Barry James Thomas

1 Born Feb 17th  1963 last child of 9 children

2 Mother( EVELYN MAY THOMAS) wanted to be a dancer/ Singer  father wouldnt let her,   she encouraged us all to sing 
 

3 Father (Nolan Richard Thomas Born in Mumbai, Bombay) worked on The Guardian for 30 yrs
 

 4 Old radio fell on my head in my cot my mother said i never was the same again!
 

5  given first guitar when i was 5!  plastic 2nd hand beatles guitar  but never played one again till i was 12 ! first instrument The Cello
 

6  used to sing and dance in the bedroom with my sisters to Motown and in particular Michael jackson and The Jackson five
 

7  The first concert i saw was The Jackson five  i was 8, also saw Edwin Starr,jnr Walker and Dione warwicke all the same year!
 

8  was offered a record contract when i was 9 when i sang at my brother's girlfriend's 21st bday party because i sounded like a young michael Jackson, but was very fat! my mother said my brother was a professional and one singer was enough in the family!
 

9  Sang in the church choir til i was 12  
 

10  my brother in law had an acoustic guitar with electric strings on this was the first time i played a guitar i liked 
 

11 local schoolband said if i got a keyboard i could join the band mum said that was  too expensive, here's  20 quid get yourself an electric guitar!
 

12  played for 8 months in schoolband  band  my dad was made redundant and said i could have anything i want but never ask him for money again! i asked for a better guitar 
13 learnt guitar from my brothers albums Funkadelic, hendrix, deep purple  led zepplin pink floyd, Ray Charles, Cream, Steve Marriot and Thin Lizzy and still cant read music!
 

14 went for an audition with a local band called FEEDBACK  all the band were 15 to 18  I WAS 13! did 175 gigs before i was 16 
 

15 gave up guitar for 6 months got a NORMAL job but hated it so picked up the guitar again went to colledge and studied Landscape gardening 
 

16  played in numerous local bands til i was 18 then joined my brothers band Dougie james and the soultrain  the band were much older than me and had played with 10cc, Sad Cafe,sweet sensation, ect. some of the previous members of my brothers band read like a whos who ie Rod Temperton (wrote for Heatwave and co wrote THRILLER with Michael Jackson) Gary Moore, John Miles( music was my first love) Paul Young (Sad Cafe and mike and the mechanics)  I had to learn quick! 

 

17 played and wrote in original bands for 2 yrs, was part of the LIVE AID  gig supporting Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders with my band Neat de feat at Pott shriggley Macclesfield then i payed with the soultrain again
 My brother asked me to play Thin lizzy dancing in the moonlight i was gobsmacked to see Phillip Lynott stood right infront of me smiling !  shaking i shook my heros hand and said how much i loved his music he said "yer sing well and play well, joe tells me you do a bit in the garden ? come and do me garden and i'll put you on to a few people". i was with my hero for the last 6 months of his life. In the garden, in the studio and recorded bv's on his last demos. He was supposed to record me on the 16th Jan 1986 but passed away on the 4th jan 1986! RIP my friend.
 

18  formed a new band in 1987 called LOOK TWICE in 88 Chris Evans played our demo on the Radio and american band  ATLANTIC STARR( secret lovers, Always) heard the track and said we could support them on their uk leg of their tour. Chris Evans came to London and recorded the band going to london in the van, his first outdoor broadcast interview was ME and my band! I was introduced to STEVIE WONDER a fantastic honour! Look Twice were the main rivals in manchester to Simply Red.
 

19 struggled with look twice for 5 yrs then, in 1994  was offered to play in an irish celtic rock band Toss The Feathers learnt Irish traditional music from Dezi Donnelly (now Sharron Shannon) Michael Mcgoldrick (Cappercaille and now Mark Knofler) and Andrew Dinan( with Ade Edmunson in the Bad Shepperds) 95  i was hired as a session singer guitarist for the jazz band CARMEL on her european tour and toured europe with Toss The Feathers. Played with my covers band and 25 years after seeing EDWIN STARR  He said"your band sound good im gonna sing with you!" an honour, and also sang at his memorial concert 3 years later 
 

20 formed a 70's covers band in 97 called SAD FRANKS DISCO we were spotted by NODDY HOLDER(SLADE) and asked to play on the Men and Motors Show THE G SPOT with Terry Christian as the house band! it sounds good( was brilliant fun!) but we only got paid 50 pounds a show each! 2 shows recorded first take in the same day! no repeat fees and theme tune used for 3 yrs which i got paid 500 pounds! But, What a laugh! would love to do it again!
 

21  built a studio to record a tribute to Phillip Lynott using traditional instruments, called TRAD LIZZY played at the 10th aniversary of Phillip Lynotts death with def leppard, Henry Rollins ,Thin lizzy and Philomena Lynott   and the  20th aniversary tour  with Eric Bell( Whiskey in the jar ect lizzy M1) and Brian Robertson( The Boys are back in town, Still in love with you lizzy M2)  studio now just rehearsal rooms til i get some funding! A reunion of my brothers band Douggie James and the soultrain saw us support JAMES BROWN 4 months before he died
 

22  produced and recorded an artist called RED VENOM( let's get it on) for nearly 4 yrs blending hip hop and traditional irish musicians and music, constantly gigging  with covers bands to fund it .So anti Xfactor,  tried to make a charity record for  the christmas number 1 for CANCER RESEARCH with the original SAD CAFE members and Tony Wilson would still work now and have clearence for the song EVERYDAY HURTS  and recording of Tony Wilson 
 

23 moved to Marbella Spain lived there for 3 yrs playing in Puerto Banus and along the Costa del sol,e with The Trixxx a power trio, and solo gigs returned to uk after a troubled relationship with just a guitar, laptop and underwear been staying with my nephew and family and friends in  Manchester, Newton Abbott and Eindhoven in Holland since feb 26th 2012