Ron the Guitarist

In the Beginning

It all started for me back in 1970 when I was 11 years old during the power strikes, I was born and bread in a Pub called the Rocket in Great Yarmouth. My first encounter with a guitar was during the 1970 power cuts, every body came to the pub as there was no TV, lights or jukebox so we had to make our own entertainment. One guy called Jethro came in with an old guitar, he was the life and sole of the pub at the time and I saw for the first time the power of being able to play the guitar. I Went upstairs and got a old batted guitar my parents brought back with from Spain years before and learnt my first chord E min. My music addiction had stated I was hooked at just 11 years old. Read more

My first ever gig that I went to see.

Now I had got the bug I had to go and see my first live band, my mentor Jethro who was giving me guitar lessons, had told me to go and see Screaming Lord Sutch, he was performing at Tiffany's that week.  I was only 12 at this time and you had to be 16 to get in the venue, so I put on my flair's and platforms and got in with no problem and even got into the bar area for a Rum and black.The show had began with four coffin bearers with flaming touches carrying his coffin from the back of the ballroom to the stage, as the coffin was put in place at the stage centre, some thing was about to happen to change my life forever. A guitar solo that blew me apart "the guitar intro of Chuck Berry's rollover Beethoven", also it was the first time I had ever seen strobe lights, which flashed away has the coffin opened slowly giving me a tripping vibe of an old movie or of slow motion. This was entertainment, a almost  empty hall but the show carried on with all the trimmings. After that night I had made my mind up? I want to be up there, on a stage and play like that guy who's solo I will never forget. Years latter I found out that it was none other than Jimmy Page on the axe, he often played with his mate David Sutch in between big tours, my first ever gig at a normal sea side venue and the guitarist was one of the best in the world, no wonder I was tripping.

My first live performance

I am now 14 years old and Mr Dye & Mr Lord are my teachers who are also giving me guitar lessons. At school my two teachers also had a band called 'Chalk' and was playing the school Valentine dance and had offered me my first support gig, that is if I can get a band together in time. Lucky for me I lived in a pub, so I had a room to rehearse in also my dad 'rather than follow my brothers footsteps and end up in Borstal' he backed me all the way , he even got me my dream guitar a white Fender Strat. I got my mates and family on the case and put together a band we called our self 'Cosmic Love' what a name but we done it. Cosmic Love ended up headlining the school gig, this was the beginning of the glam rock period so I got my sister to make me and my nephew Neil (Trucker ) Brown glittery stage outfits, I have got photos of our first gig under lock & key. Here is our first ever walker print promo photo, look at those flairs! First 'Gig, Performance' was on Feb. 14 1972 Valentine ball at the Alderman Leach school. Gt. Yar. Norfolk.

My first Real Band the Crabs

Funny the same line-up as the first ever gig stayed together for years, just like Spinal tap the Bass player rather than the drummer was the only member that changed. Cosmic Love became Tezzer during the Glam rock high lights and we got signed to a Publisher after going to London thinking that we where going to become stars over night, we recorded some pop songs and then nothing happened, no record deal. I did support my all time hero Marc Bolan & T.Rex at the same venue I saw my first show 'Tiffany's Gt.Yar'. Years went by and then the Punk movement came along and we sort of jumped on the band wagon and Tezzer became The Crabs but we did work hard touring non-stop all over the UK playing shit houses and the odd good gigs. We invited Virgin Records to come and see us at the Depford empire with the Ruts on first then the Crabs & a named Reggae band topped the bill. But the bass player and the drummer had a row on the way to the gig and Will the bass player walked out so we ended up playing as a three piece and we were shit and to rub salt into the wound, after that gig the Ruts got signed to Virgin records not us. The Crabs biggest clam to fame after four years on the road was a single track on the Farewell to the Roxy LP and two Radio 1 John Peel sections. We playing on Fulham Football team's record," These Boots are made for walking"The single nowadays is going for £75 on E-bay.

Crabs with Splodge on TV's Harry Hills Blubs.

• Video of TV's Harry Hills Blubs
• Crabs Offical Site

Splodge bit

Towards the end of the Crabs period we became a backing band for Gary Holton of TV fame has Wayne in 'W. pet' also the singer of the 'Heavy metal kids', but as he became too busy with his acting he put us on to his drinking mate Max Splodge who's band left him a few weeks just before the start of a UK tour to promote a hit single "two pints of lager and a packet of crisps" and follow up single "two little boys". We had nothing to lose on joining Max for one tour. O so we believed! The first week together we traveled to Wales to rehearse the band for the tour, but all we done was go to the pub and got drunk. This behavior carried on for the next four years with a few albums in between bars and tours, but I loved it and still to this day often play the odd Splodge gig. The first time I ever played on stage with Darrell Bath was on tour with the Splodges. Darrel was playing guitar with the UK Subs on a UK tour with various punk bands and one night Darrel stood in on Bass for Splodge. He ended up playing out the remaining dates playing in two out of the three bands on the tour. We also ended up being great mates and have been eversince. After that tour me and Daz have played together in many other outfits.

