Dave took up electric guitar at school, embracing the loose playing approach of the prevailing Punk scene and spending several formative years making horrible noises with like-minded friends. School proto-punks Blood Group matured into blues/freak-rock ensemble Triple Measures but in the face of a limited market for Hawkwind and Pink Fairies covers the band folded and by late 1988 Dave had switched to bass. 

This was to help a couple of friends with their quirky, drum machine-driven death metal project Near Death Experience. NDE gigs were played around London and several demos were recorded, one of which was successfully foisted upon the Tommy Vance show at Radio One for their demo competition (it didn't win). When they decided to call it a day in 1991, Dave found himself awarded the bass spot in New Cross indie sensations The Shells.

After a year or so gigging from New Cross to the West End, other commitments drew Dave away from regular playing and it was the mid 90's before he went back to guitar with a new band mostly consisting of various school-era collaborators. Heavy Plant Crossing was the most ambitious band to date: odd time signatures, tempo changes and prominent keyboards were the order of the day. It was fun while it lasted but eventually enthusiasm dwindled and the band ran out of steam.

Meanwhile, former New Cross/Lewisham luminaries had gravitated to a retro but comparatively purist 60's outlook. Dave's side interest in classic keyboards had co-incidentally resulted in ownership of a Hammond XB2 organ, so he was drafted in to the Count Penfolds (later The Understanding) to consolidate their late 60's Freakbeat sound. With playing abilities that were just about adequate, helped along by the adoption of a suitable hair style, he was rewarded by the chance to play some real Hammonds at Rogue Studios, Toe Rag Studios, and the Montague Arms, New Cross.

After a more substantial tenure of three years, the chaps fancied a change, or in some cases a rest. However the music bug could not be eradicated, so by 2007 Dave had resolved to get back to the guitar and the classic rock songs he grew up with. He found himself in the ranks of the first line-up of Hardtail and was the sole constant member for eight years and over one hundred gigs before the band took a break in 2015.

Concurrently, a friend's 50th birthday celebration prompted something of a SE London band reunion, which in time led to a couple of years in another retro-covers project in the shape of the Kings Of Oblivion. Ownership of a paisley shirt was a condition of membership, at least for the guys. 

As if that didn't generate enough playing opportunities, since 2012 Dave has also been contributing live guitar to the occasional gigs by the music project of ex-Cardiac multi-instrumentalist Mark Cawthra (intriguingly titled Redbus Noface) and he has also played in a couple of local pop/rock covers bands including a current tenure in Bouncer.

The Gear List
• Feline Guitars custom Lion
• Gibson SG Junior
• James Trussart Steelcaster
• Fender MIM reverse headstock Stratocaster
• Jackson Adrian Smith SDX
• Mesa Express 5/25+
• Effects rack with TC Electronic G-Major 2, RJM Effect Gizmo and (currently) Lovetone Cheese Source, Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe, Keeley DS1, Peterson Strobostomp MK1
• Pedalboard with (white) special editions of: RJM Mastermind, Mission Expression control, Dunlop Crybaby & Xotic EP Boost