born in the 60's Gavin grew up in a very musical family. His grandfather was an exceptional pianist, who passed on some of his talent to young Gavin, who by the age of 7 knew how to play by ear and by 'the dots'. Soon he learned the rudimentary elements of the Organ and guitar. That is when the love of performing developed.
Courtesy of Mr Woolworth he gathered his first electric guitar and wee amp. At the tender age of 14 he started his first school band who practised in his dads Garage, much to the annoyance of his neighbours. As a fledgling musician he was in the first wave of people that turned to the emerging punk scene in 1976/77. Anarchy In the school assembly hall.
As a member of “The Exile”, they were one of the first Glaswegian punk band to release a single.
Unfortunately due to avoid issues with a more successful American band of the same name, they had to change their name to Friction.
The music of the early 80's did not do much for Gavin, so he moved into the theatre for a while. This could both be on stage as well as off stage.
During the mid-80's he was part of 21 Red, playing the wedding and social scene. That band lasted 30 years, of which 21 years without a change in line-up, not many bands can say that.
In the 90's he felt it was time to diversify, so he spent a good many years as musical director for “Crescent City Soul”, a 10 piece soul band. It was around the same time he found out about the hidden Country music scene around Scotland with “Roughchaps”, talking about a weird scene!
He made several trips to New Orleans, his spiritual home, and played quite a few gigs there in the Cajun bayous and in some piano bars on Beale Street, Memphis.
In the new millennium he was mostly doing a lot a folk stuff. With Whappit Ben, a six piece folk-rock outfit and most recently with The Ideal Band. During these years he had some great gigs and sessions at Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections and The Clancy Brothers Festival in Ireland.
After 2010 when he stopped he 'day job' he had more time for music.
During the past 6 years he has worked with quite a few artists, but the most noteable are:
* Mary Kathleen Burke
* Ken Campbell's Ideal Band
* The Springsteen Sessions
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He made yet another trip to New Orleans and the Delta to sit in with loads of minor R&B heroes.
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His own band, Domino Gumbo, is Scotland's only New Orleans themed band.
As where in his first 35 years he had mostly been a side man, he now started working as a front man
He did much solo work as Half-Man Half-Jukebox, The Clancy/Makem Jukebox, with a working repertoire of over 1,000 songs, that is right One thousand.
This led him to make the album.
He got hired to play at The Clancy Brothers Festival in their hometown of Carrick-On-Suir, Co. Tipperary.
While he was recording a demo to sell at the festival he started hearing additional instruments. Back from the festival he started working on overdubbing around 20 different instruments and all vocals to the tracks.
As this was not working live he formed a band around this, The Clancy Sessions Band.
Political work includes, Moscow Mayday 2017, Various SNP events, Celtic Night at TUC (Trades Union Conference) 2017, Anti-Bedroom tax, Prominent Yes supporter, various and numerous too may to recall.
Before he became a professional musician he worked as a police officer from 1978 to 2008. 20 years as a cop in the East End of Glasgow then 10 in West Dunbartonshire.
He believes he is the only person ever to have attended Glasgow Mayday as a punter, performer and polis!