It was my 3rd year in comprehensive school and the first year we were allowed out of the school grounds at lunchtime without permission. As I was wondering around our local town I bumped into my friend Spike, he was with a guy he introduced to me as ‘Phil’. Phil was going to be moving into the house 2 doors away from me so we began chatting. We got onto the subject of music and he told me how much he loved Heavy Metal music and especially this band called Iron Maiden. Being as easily led 13 year old I told him that I also liked Heavy Metal music (even though I knew little of it!). He told me that Iron Maiden had just released a new single titled ‘Aces High’ from their album called ‘Powerslave’ and I said “Oh cool, I think I’ll buy that right now!”. I bought the single on 7” vinyl with my lunch money, not knowing whether I’d like it or not!
Upon getting back to school I sat in my next lesson looking at the sleeve of the record which had some monster type thing sitting in the cockpit of a plane obviously hell bent on some form of destruction.
After getting home from school I rushed up to my room to see if the hunger I now felt in my stomach was worth it. I placed the record onto my player and placed the stylus onto the edge of the vinyl and waited.....
The opening riff and snare combo sounded ok, then as the twin guitar melody kicked in and Bruce began to sing I thought “this is pretty fucking cool!” The music had a great energy that was nothing like I’d heard whilst listening to commercial radio (which was my only source of music at that time!).
The next day I bought the album ‘Powerslave’ on cassette tape, and from that day on I have been a loyal Maiden fan.
Over the next few months I added the other four Maiden albums to my collection along with albums by Motörhead, The Scorpions, Black Sabbath, AC/DC etc.
Heavy Metal music was frowned upon back then (more than it is now!) and all fans were obviously 'Devil Worshippers' who would slaughter virgins in graveyards on a friday night. There was no way that I'd be out late on a friday night...that would mean I would miss 'The Friday Rock Show'!! From 10pm to midnight every friday night legendary rock DJ Tommy Vance would be my teacher and school me in the subject of rock and metal music on Radio 1. I soon learned of the existence of bands like Dio, Warlock, Saxon, Metallica, Slayer, Accept, Mercyful Fate, Twisted Sister, Rush, Deep Purple and Mötley Crüe but to name a few...
The 'Friday Rock Show' and 'Kerrang! Magazine' were my two main sources for feeding my addiction to this drug that was Heavy Metal music...Each week one of them would supply me with the information I needed to decide on which album my hard earned pocket money would be spent!
Over the years Heavy Metal has exploded and spawned many different genres including thrash, speed, black, power, death, doom, alternative, glam, nu-metal, symphonic, metalcore, extreme, gothic etc...etc...
I have been lucky enough to have been on the ride which has allowed me to sample each of these genres for over 25 years all of which is a direct result of my meeting with one of my current best friends 'Phil' on that September day in 1984!!
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