Baz - Guitar
I started guitar at 16, playing in local originals bands around Essex. First proper band was 'Mind Games' - kind of a progressive pop/rock. A friend was playing his songs in a music shop when this guy claimed he knew Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and would like to send him a copy. Steve gets behind the project and band 'British Lion' was born - in the vein of Jovi meets Leppard. Toured with irish rockers 'Mamas Boys', gigs up and down the country and some festivals in Portugal.
Decided to opt out of live stuff and attended a course at the London Guitar institute. After this played in a couple of covers and originals bands. Then Steve H called to say a friend Tony Newton from 'Dirty Deeds' was looking for a lead guitarist. I joined, we recorded our first album, signed to Beast Records and got my first break when we were asked to open up for Maiden doing a 35 min slot as the scheduled band had run out of money and had to return home. 'Dirty Deeds' played approx 30 shows that year of 1995.
The following year embarked on 'X Factor' tour with Maiden and German band Helloween, covering Western and Eastern Europe, then our first tour of USA with Ronnie James Dio on the bill and the 'Virtual Eleven' tour with Blaze Bayley singing for Maiden. In 2000 Bruce Dickinson re-joined Maiden for the 'Brave New World' tour and we get to open playing on the Metal 2000 tour at Graspop, Wacken and Monza festivals in front of 15000-20000 fans - something I will never forget.