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BORN: MARCH 25TH 1964 / SUNDERLAND / ENGLAND THE ELDEST OF 4 SONS --- BAZ / CHRIS / DAVE AND PHILIP 1974 --- PICKS UP GUITAR FOR THE 1ST TIME, AGED 10, WHILST LIVING IN VANCOUVER, CANADA / THE GUITAR WAS HIS BROTHER CHRIS’ 9TH BIRTHDAY PRESENT… 1976 --- THE FAMILY MOVE BACK TO ENGLAND. TAKES UP MILK AND PAPER ROUNDS AND BUYS FIRST ELECTRIC GUITAR --- A KAY GIBSON S.G. COPY… 1978 --- CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO START JAMMING AT SCHOOL WITH SOME MATES AND A NEW GUITAR --- A KASUGA --- THE BEGINNING OF AN AFFINITY WITH THE TELECASTER… 1980 --- PLAYS 1ST EVER GIG AT THE NEW CROWN IN SOUTH SHIELDS, AGED 16, WITH MATES TONY WATSON(VOCALS) TONY MURRAY(BASS) KEVIN COOPER(DRUMS) AND BOB TYLER(GUITAR)… 1982 --- AFTER JAMMING AROUND WITH MATES AND GOING TO EVERY POSSIBLE GIG IN TOWN, JOINS SUNDERLAND METAL BAND 'SPARTAN WARRIOR'. LASTS FOR 1 GIG AT THE OLD 29 PUB IN SUNDERLAND… 1983 --- JOINS SUNDERLAND PUNKS THE TOY DOLLS PLAYING BASS. PLAYS 2 FULL UK AND 2 FULL EUROPEAN TOURS AND MAKES RECORDING DEBUT APPEARING ON 2 SINGLES DURING THE YEAR…’CHEERIO, TOODLE PIP’ / H.O! (CO-WRITING THE A SIDE) AND ALFIE FROM THE BRONX / HANKY PANKY, BOTH RELEASED ON NEWCASTLE BASED LABEL VOLUME RECORDS… 1984 --- TOURS AMERICA FOR THE 1ST TIME AT THE AGE OF 19 WITH THE ‘DOLLS' PLAYING TO PACKED HOUSES AND LEARNING THE ROPES .”A GREAT TIME”…HE SAYS. RETURNS TO THE U.S. IN JULY AGAIN WITH THE BAND ALONG WITH FELLOW BRITS 'THE ADDICTS' ON A JOINT TOUR WHICH IS ANOTHER RUNAWAY SUCCESS… 1985 --- FORMS SUNDERLAND ROCK BAND 'THE TROUBLESHOOTERS' WITH BROTHER CHRIS (VOCALS AND GUITAR) CLOSE MATE TONY ROFFE (BASS) AND FORMER 'TOY DOLLS' DRUMMER COLIN SCOTT… 1988 --- AFTER SPLITTING THE PREVIOUS YEAR RE-FORMS 'THE TROUBLESHOOTERS' WITH RESPECTED SUNDERLAND DRUMMER KEVIN SCOTT REPLACING COLIN. MEETS MANCUNIAN HARVEY LEE WHO BECOMES THE BANDS’ MANAGER AND MOVES TO SUNDERLAND. HE HELPS THE BAND THROUGH 2 YEARS OF SOLID GIGGING AND BECOMES AND REMAINS A VERY DEAR FRIEND TO THIS DAY... 1990 --- WITH NO LITTLE HELP FROM HARV THE BAND SECURES A PUBLISHING DEAL WITH LONDON BASED GLOBAL MUSIC AND BEGIN TO HONE AND RECORD THEIR MATERIAL IN VARIOUS STUDIOS AROUND THE COUNTRY WHILST STILL RETAINING A FEROCIOUS LIVE REPUTATION, PLAYING ALL OVER THE UK… 1992 --- THE BAND CHANGE THEIR NAME TO 'SMALLTOWN HEROES'… 1993 --- MEETS KIWI PRODUCERS STEVE BUSH AND MARSHALL BIRD AT A LONDON SHOWCASE. THEY QUICKLY BECOME FAST MATES AND HELP THE BAND OVER 2 YEARS OF DEMOING, OFTEN DURING STUDIO DOWN TIME AND ALSO OCCASIONALLY PAYING FOR