Other films that moved me are Donnie Darko, Memento, A Mighty Wind, Pulp Fiction, Rivers Edge and Once Were Warriors to name a few.

Guilty Pleasures:

Red meat, Camel Filters, filter coffee and cheap port.

Pet Hates:

Musicals in all form, drivers who don't indicate, being accosted at every single intersection with fruit and phone chargers, the amount of trailers on Disney DVD's and the selling descriptions they give on the property channel… "And the kitchen features granite tops with space for appliances".

What next? "From the automated double garage, which features space for two cars, one has access to the street!"