Angelic Upstarts

Me and Max joined the Upstarts after Mensi asked us, 'to help out' during a support gig. So for a change we did and what a change it was? It was handy as the Splodgeres was quite at the time and at first it was great we had a good time. For a band, we went to strange parts of Europe like Yugoslavia before the civil war. Over that period I ended up recorded at least five albums with the Upstarts or Mensi more like, I saw a lot of riots then after eight years or so of fatefully playing gigs all over the world I was sacked in Hamburg for being out of it and fighting with Max, I never been sacked before but I must admit, 'I was out to lunch' on everything and anything I could find. When you don't enjoy what you doing any more? Then it is time to move on ,so I did.

The Godfathers

To Bob bass player and original splodge guitarist 'Mick the lip' got me this gig as the original band left the Brothers without a band with just a few days before a big Eurotour so I got Les Riggs from (Cheap and Nasty) on drums me and Mick on both Guitars and off we went on a 40 date tour with about six songs. We had to learnt more songs on the sound checks. It ended up being a great fun tour with lots of stories and I ended up staying with them for two albums, many tours and one-off gigs over a ten year period. Darrell Bath joined up for a Spanish tour but he played how he wanted to and not how it is on the record, this was far too much for the Coyne brothers, for me I think it was one of there best ever live gigs the Godfathers had played, on that night they even jammed the encore! this was very un godfather like but 'Cool'.

H.M.K

These guys where my all time heroes ever since supporting them twice at the Cromer Links Norfolk in the early part of my music career. I never believed that I will be performing with my heroes but only a few years later. I ended up playing first with Gary and many years later after his tragic death, with the band,(Ronnie Thomas bass, Keith Boyce drums.) Under the name HMK we played all the old songs that I loved and with the same rhythm section and who should be on the other guitar no other than Darrell Bath, and with Dave Smith on vocals taking Gary's role, we even recorded a track produced by Micky Most but this project was doomed from the start,you cant take the place of Gary but we had a good time to make up for it.

Nasty Nick's Resurrection

The nasty Nick Cotton is in fact nice Johnny Altman a very good singer, song writer and frontman. So Johnny decides to release a single like many soap stars before him, but rather than the lame middle of the road poor pop song that record companies offer him all the time, he goes for a rock and roll band. He calls old time mate and guitarist Brady (third on right) who I was just happening to be having a drink with at the time, so he gets me involved and we get together a band and have our first rehearsal. By the end of the first five hour session we had a good 20 min set with three original songs also myself and John got on like a house on fire and we went on to write songs together, mostly in his dressing room in between shows at a pantomime. We recorded 3 or 4 tracks and got a few gigs together in between John's tight acting schedule. Going against the record company advice means putting out the single yourself or with a independent label, this takes time and a lot of management to put together the package the publicity witch did not happen the way I would of liked. The band lasted about six months or so. Resurrection played some great little gigs here and there but never advertised any of the shows as John Altman aka Nick Cotton, just Resurrection in a small bar or sometimes Me and John would play a acoustic duo at some of his PA in Shopping centres. Most of all we had FUN.

Those Glam Rockers

Me and Darrell back together again only this time with platform boots playing all the glam rock hits of the 70's and I got the photos to prove it. This band was a fun band but at the same time it was great entertainment with Dave Smith again on the vocals. Also in the line-up we had (the Boys) Honest John Plane playing one of the guitars Darrell's other half of the Crybabys. Honest blagged us on to the Die Toten Hosen Xmas tour of Germany. We played to packed clubs all over Europe ending in there home town in front of 7000 punters a night for 3 nights. The best ever that I have ever been looked after specially for a opening act. We got the works on that tour we were spoilt rotten.Top tour

Big Boy Shorts

Big Boy Shorts
Big Boy Shorts from left to right Ronnie Thomas, Max Splodge and Ronny Rocka.

Big Boy Shorts was a fun band we formed just to have fun. The band was Ronny Rocka (Guitar), Max Splodge (Vocals), Ronnie Thomas (Bass)and Keith Boyce(Drums) the fabulous rhythm section from The Heavy Metal Kids.

To Bob

Video of To Bob 'Dylan Tribute' live

The most resont band I have been playing with is To Bob a Bob Dylan tribute band. Yet another band with Ron and Daz on the guitars. This is not just a tribute band every gig is unique depending on the mood of the band on the night. Most of the songs are jammed just like Dylan live, each song is like a piece of art, never the same twice.To Bob is a good excuse to be able to play Dylan's songs live, and it normally good fun.