KENNY

         NICHOLSON

(Lead Guitarist)  

Kenny first started to play guitar when he was 15.  He decided to do this because someone at school could play and he was always surrounded by girls when he played.  Kenny thought "I want to be surrounded by girls - I guess I'll have to learn to play guitar!"  He also saw Slade on Top of the Pops at about the same time and the guitarist hardly moved his fingers but was making this great noise and Kenny thought this looks easy, I could do that.  (He would later find that actually - he couldn't!!)  He persuaded his mam and dad to buy an acoustic, which was quickly replaced by an electric from Woolworths as the acoustic didn't sound like Slade!!.  Unfortunately, when Kenny tried to play the chords in the guitar books he found his little finger wouldn't do anything so he couldn't play anything.  Not knowing anyone to ask or to teach him, he played about trying to find an easier way to play and one day came across a tuning whereby he could put one finger across all the strings and is sounded like a proper chord.  EUREKA!!  Kenny could now play chords using one finger and proceeded to lock himself in his bedroom for the next few years and learn songs by his favourite bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Free, and Jimi Hendrix and learning his best poses in front of the mirror (as all good Rock Guitar Players do!!)

He eventually became okay at playing lead in this strange tuning and when about 21 did a one off support gig with a friend on acoustic and a drummer from work.  The gig finished with Wild Thing with Kenny kicking the shit out of his strat and playing God Save The Queen with his feet on the guitar.  This apparently impressed three budding Rock Stars who had a band called Ice and they asked Kenny to join.  He jumped at the chance and the band eventually did a few gigs, during which time Kenny learned to play in proper tuning.  They changed the name to Black Rose, started to play lots more local gigs and built up a big local following, getting bigger and better gigs.

After doing this for a few years, a guitarist job came up with top local band White Spirit - who had an album out.  Kenny went for the audition but didn't get the job because he learnt all the solos note for note!!  This pissed him off a bit as he'd been told to learn all the album, but the guy that got the job just played his own solos!  Oh well, that's Rock 'n' Roll!  Anyway the experience of playing with a pro-band and finding it easy meant he couldn't go back to Black Rose and so, he handed in his notice, and proceeded to form his own band.  He got together with some people he knew but they couldn't find a good enough singer until at a local gig they saw a band called Red Dog with a singer called Doggy.  Just the guy we need they thought, so they cornered him in the toilets and refused to let him out until he joined their band, which he eventually agreed to do.

This band was called Holland, with Kenny writing most of the songs, who after much gigging got themselves a record deal and in 1984 released an album called Early Warning.  (At last - the "Big Time" - a real record all black and round and stuff with a hole in the middle!)  The band built up a big local following and gigged round the country, and did lots of radio interviews.  They released a second album in 1985 called Contract with Hell.  During the making of this album Kenny became unhappy with the way the music was going, with him wanting to do the Heavy Rock stuff but the rest of the band wanting to do lighter stuff.  So after the album was released, with reviews saying the heavier stuff was best, Kenny left to form another band.

Kenny got himself a record deal and formed his next band - Fast Kutz who in 1987 released an album called Burnin' this was much heavier music, Kenny finally getting the band to do the music he wanted.  They got to record a session for Radio One's Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance and had people such as Mega-Rock God Ozzy Osbourne singing their praises.  A second album was recorded but then the record company went bust and the album was never released.  Unrest in the band followed which eventually led the band to split.

Disillusioned with doing his own songs Kenny had a short break away from bands.  Then a chance to join a working men's club band came up to which Kenny said, "Why not, something different and I might get paid - that'll make a change!"  This band was called Black Market with which Kenny played second fiddle to the Bingo for a couple of years before women problems within the band caused Kenny to leave (affairs, divorce etc … just the usual band stuff!)  Then after another break from bands.  Kenny's work commitments meant he was looking for a band who only wanted to do a few gigs now and then.  In late 1993 he applied to an advert for such a band.  Got the job, and Outrageous Wallpaper was created!

Ken stayed with OW through many line up changes and was one of the members of OW offshoot Doggy and the Puppies during which time he finally hung up his OW tee shirt in favour of playing with top tribute band The Bryan Adams Experience which has seen him playing all over the UK and Europe to big appreciative crowds.

During Kens time in D&TP he had frequently asked Doggy if he fancied doing a Paul Rodgers tribute band but nothing ever came of it. A couple of years later and a chance meeting with Paul D. in a Darlington pub and the long planned project was on.....