Andy Barklam

I've been playing the guitar for about 6 and a half years now and have been writing songs for the best part of 4 years, unfortunately only a handful of which I've had the privilege of recording thus far. I found following my first song I had, and still have, much more inspiration. Joining this site is my way of getting my music out there and hopefully performing to and entertaining the masses.

Upon picking up the guitar seriously for the first time in November, 2004, I formed a three-piece band with a couple of good friends of mine at school. With our being in the sixth form, we took advantage of the free periods we had and the music recital rooms that the school had fairly recently had built. I can recall many a lunchtime and free 50 minute sessions spent jamming in the comfort of a soundproof room, with instruments provided by the department. I played guitar and sang, woeful though it was. Vai played guitar, keyboard and sang. Shariq played the drums - well - more impressive than it sounds as he only started learning to play on agreeing to be part of the band! Though the result of our jamming sessions would more often than not just be a good laugh, there were days when we produced some good music, and having never recorded any of the several songs we cobbled together during our couple of years together, I'm adamant we will one day! We all went our separate ways in the summer of '06, when we left school to go to uni, one to Aston, one to Hull-York Medical School, and the other to Worcester. We still meet up every now and then at Shariq's house and gather 'round his 700 drum kit (a major confusion left him forking 699 out for a drum kit he believed to be 6.99), reminisce, and relive some of the good times - something we should do more often. Now at uni, I largely play acoustic music on my own or with my friend I live with, though more and more recently I've felt a desire to return to being in a band.

I used to play often at the Marrs Bar in Worcester, though haven't for a while. It's great fun - really warm atmosphere.

My favourite bands are probably the Beatles, the Verve, REM, Oasis, and Blur, so I'd expect most of my music to have rings of one or more of those in!

1960s Hofner acoustic guitar. Westfield electro-acoustic guitar.