So - who's who in Out of the Wood?
Well - to find out we have to travel back
to 1990 when Dave and Sue Gray started to explore their musical talents.
They were joined by George Howitt, with Dave on acoustic, George also on
guitar and Sue on Bass.
They soon realised that Sue could sing, so
she dropped the bass and took over vocal duties, and in was drafted
Grahame Salter on bass (at the tender age of 15!). He was joined by Kim
Lindholm on keyboards, who sadly moved to a better world recently.
In 1991, Kim left, to be replaced by Nick
Watson, then in 1993, George and Grahame left to be replaced by guitarist
Nigel Moore and long standing bass player and songwritwer Mick Starkey.
After a while, Nigel left to be replaced
by Anthony Day, and Matt was pulled in on drums. This line up was short
lived however, and Anthony and Matt moved on to other things in 1995.
In came John Worlosz on lead guitar, and
Paul Cantwell on drums, forming the first line up of Out of the Wood that
I remember:
- Paul Cantwell - drums
- Dave Gray - acoustic and
vocals
- Sue Gray - recorder and
vocals
- Mick Starkey - bass
- Nick Watson - Keyboards
- John Worlosz - lead guitar
I can remember seeing Nick's last gig at
one of the global festivals in Campbell Park, although I can't remember
the year. He was replaced by Claire Barber.
Around this time, John decided to follow a
more bluesy musical path, and he was replaced by Mick's friend and work
colleague Peter Grove. This line up changed again not long after, with
Claire being replaced on keys by Paul Baker thus forming what I considered
the classic Out of the Wood line up.
Unfortunately, Mick was taken from us
prematurely - a victim of cancer. I was playing in another band
(Suspicious Blue) with Paul Cantwell and was asked to take over the low
end role.
I had watched the band on quite a few
occasions and knew them all as I'd photographed them a few times, so it
wasn't a hard decision for me - thus completing the final line up that saw
the band through to January 6 2001 for the final show at Bradwell Abbey.
Honourable mentions must go to Pete Jelfs,
who filled in on bass while Mick was ill, Karen Grace who depped
occasionally for Paul on keyboards and sometimes sang backing, and Martin
Wright who depped now and then on drums - thanks guys and gal!
