As a nipper, the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Stones were on constant rotation on my dad’s turntable, and once I was able to buy my own cassettes and CDs I started a long obsession with heavy music. Aside from listening to metal and going to gigs, I spend my spare time watching movies (particularly horror and sci-fi), playing board games, cycling, and going on adventures with my wife and my dog.
From: Sunny Glasgow for the last 17 years, a wee village by Loch Ness before that.
Preferred genres: I do prefer certain sub-genres of rock, metal and punk, but I listen to pretty much anything that falls within that larger grouping. Doom, hardcore, sludge, post-metal, stoner, classic rock/metal and grindcore would be what I listen to the most. And decent hip-hop.
5 Favourite bands: Changes on a nearly daily basis but Deftones, Beastie Boys, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Rush (up to and including Hold Your Fire) and Faith No More have been up there for the last 15 years or more.
5 Favourite albums: Massive Attack – Mezzanine, Gojira – From Mars To Sirius, Faith No More – Angel Dust, Beastie Boys – Ill Communication, Pig Destroyer – Phantom Limb. And many, many others…
Most embarrassing album owned: Luckily, just days before typing this I cleared out about 150 CDs, many of which might have been considered embarrassing. Looking at what remains in my collection, I do have to question why the hell I didn’t get rid of Machine Head’s The Burning Red?
Favourite venues: All in Glasgow: Stereo, The Barrowlands, Audio, King Tut’s, The 13th Note
First gig: Aside from the odd Highland truck-trailer fest and pub gigs, the first proper gig I attended was Idlewild in a crappy club in Inverness circa 1999.
Favourite gig: Usually the gig I’ve just been to, but a few definitely stand out: Queens of the Stone Age and Monster Magnet at the Barras, 2000; At The Drive-In with The Murder City Devils at The Arches, 2000; The Dillinger Escape Plan with Sikth and Nasum at The Cathouse in 2002. The Melvins and Mike Patton curated Nightmare Before Christmas at Minehead in 2008 was outstanding and every Roadburn Festival (2010 and 2011 especially) and Damnation Festival that I’ve attended have been amazing times.
Favourite drink: Coffee, whisky, beers and ales.
Favourite food: All of it. Especially chilli, fajitas, south-east Asian dishes, hot curries and peanut butter. I have quite a weakness for pizza.