I thought that maybe it was time I bothered to introduce myself, especially as the Dragon?s Wing is well underway! I hope this doesn?t come across as pretentious; this isn?t my intention at all. I guess that?s the reason I haven?t posted this before?too scared! Anyway, many years ago, when I was very young (i.e. 8 years old) I almost sent my parents mad with the idea that I wanted a keyboard (an organ at that time). Remember this was the early 70?s! No way they were going to let an 8 year old have an organ, he couldn?t play a note and they couldn?t afford it. By the time I was 10, I wanted the organ AND I wanted a drum kit. This wasn?t helped by the fact that across the road, one of our neighbours had a drum kit set up in his garage. Listening to my neighbour playing drums continued to my satisfaction (the owner of the kit could really play and went on to own a music shop and do session work) until I was 14. By then I had decided that I wanted to be a bass player. My parents decided that maybe, as I had been a real pain about playing an instrument for six years, that I was probably serious by this stage. Dad finally gave in and bought me a Fender Jazz copy and a really basic amplifier and speaker. That was 1980 and it really got me going. I was a Rush and a Yes fan anyway, so I set about trying to copy Geddy Lee and Chris Squire?s finest! Come 1981, and dad wanted me to stay on into higher education. I wanted a job (i.e. money) so he bribed me. He couldn't afford what I wanted. I wanted a Rickenbacker 4001, but I didn't want a jetglo one - I wanted something different in colour. One day in my school holidays I spotted 'my' 4001 - in azureglo but a price tag ?100 above jetglo ones. It was ?490 in 1981 - a lot of money for my dad, mom didn't work (housewife) but he couldn't quite afford it. So - instead of telling me that it was a non-starter - he didn't go to the pub with his friends until he'd saved his beer money to pay for my 4001. Is it my most treasured possession? Of course and does it sing or what!!!!! Myself and senior management have some very basic rules if the worst happens and the house burns down ? she saves the cats, I?m going to save my 4001! When the Dragon?s Wing arrives I?ll be saving two bass guitars I suspect!! During the mid-80?s I was playing in a band and then one day ? along comes ?Live Aid?. That was it for me. I sat in front of the tv, I was convinced that sooner or later The Who would be playing (although I had no proof beforehand that they would play) and myself, like millions of others, must have been gutted when, partway into ?My Generation?, the BBC feed failed. It was restored of course and then when listening to ?Won?t Get Fooled Again? ? I was absolutely blown away by John?s bass sound. I was on a mission to find out what instrument he was playing and Alembic turned out to be a very new thing to me then. From 1987 to 1993 I didn?t play, my 4001 sat in its case. One day in 1993 I went into town to get some strings, I had decided to start playing again. Hanging on the wall was an Alembic Series II, a very strange sky blue colour (with a horrific price tag) but it played like a dream. I decided that one day, I WOULD own an Alembic?as the years have passed, I have continued to change my mind (and budget) until I have settled on what I now have in build ? the Dragon?s Wing. Sort of running parallel with the bass guitar thing, I?ve also had an unhealthy interest in synthesizers since 1982. I like the melodic and technical challenge that synthesizers give me if I?m in the mood. I?ve included some pictures of my keyboard set-up here. If anyone wants more details, please ask. But in there is (for the spotters!!):- Moog Mini-Moog Roland Jupiter 8 Roland D-50 Roland D-110 Module Moog The Source Novation KS5 Moog Taurus II (interfaced with the Source) Roland PK-5 (MIDI-ed to the D-110) Roland TR-707 (talks to the JP-8 and the D-50) 1 x very green frog called 'Elliot' (for moral support but spends most of his life trying to avoid two very determined Siamese cats) 50,000 feet (or thereabouts) of cabling and a 16 channel Behringer mixer! Finally, for amplification, I have my trusty Trace Elliot 250w top, driving a Trace Elliot 4x10" and a Trace Elliot 1x15" - all bought in 1986 and I cannot part with it! My neighbours love me ;-) I?m looking forward to the arrival of the Dragon?s Wing enormously! My first Alembic ? but not the last I?m sure!! If you?ve got this far and not fallen asleep ? I thank you! Sorry about all of the spurious objects in the pictures but I'm a little limited for space in my 'music room'! Cheers, Rog
