Manxie coming to share the love :)

Hi Guys

Just joined up, big Joe fan, although I am quite new to hearing his music, so still getting to know him, but as an aspiring guitar player(still shaky, but I am determined to prevail, not to Joe's level but somewhere where I feel I can play in public )

I was a Dance music snob when I was younger, and it was all I listened to, but with age comes appreciation of newer things, and thankfully when I was 21 I started to listen to Eric Clapton, especially the unplugged album(my dad is a big fan of his, so was always listening to cream as a kid, didnt know I liked then though ), whilst trying to play along to Layla and other songs on there. I lost touch with my guitar when about 6 years ago I went to Travel(I use that term loosely) Thailand for 9 months. I found a really nice place to stay and ended up staying right there for about 3 years Travel to the 7/11 to buy the beers was the bulk of my roaming WHilst there I met a guy from Australia who I said to "I try and play guitar a bit" and he said oh I love the blues and have some good vids here. From there I was introduced to SRV, Gary Moore and a few Aussie guys I forget the name of. Let me tell you I watched SRV Live at the El Mocambo, and I knew I had to get me a guitar again and learn to play properly. I bought a cheapo guitar in Thailand and started trying to figure out some of SRV's songs from watching on the video, although probably not the best place to start, technically way over my head, but I could at least jam along with the little bits I could pick out, like the 12 bar progression for pride and joy etc etc...

So moving on, ran out of cash, and had to come back to reality and get a job again.....BOO HISS, ending back in Europe in the south of Spain. Well I got myself a lovely Strat, nothing special but it is my baby now Kept buying magazines and seeing Joe's name popping up, decided to go check him out on You tube and found a great version of Sloe Gin in Chicago I think and was sold right away(TIm Currys version is pretty cool also, albeit different!) Spent lots of time trawling through his videos. Have finally bought the Shepards Bush live album, and love every spine tingling minute of it!! Just love Joes adaptation of Just Got Paid, and love jamming along untill the solo comes around where I can knock out the first 10 notes then I just stop and listen in Awe at joe tearing it up!!! From that point I have now gone on to fall in love with Free and Paul Kossofs playing(after reading Joe mention him as a major influence) and have the Chronicles album, and highly recomend it to all of you Joe fans out there!!!

Anyways at about the same time, my friends at home put me onto some guys that were from my school in the little Isle of Man(Big up the Manxies ) called Back Door Slam, thought I would check em out. Heard the first 30 seconds of Come Home and was sold right away!!! Followed them religously since then, and am awe struck by the success they are having, and glad some talent from my home is getting some recognition as it seems the US is loving them!! A few of my friends have met them and say the are top guys to boot, so all is good! I see the love they get here, adn feel it is as good a place as any to setup home on the internet

I have other influences including Led Zepplin, Buddy Guy, the 3 Kings, Jeff Beck(check this vid out with SRV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UIptI2rcjg) and a more recent hero in John Squire from The Stone Roses, not strictly blues, but on the Second Coming album of theirs you can really hear the influence Jimmy page had over him, and would suggest finding the songs "Breaking into heaven" and "Love Spreads" for some stellar guitar playing!! As I say I try to play, so here is me trying to emulate John Squire, a bit rough around the edges but I am still a novice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgUVapEE6x0

I think that is enough starting to prattle on a bit too much

Nice to meet you all, BLUES POWER!!!!!!!

tewker