Andrew Giddings

When I was around 4 years old, we had two rabbits as family pets, and to be honest I didn't really take much notice of them, until the day came that they died. A day or so later, as I was wandering past the old upright piano that stood in the dining room of our modest home, I reached up and felt for the keyboard. Fumbling for any keys that fell under my fingers, I found that two notes played together had rather a sad sound, and, indulging myself for a few more minutes I felt a definite lump forming in my throat.
At that moment, I thought again of the now absent rabbits and was plunged violently and unexpectedly into the depths of uncontrollable grief. In a desperate effort to curtail my wailing, my mother asked if I would like to learn to play the piano, by way of some consolation. And so the story begins.

I hated piano lessons, however within a couple of years I was selected to give public performances to my peers and their respective teachers, and achieved high grades in the process. I eventually plucked up the courage to tell my mother I'd had enough. By now I was 12 or 13 years old, and I had in fact discovered something far more occupying……...girls. However, my interest in playing a musical instrument was soon renewed when a friend advised me that girls really dug guys who play in bands.

My first ever 'group' performance consisted of a couple of school chums on borrowed drums and something that resembled a guitar, and me on my newly- acquired Lorenzo electronic organ. We knew one Gary Numan tune and played it for about 20 minutes to a small collection of uninterested pupils in a our vast school hall.

Things did improve though, by the time I was 15 I landed my first job with a band that played 'dance' music in restaurants.

Time to leave school, and with no qualifications whatsoever, I immediately got a 9 - 5 in a local music store. I formed my own band, we called ourselves X-Statique, played contemporary pop, and were hugely popular within a 1 mile radius.

A couple of years later, I found myself involved with a curious cabaret out-fit called Black Cat, that not only had a terrible name but were truly a terrible group. However, we somehow managed to accompany such has-beens, even then, as The Vernon Girls, Mike Berry, Tommy Bruce, Jet Harris, Scott Walker, Terry Deans and assorted Elvis Presley impersonators!

Eventually I made it to London, whereupon I met and played with musicians who were actually doing it for a living! Through them I was able to start learning a trade as a 'session musician', scratching around in dimly-lit recording studios.

My first 'break' came in the form of a tour with Eric Burdon, formerly of 'The Animals' It was my first experience of playing music abroad, and it didn't take me long to acquire a taste for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Several enjoyable years later, I became part of the 'house band' in a short-lived television series filmed in the north of England.

I auditioned for a British pop outfit called 'The Cutting Crew', secured the role of fifth member for approximately 36 hours, and was replaced with a guy who had much better (or a lot more) equipment!

A friend of a friend of mine who played drums with a certain Leo Sayer, told me of auditions being held for the position of keyboard player for up coming tours. I went, I conquered, and in the five years I spent with the organization we toured Australia, the Far East and New Zealand several times.
Between these trips, I recorded and toured with another British pop band, 'Sniff 'n' The Tears', mainly in Europe.

The places we have seen and the people we've met have been more than wonderful. Cheers!

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