Influences – A Guy Called Gerald

Reminds me of St.Alfonso’s in Manchester, early 80’s and British Legion club. This tune inspired me to want to play the bass guitar. I love the futuristic space thing. These were the days, leg warmers, bleached jeans; UK jazz funk

Takes me back to my dancing days. I was 14 going out to nearly every party I could find in Manchester, kicking up grooves, finding my style. I would go to all-nighters at places like Rafters, Legends, it was a crazy time – the energy was electric – it was British dance music finding itself.

This song was played in all the northern clubs. When it was played the floor would be going mental. It’s not hands in the air rock’n’roll. It’s intended to be dance music. This is real funk for funkin’ the dance floor. In the 80s no one outside of the funk was interested in our music – from the DJ to the producer – it was 100% focus on the funkateers.

52nd Street was a Manchester band who made me think it was possible to make music. These were people you went to school with and saw in your neighbourhood making music that you liked. It created an energy that made it possible to make my own music.

This is one of them tunes that had that cuika sound in it. In the days I found this track I was on the search for new music constantly and I found this track in a 2nd hand record shop called Yanks. I actually called one of my tracks “Time Waits For No Man” after this.

It was one of those tunes that made you want to fly. It made you feel free even if you were living on an estate and it was grey and raining for weeks.

This is 100% vitamin C!!! If you ever get a cold, feel down or depressed just listen to this album and it will knock it out of you.

I feel the planet he was talking about exists in a lot of musicians. Sometimes I feel I am on a journey with him to this planet only to be dragged down by fake DJs that distract people from the real message of music.

For me Sunsplash was an exciting time to see all the artists I’d been listening to on sound tapes. It was a nice feeling watching them performing the music live when we finally got a VHS player.

Great entertainment seeing Shabba slaughtered by a true Ninja!

Every day something from this movie seems to happen in reality.

Now the Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Lemn Sissay is one of my contemporaries. I relate to his experiences growing up in the care of the State and his poetry hits me straight in the heart.