2. DATE OF BIRTH:    5.1.50

  3. OCCUPATION:     Retired

  4. PLACE OF RESIDENCE:    Cowling, West Yorkshire.

  5. YEARS AS A FAN:       Since 1968.
 
 

  SAFE AS MILK : ___________________  _8
  MIRROR MAN : ____________________ 9
  STRICTLY PERSONAL :  _____________10
  TROUT MASK REPLICA :  ____________1
  LICK MY DECALS OFF BABY :  _______6
  SPOTLIGHT KID :___________________ 3
  CLEAR SPOT :  ______________________2
  UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED : 12
  BLUE JEANS & MOONBEAMS :  ____  11
  SHINY BEAST :   _ __________________ 7
  DOC AT THE RADAR STATION :   ____4
  ICE CREAM FOR CROW : ___________5

  7. TOP 10 OTHER ACTS:

  1. Bob Dylan.
  2. The Byrds.
  3. King Tubby.
  4. Jah Shaka
  5.Frank Zappa
  6.Jah Wobble
  7.Bonzos
  8.The Charletons
  9. Lee Scratch Perry
  10. Bach   (cheating really, but I have to put him in)
 

  9. HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND,
I heard him on the Radio.  John Peel Show.
  AND WAS THERE A PARTICULAR SONG THAT MADE YOU SEE THE LIGHT?:
I thought he was very good, then one night, I listened for the first time to Clear Spot and every track was so special I played it over and over again. I remember looking at the vinyl record and thinking it was a magic piece of plastic.
It was after that that I decided to give all his music a good listen to.
I suppose if there was one track that took me onto a different plane it was 'Big Eyed Beans from Venus' because of my head at the time, but all Beefhearts music is special.

  10. NUMBER OF BEEFHEART  GIGS SEEN,  AND WHICH YEARS:
5. 1972, 1973 {three gigs) and 1981

  11. ART SHOWS VISITED:
I once went looking for a Beefheart Exhibition in London. I think it was 1986. I had about four hours to find the gallery oneafternoon and I spent my time travelling around on the underground trying find out where it was, gradually realizing that it wasnt going to happen.Eventually I had to give up, and I went along to the union meeting that I was supposed to be in London for.

  12. ANY CONTACT WITH DON?:
3 times.
Once in 1972 at Bickershaw. Twice in 1973, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester and briefly at The Albert Hall,
London.

  13. MUSICAL ABILITY / TRAINING:
None I'm afraid. I tried learning how to play guitar in the sixties but every time the guitar went out of tune I
found it impossible to retune it. I used to think I did a passible impression of Captain Beefhearts singing, but that was probably a case of biased ears..

 14. ANY OTHER INFO YOU WISH TO ADD?
  Oh well,  What the hell. If Angel can tell the world about her illness I suppose I can come out of the closet.
I have MS. I'm not complaining, mind you. I look on it as a gift that has taught me humility and compassion for others.
It is also the reason why I got a computer and without it I would have thought I was the only Captain Beefheart fan on the planet. My Bickershaw story would have remained in my head. Now I know in 100 years, that Don Van Vliet will be as big as Bach in music and as big as Van Gogh in painting. I am happy with that because he is a beautiful person as well, and to me that is the most important thing.
 

Charlie's Bickershaw story
Charlie's Free Trade Hall story