NAMES ON GUITAR'S DON'T MATTER LET'S HEAR YA PLAY

[MIKE 450]

I play an avalon AS-201CE YEAR203 this is the guitar I work with I picked it up for £300 I busk with it play pubs clubs etc. I was in a well know bar in Holywood there where a lot of fine musicians/artists who came along to play one guy had a Lowden he bought from Colin Reed lovely guitar, another guy had a Taylor, and two more guys one had a Martin the other a lowden which was made for him, then there was me with my little avalon, we all played well, the night was going well,when up onto the stage steped a Bangorian by the name of Billy Harrison, billy used to play with Van Morrison in a band called THEM he wrote the hit song gloria.Billy took my little Avalon and BLEW us all of the stage.AND no we were'nt grap he was realy good his guitar playing and voice where fantastic he simply looked at all the guitar's and picked mine when I asked him why the Avalon he said " I TRIED A FEW OF THEM YOUR'S FELT GOOD AND IT WAS IN TUNE. That night we all agreed any half decent guitar set up to suite YOU is what you want.

[JB]

Thanks for that Mike ... made my day, and it's only morning !

Jim

[stevemac]

Great story Mike and to meet such a legend must have been amazing, let alone have him play and prefer your guitar in such a good selection. If you've not already been down to the factory in N'ards, drop in sometime.

Speaking of Gloria, legends and Avalon's, I had to pinch myself Friday week ago at the Oh Yeah club in Belfast to witness on stage, together, singing Gloria (accompanied by an Avalon acoustic and a bloke playing a Gibson ES355), Terry Hooley (who launched Undertones & Stiff Little Fingers among other great bands in the 70's & 80's), Stuart Bailey (of NME fame - that's roughly the UK equivalent of Rolling Stone for anyone outside the UK) and, biggest legend of all - Gerry Armstrong! Who he I hear you ask ????? Not only a fine vocalist, but better known for scoring in Northern Ireland's 1-0 victory over Spain in the '82 World Cup!

[naboz]

You blokes across the water there havin' a good month?!
It's so great to get out and live with passion.

[MarkN]

Great story! Now I REALLY can't wait for my AS-201CE to arrive!

[MIKE 450]

Nice one guys, I thought I might have bored you with my storey about playing with Billy Harrision,we will be playing again this summer I hope, if it's still on I'll post you all the date. Should have told you before leaving the club that night myself and a couple of mate's packed away all the gear and just as we were about to leave I fond a wallet, I opened it up to find £70 and some bank cards they belonged to Billy. I didne't want to ring Billys house at 2am and I knew he'd still be out, I should mybe tell you all the drink was free that night I don't drink while I'm playing but after the gig I got tore into it. Next morning I rang Billy,"hello Billy Michael here I've got your wallet", Billy was in bed drinking coffee, he,s wife was ringing the bank and had cancelled all he's bank cards. I told Billy I'd call around about lunch time which I did both he and his wife could'net thank me enough we spent the next hour and a half talkin about the old days "I'm 50 Billys a wee bit older" but when come's down to rock n roll watch out kids for old BILLY BOY.

[stevemac]

Now there's honesty for ya! You'd have probably got a hundred quid on eBay for that!