Early Days
What a fantastic feeling it is to be able to walk into a pub, order a beer, and go and bang out some low down Boogie Woogie on the old upright piano in the corner. Thirty five years ago I was doing that a lot, and being paid for it. Payment was made in pounds sterling, (a few), and beer, (a lot!!). That, of course, was long after the arrival of the Jukebox and those evil, criminal activities known as "Piano Breaking Competitions"!!! It was hard enough to find pubs with piano's in Birmingham then, but there were some, and you certainly learnt your craft in those places, physically and mentally. After spending several years playing in various Blues bands, I was looking for a venue where I could sit down and play & sing the songs that I was writing for a solo career. The Wellington on Bristol Street was one of these venues. Dave & Catherine were running the Wellington back then. Dave was a great cook and you really had to reserve a table in the "back room" ...
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