*Part 6- Growing up.*
Kashmir went from strength to strength and was recording
demos for working in the pubs when James decided he had had enough and
disappeared down the coast, without James support Russell chucked it in to.
The band split up.
Roger and Chris formed a three piece with one of Rogers’s
school friends Michael on drums and asked me to play keyboards at their first
gig. It was fun but I didn’t do it
again and lost contact with Roger for a
while.
The band didn’t last either and Michael committed suicide.
I don’t think the events were related.
James sang all over the place with anyone who would jam and
both he and I busked in Kings Cross one night on a tour up the coast to visit
family.
Russell and Jim never played in another band again.
Jessy went onto play cabaret and earned a good living.
I met up with Roger about a two years later he had finished
his course and was now an accountant and met a girl who sang and they were in a
pub band together. He invited me to come watch. I
did; the BarTender and me one Sunday night in a pub in
Doncaster some where.
Roger eventually married this girl and I was groomsman at his
wedding.
Jim went onto be a school teacher teaching English.
Al went onto be a General Manager of an Electrical
Engineering firm.
Roger was also a General Manager of a large Company but gave
it up to be a teacher at an alternative education school.
It was a good experience and it only happened over the course
of 2 or 3 years but a lot of lessons were learnt, a lot of life long
friendships made and memories to cherish.
If I had my time to do it all again?
Shit yeah
but I’d probably take singing lessons.
*Epilogue*
When we started back in 1979 in our flannel shirts and
runners with our cheap instruments, proudly wearing our influences of Led
Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Neil Young and the Sex Pistols on our sleeves. Who
would of thought we would predate Grunge by a good 10 years in attitude if not
style. I believe that is why, even at the age of 30, I felt an attachment of
sorts, a kindred spirit you could say with Kurt Cobain.
This is something I wrote in another journal about him:
I was sitting watching some kids show nursing my newborn baby
daughter when a video clip for Nirvana came on. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” It
was like hearing Time & Pretty Vacant all over again. The power, the anger,
the cheeky smirk. This is magic, like punk but not as primitive, I couldn’t wait
to hear more . I rang up my mate Russell who I played with years ago and he had
heard it too and was equally charged.
Everyone wanted to pick up their instruments and play again.
I still remember the day I heard that Kurt Cobain had topped
himself and feeling a great sense of loss.
I must admit the whole grunge thing was a momentary relief,
our wives let us make some noise for a while but parenting, breadwinner duties
took over again.
Even at 45 he's still my Elvis , my John Lennon, silly poor
bugger, he had everything why did he have to blow it all away.
Go Figure.
Thank you everyone who got this far and wallowed in my
indulgence.
Danny
Epilogue Part 2 October 2020
Here I am 15 years later, I still play the guitar and I still
love my music.
A lot has changed since I first wrote this article and I as I
pen these words Roger’s daughter’s band and my own son’s band have just
released new singles and videos and are getting attention locally. They are both infinitely better musically than
their fathers were at the same age, but that is irrelevant. We both encouraged
our kids to love music, the way they wanted to do and support them accordingly.
