JT: Hi Dave how are you today?

DR: Fine thanks mate

Tell me, how are things with Jagged?

Oh great, always is great playing with them, sometimes I moan a bit, but who doesn’t, but generally it is good and the gigs are good.

And how did you get started with them?

Started around 95 with them until 99 I think, I am not very good with exact dates you will have to ask Dann about that he will know, it was a good time for bands like us then, there were lots of good places to play and lots of other good bands to see too.

Got the job when the then guitarist (Ian) asked me to join them, I was playing in a band from the lakes and he was there visiting and was moving there and we got together to form a band. We had a few practises with some other lads but he decided to rejoin Jagged and asked me to join too, so I took him on the offer and went to Leeds to try out with them.

And when and how did you rejoin then

About 2003, I called DB (Dave Bamforth the singer) just for a chat really, and we had been talking about doing a couple of re-union gigs with all the ex members from Jagged. But there has been that many ex members it was difficult to try and get everyone to commit to practising and a definite gig day, as most of them were in other bands themselves.

So we decided to do few with John (Martindale) who was drumming before with us and Dave Shorton who is the keyboard player now.

After we had done a few practises we got gig in Huddersfield in a small pub, really small pub, and it went ok, a few friends from Manchester and Rochdale came to see us. We then did another somewhere cant remember where, ask Dann again. Then we played for a friends birthday in Barrow where I live as the band I was in had let him down, and then he asked us to play at a bikers rally in a few months time, so we just carried on playing more gigs and never stopped really.

You say many ex-members, how many were there.

Not sure really, there have been lots I know I am about the 5th or 6th bass player, and there have been at least six drummers while I have been in it. About 3 guitarists or so. And 3 keyboard players.

Do you still see any of them?

Not on a personnel level as they live far away from me and have their own bands and stuff, but yeah I always talk to any of them when I see them, I call Ian, the lad who got me in every now and again, as well as Mick Dean the drummer at the time. I see Gary another ex guitarist at the odd gig of ours, and speak lots to him.

When did you start playing and what instrument?

I started on the keyboards, well piano at about 9 or something like that, I used to be quite good but not played really for a long time, so not much good now.

I then went on to the guitar and then the bass.

What bands have you been in and what did you play?

Started at 14 at school like everyone else with mates, I was the keyboard player and singer. Never ever got a gig, but I taught Dann to play a few chords and stuff and he was about 9 at the time, and within a few months he was playing good stuff, only on an acoustic but was really good, I knew he would be good then.

Then about 15 me and mate who went on to play drums with Jagged, and Dann started playing and got gigs at local pubs, that was when I went on to bass, as we were going to have twin guitars Dann and I, but the bass player who was in it was not into rock music at all, and we could not find another, so I went on bass then. I always like the idea of just a trio, I did all the lead singing with Dann doing a couple and the drummer was quite good singer, so we had good sound with the harmonies and stuff. Stayed with them for years and played lots of gigs all over, was good time really.

Then I did a few other bands and then joined Jagged, then I joined a band here in Barrow called Hysteria, they were good too, well practised, but went off a bit like all bands do when people start to get bored. And went back to Jagged, and still here.

What are favourite songs you play.

Most of them I like, but I like Journey and we now do quite a few and I always like to play them. I like the Styx song Blue collar man, I think we do that really well, as it is a harder song to do than it sounds.

What songs would you like to change

I think I would like to change a few , but you cant always do that as you play to the audience, I would like to change ACDC maybe to another, but when you change songs , people always ask why you are not doing it.

Part 2 of this interview will be uploaded next week.

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