Photos...
Current - 2007
Please use either of these top two pics if you want one for publicity etc. The others are not for publishing, merely historical.
Current - 2007
Taken on the same day as the above - after a change of clothes.
Early 1980s
A publicity pic which I can't remember having been taken. I had a few hundred duplicated though and had them for years.
Bouffant, 80s
A mid 80s publicity shot from the time of the Rude Bits recording in 1985. Taken by a newspaper photographer as I sat in the garden, with my trusty bass concertina on knee.
Sidmouth 1985
Taken at Carina's - one of the venues at the Sidmouth Festival in 1985 - by my 11 year old son. The gig was one of eleven gigs I did that week, with different songs at each.
Chester 1980s
At Chester Festival in the late 1980s - this was the upstairs folk club venue. Sang there again during the Festival in 2005.
Lass at the Man and Scythe, Bolton
I was the narrator in a play called "Lass at the Man & Scythe" at the Octagon Theatre in 1989. It was written by Les Smith from the story by Alan Clark called "John o' God's Sending." I wrote the music, and the character I played was called "Dust." I later was looking for a picture for the cover of "Wanted Live!" and used this. Others said I was wearing the Queen Mother's hat.
1990s
Dark hair on a dark background! I used this until someone made their own poster from it for their club and they drew round where they thought my hair should be - I looked like I had a lopsided afro!
Waiting for Godot, Bolton
Playing Estragon in "Waiting For Godot" at the Octagon Theatre again in 1991. I shall never forget it - the Gulf War started as we were rehearsing.
Waiting for Godot, Bolton (2)
With Mike Harding as Vladimir, the other tramp in "Godot." We did 32 performances and were asked to take it to London, but that didn't work out (Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson ended up doing it instead)
Studio shot, 1996
A posy shot from 1996. I remember going to pick the print up but couldn't get to the place because the IRA bomb had just gone off in the centre of Manchester.
Emmerdale
Emmerdale in 1997. Barry Clegg leading the retreat from the farm as his rocket was about to blow up. Good old Marlon Dingle had pressed the wrong button.
Emmerdale (2)
Emmerdale's Barry Clegg and his beloved rocket, posing for a publicity shot in 1997. I did nearly forty episodes spread out over the span of a year. Great fun.
Limestone Cowboy, Coventry
With Eithne Brown in "Limestone Cowboy" at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry 1998. We played a couple who loved country music and who even did gigs together. It all fell apart when mineral deposits were found on their land - but they lost the rights to it and their marriage almost fell apart.
Xmas Tour with the Weavers
Lager fairy on the Houghton Weavers Xmas tour 1999. The things you do for a crust!
Publicity shot
This was taken in 1999 in the same month I played the Rev. Marvin Winstanley in Coronation Street. It was the time that Roy and Hayley wanted to get married; Roy found this cowboy vicar on the internet and came to suss me out. Hayley was not impressed and ended up asking a female vicar to do the honours.
Closet Sailors
With Wilf Darlington as "Closet Sailors" at Maryport Festival 2000. We sang sea songs with fiddle and concertina accompaniment.
Phoenix Nights, 1st series
The first series of Phoenix Nights in 2001, where Dodgy Eric tries to convince Brian Potter that the club ought to have a mechanical bucking bronco. "Come on Brian, give it a week and it'll be shitting money"
Dick Whittington, Bolton
As Captain Codseye in "Dick Whittington" Bolton 2002/3. I wrote a song all about sailing on my ship "Saucy Sal." The year before I was one of the Chinese Policemen, which of course meant I had to write a Policemen song.