Rod finally got to play in The big City (Newcastle!!)....Did many Biker Rallies by virtue of the fact that his brother was a member of the "Toadstool" Bike Club, as indeed was the Roadie/ Lighting Engineer  who would illuminate night gigs with his bike headlamp.. he never did grasp why he had to jumpstart his bike afterwards...

Dr Rod used to book the bands and run the house Rock Disco at Bowes Wine Celler. "It was like a mini Boot and Shoe in Ackworth, but without Les, or a cabaret night, or a PA...in fact nothing like it really.."  However, it did throw up another wannabee, in the form of one Jim Moir, now better known as Vic Reeves.

Sporting purpley-pink hair, Jim on one occasion "scaled" the floor of The Yorkshire Dragoon Pub, taking 2 hours 45 minutes to complete his "climb" - spurred on and liberally refreshed by Mine Hosts Dennis and Ann. His band, the name of which is lost in the mists of time, used to play their "Noisy Twats" style of music (Jim's words) at the Wine Cellar.

Indeed, the Cellar was home to a whole range of oddballs-musos, bikers, hippies, punks etc...  " A bit like The Snooty Fox in Wakefield but without Malc and the PA and..oh never mind..."

Rod went on to support White Spirit, from whence guitarist Janick Gers went on to play with Gillan and Iron Maiden. Rod also supported Marillion who went on to be megastars and chatted to one Jimmy Nail in a Darlington pub about a week before he went on to become Oz in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet"

In 1981, Rod stood 12 feet away from Robert Plant at The Melody Maker Party at The London Music Show. When you compare this with the pic of him standing close to Darius in 2004, you can see the pattern forming....

Finally after many years of musical prostitution and standing fairly close to famous people, Rod met Dave Elcoate, at first glance just a smelly real ale drinker who was good at quizzes.Second glance confirmed this but proved he could also hold a bass better than most.

Dr Blue evolved in O`Donoghues, Wakefield, after Dave told Landlord Kerry that they could do better than the "S&!*!" he was booking. After a few percussive changes, the addition of  Manager Linda whom Rod married- who came packaged with a son- Gobiron Ryan, the rest, as they say, is history...

  NEXT- THE GEAR