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BiTS: That's fabulous. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Now tell me something about your

performing career, because I gather you’ve worked with a number of people over the
years, is that right?

GG: Yeah, I’ve written a few things. Yes, I started out in this show band in the early

70s. As I mentioned, we were professional. As glamorous as it sounds, it wasn't. But
I've always randomly turned up at folk clubs where people don't know who I am,
played some songs that they didn't know, and then disappeared into the night. And
I found myself back in working men's club bands in the early 80s, which I didn't really

enjoy. I always enjoy playing, but I didn't really enjoy playing in working men’s clubs,
playing music that I didn't want to play, really. I was in a fairly successful country and

western band for a few years in the early 80s. We recorded two cassettes, which it
used to be those days. Got some radio play from them. Played a few of the festivals
up and down the country and that was fairly good. But I got told because the guy

whose band it was, he was the boss and I was a hired hand, he told me one day that
I should quit and join a blues band, so that's what I did, really.

BiTS: And what was the blues band?

GG: To be honest, I can't remember. Oh yes, we were called Blues Unlimited, is what
we were called. Again, I was a hired hand
in that band. We didn't stay together very

long, but for a while I gave up playing
entirely. Sold all of the equipment that I
had apart from my original acoustic

guitar. Then one night for my day job, we
went on a conference, a training course
in Harrogate, and I don't drink, but the

guys I was with were quite heavy
drinkers. So I said to them, look, we'll
have a curry, and we'll go for a drink, but

then we're going to go to The Blues Bar
in Harrogate and I'll get up and do a song
or two, which is what happened. And the

guy who was running the house band, he
still does now, Jed Thomas, after I've
done a few songs, he got me up to play with the band and then he just gave me his

guitar and he sat down and I kind of led the band on a few tunes. So the very next
weekend I went to the local music shop and bought some more equipment and joined
a band again.

BiTS: Oh wow! Okay, I know that you are a huge fan of the Grateful Dead. Can you
tell me why that is?