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From my attic circa 2005 - Dread to think what it's like now!An attic
is a place where most people store stuff that holds fond memories.
They might not need or want something on daily view, but it may be too
precious to throw away. So you push it into the attic where it stays
unseen, gathering dust. Forgotten. Then one day when you're stumbling
around in the attic searching for the Christmas decorations amidst the
old abandoned toys you suddenly come across 'that'. And immediately
you are transported back 20, 30, or perhaps more years. I recently
re-discovered an old advertising card that my sister Julie and I used
when we were known as 'Miller and Miller' and were gigging around
London around 1980. After the rush of happy memories passed I thought
I must put that somewhere safe. I'll put it in the attic. I'll have to
see what else I can put in here...
Piece
1: Miller
and Miller
 
Miller and Miller - available for hire...This is our advertising card when my sister Julie and I were gigging around London in the early 1980's. Julie took time out to reminisce about our early days...
I started teaching guitar to Dominic when he was 8
and I was 13. We lived next door to a family with 6 boys, a good
antidote to Dom’s 3 older sisters. I taught Dominic and the three
eldest neighbours and we formed a band, called The Bees – shamefaced
borrowing from the name of our favourite, The Beatles. Dom was on
rhythm guitar and percussion, which meant anything from hubcaps to
raw-hide drums and maracas. We were all encouraged to perform, and
naturally spent more time on the band than on schoolwork. Then in 1969
Dominic went to boarding school a day’s journey away so the agonising
decision had to be made to ask him to leave the band, by this time
called Quicksand. The final irony for him was that in 1970, now fully
equipped with drum kit and electric guitars, we performed at his
school with him in the audience. I went to Bowdoin College in Maine
and was taught a completely different way of playing guitar: lots of
bossanova, new chord structures, latin/jazz rhythms. When Dominic
heard this (1974) he was transfixed and I then passed on all I knew to
him. In 1980 we worked together in London: he had left Guildhall and I
was getting nowhere fast as an advertising copywriter. We formed a
duo, played in restaurants, clubs, for private parties, and as a
warm-up act at the jazz venue Pizza on the Park. We were asked to be
permanent fixtures at the Savoy, but turned it down. I soon realised I
was out of my league so went into music management instead and stood
aside to let Dominic grow into the brilliant musician that he is. I am
extremely proud of my brother.
Piece
2:
King Swamp
Promo
photo of King Swamp and 'Is This Love' Single...
 
Oh my God, what's with the hat?
 
Is This Love - Collector's Item!
Oh my God, what's with the hat? I remember I used to wear that every day
even off stage. This was my cowboy boot phase. I found those boots in
the attic not so long ago. Actually I am proud of this band and the
sound we made. The guy directly on my left is Nick Lashley who went on
to play with Alanis Morrisette. This was our first single "Is this
Love" which we also made a video of. God knows where that is. It's a
real 80's rock video...
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