BIOGRAPHY

The Early Years

Stan was born in 1961 and grew up in Saffron Walden. At the age of 11 his father bought him his first guitar. Stan didn’t seem to get it together playing the guitar, so when he was 13 his dad traded in his guitar and bought him a Vox Bass. His dad was a jazz pianist, so he use to accompany him with his bass.

Like many in his era, Stan got into Punk Music through 70’s Rock, listening to the radio or buying records or cassettes. His first bands were formed with friends from school, and as there weren’t many bass players, he was in popular demand! Stan and his mates would go and see other Punk and Rock bands in Bishops Stortford at the Triad Club.

From this early period Stan's main influence for playing the bass, was Slade's bassist Jimmy Lea, who he still touts as an influence today!

Stan and his mates would regularly go and see a band from Bishop Stortford where they would also go and play, this band was called the Epileptics, Stan met them from going to their gigs.

Around this time Stan bought a Fender Musicmaster, an HH 100 bass amp and a Peavy 4x12 cab, which he used whilst he was in the Epileptics, through his time with The Straps and early on in Theatre of Hate.

The Epileptics asked Stan to join their band after seeing him play various gigs in one of his bands with his school mates, and they could see he was a good bassist so gave him a gig.

Stan never recorded with the Epileptics, their first singles were recorded after he left the band. He stayed with them 6 or 7 months before he moved to Brixton in London.

In 1978 at 18 Stan moved into London to Brixton, where in 1979 he was to meet Jock (John Grant) who was the singer of The Straps, a local punk band. When their bassist Green died of a drug overdose, Stan was asked to join the band. At this time Stan got a job working in BOY a clothes shop on the Kings Road to earn a few extra pounds.

Stan played a number of gigs with The Straps over a year, but as with the Epileptics never recorded any songs. Stan did however co-write various songs with Jock and Dave Reeves the guitarist and founder of The Straps. Their first single was a song Stan wrote, ‘Just Can’t Take Anymore’, Stan never got a writing credit, but they did thank him on the cover sleeve.

Not long before Kirk Brandon asked Stan to join Theatre of Hate, Charlie Harper asked him to join UK Subs as their bassist, as he had seen Stan play he knew he was a very good bassist, but Stan decided to turn him down.

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