THE BAND TO GET HOME AND TO SESSIONS…REALLY GOOD GUYS… 1994 --- SIGNS 1ST RECORD DEAL WITH E.G. RECORDS, THE HOME OF 'KILLING JOKE', 'ROXY MUSIC' AND 'KING CRIMSON'. AGED 30 NOW, AND WITH A FAMILY, THE DEAL SIGNIFIES BAZ TURNING FULLY PRO AFTER 14 YEARS.A REAL MILESTONE IN HIS LIFE. THIS YEAR ALSO SEES THE RELEASE OF DEBUT ‘HEROES SINGLE ‘MORAL JUDGEMENT (SLIDING) / IT’S LIFE THAT REALLY KILLS / PEOPLE LADDER’. IT GETS SINGLE OF THE WEEK IN KERRANG MAGAZINE… 1995 --- THE BAND MOVE INTO BATTERY STUDIOS IN LONDON WITH STEVE AND MARSH AND BEGIN WORK ON THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ‘HUMAN SOUP’. 'ROLLING STONES' PRODUCER CHRIS KIMSEY IS ALSO DRAFTED IN FOR 2 SONGS AND THE RECORDING TAKES 6 WEEKS. THE BAND ALSO UNDERTAKE 2 SUPPORT TOURS IN THE UK. THE 1ST WITH CANADIAN GUITARIST 'JEFF HEALY', AND THE 2ND WITH...'THE STRANGLERS'... 1996 --- ‘HUMAN SOUP’ IS RELEASED TO A FAIRLY WARM RECEPTION, AND THE BAND EMBARK ON A FULL UK TOUR TO SUPPORT IT. THE GIGS ARE WELL ATTENDED AND THE BAND FEEL THINGS ARE REALLY MOVING... 1998 --— THE BAND DE-CAMP TO MUNICH FOR 2 MONTHS WITH 'WILDHEARTS/PANTERA/PARADISE LOST' PRODUCER SIMON EFEMY AND ENGINEER ‘RISKY’RUSS RUSSELL TO BEGIN WORK ON THEIR 2ND ALBUM WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY BE CALLED ‘ATOMIC CAFÉ’...NAMED AFTER AN AMAZING VINYL ONLY CLUB THE BAND FIND AND WHICH QUICKLY BECOMES A FAVOURITE HAUNT...WITH THINGS GOING SO WELL IT COMES AS A MASSIVE SHOCK WHEN THE RECORD COMPANY DECLARES THERE IS NO MORE MONEY AND WITH THINGS BEING THE WAY THEY ARE,AND AMONGST MANY OTHER FACTORS, THE BAND HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLD AFTER 13 YEARS...IT’S STILL DIFFICULT TO GET BAZ TO TALK ABOUT THIS TO THIS DAY...FORMS RETRO ROCK COVERS BAND 'THE SUN DEVILS' IN THE SUMMER... 2000 --- AUDITIONS FOR 'THE STRANGLERS' IN LONDON IN APRIL AFTER THE BAND CONTACT HIM LOOKING FOR A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR GUITARIST JOHN ELLIS. GETS THE JOB AND 10 DAYS LATER IS ON A PLANE TO KOSOVO TO PLAY FOR THE PEACE KEEPING FORCES STATIONED THERE... 2002 --- TOURS THE UK FOR THE 1ST TIME WITH 'THE STRANGLERS'... 2004 --- APPEARS ON HIS DEBUT ALBUM FOR THE BAND ‘NORFOLK COAST’, PENNING 4 OF THE TRACKS INCLUDING ‘LONG BLACK VEIL’ WHICH BECOMES A SINGLE... 2006 --- AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF VOCALIST PAUL ROBERTS THE BAND BECOME A 4-PIECE AGAIN AFTER 16 YEARS WITH BAZ SHARING VOCAL DUTIES WITH JJ BURNEL. THE BANDS’ 2ND ALBUM FEATURING BAZ ‘SUITE XVI’ IS RELEASED AND THE BAND EMBARK ON THEIR BIGGEST UK TOUR FOR 20 YEARS... |