It all started way back in 1979, when after five years working in various London teaching hospitals I decided it was time for a sea change. The journey started with a phone call to an old girlfriend who at the time had landed a job with “Pink Floyd” and had a few connections. She gave me a few numbers and the first one I called was a company called “Gaslights” – an up and coming lighting company housed in one of the many railways arches just near Westminster Bridge. My name was put on the door at the famous Marquee Club in London’s Soho district. The Pretenders were playing that night, I think (long time ago) and the place was packed. Once the show was over I met with the director from Gaslights and to my surprise was offered a job that very night! and within a month I was on the road with “Gary Numan”.
In the winter of 1980 I found myself on a world tour with Numan, working on the lighting crew and baby sitting the special effects,including an electric car and two remote control stage robots that I had built. In 1981 while in France touring with “Murray Head” I had a call from a lighting designer who I had met on various projects in the UK and he invited me to join him in Los Angeles and help him put together various effects for “DEVO”. Apart from being arrested for not having proper passport papers on my arrival in Los Angeles, and almost deported the next morning, the trip was very successful. In January ’81 we toured Australia and New Zealand. Back in England I decided to return to Australia, and as it turned out, fought the immigration department for the next four years before being issued a permanent resident status. “Oh Happy days.”
I have been very fortunate to have worked on a multitude of interesting and often exciting projects over the years, seen my fair share of hotel rooms, airport lounges and worked too many late nights, but continue now with the same enthusiasm and passion that I did back in 1979.