The Essential Guide Magazine Culcheth July - August 2014 | Page 74

Essential Feature

Diary of a Rock Band
Black Thursday’s rhythm guitarist is Mike,
the bloke in the cap who usually stands
at the back. Mike was instrumental in
setting up the band, which has since gone
on from strength the strength, albeit with
a few line up changes along the way since
its formation in 2008.
Back in the day when Mike was much
younger he got into guitar playing when
a mate of his sold him a mic stand and
a classical guitar. He relished the mic
stand thinking he’d be a singer but soon
realised that he couldn’t sing, so he
started with the guitar, which he’d paid
£3 for. He soon learned a few chords,
these being C and G7 and got into guitar
but quickly realised that he’d probably
overpaid for the guitar, so set about
finding something much better. He
purchased his first electric guitar in 1978
and promptly joined a practicing band.
With the guidance of the lead guitarist
he soon got to grips with playing rhythm
guitar and so the Bolton based band
Warrior was formed.
Warrior played their first gig in September
1979 at the Metal Box Working Men’s
Club, playing covers, many of which
were by Status Quo and other heroes
of the moment. The band lasted for
a further 6 months or so before the
inevitable rock and roll split. Mike and
the bass guitarist then set about forming
another band, resulting in the formation
of Hot Ice. This band turned out to be far
more successful, doing rock covers and
originals and playing many gigs before
its eventual demise. Again Mike and the
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bass guitarist set up another
band, with the drummer
being the guy who had
originally sold him the £3
guitar !! This band called
Half a Hair Cut wasn’t too
successful though, playing only 2 gigs
before it folded in late 1982.
At this point Mike hung up his guitar as
his interests changed; he sold most of his
gear, except for his guitar and few bits. He
moved on to other things including car
racing, in which he competed in Formula
Ford and got to race at Silverstone racing
circuit. He also became interested in
cycling, joining The Lancashire Road
Club where he became involved with
cycle time trial racing and which to this
day he’s still a member of, although he
no longer races.
As the years passed Mikes electric guitar
was stored in his wardrobe and he really
didn’t think too much about it, but it was
whilst on holiday in 2006, that he picked
up a guitar that was stood in the hotel
reception and he started to play a few
chords that he’d remembered, namely
the C and G7 that he’d learned all those
years earlier. Back home he soon got the
guitar bug again and purchased himself
an acoustic guitar, which he played for a
number of years before digging out his
old electric guitar from the back of his
wardrobe and dusting it off. Really getting
the bug by now, he set about finding a
group of like minded individuals who
wanted to play the rock classics of his
youth and so Black Thursday was formed
and the rest is history as they say !! Mike
loves playing with the band, which has
turned out to be the most successful
musical venture he’s been involved with
and he says “long may it continue” !!

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