Paul Hudson
It all started at the Retford Porterhouse in Nottinghamshire in 1976(ish). Little did we know at the time, while trying to find two quid to get in to see probably some of the best bands, some of which are still surviving today and have gone on to be really big stars. We got into a routine of going upstairs to the dressing rooms until we were eventually told we couldn't by one of the bouncers. We then asked the owner at the time, Sammy Jackson who agreed we could go up as long as we gave the bands time to get off stage and they said it was OK. So the bands we were lucky enough to see from about 1976 until about 1998, so to mention just a fewbands like Girls School, Def Leppard, Gillan, Budgie, Diamond Head, Magnum, Girl, Samson, Trust,Rose Tattoo, Marillion, Tiger Tails, to name but a few including a lot of bands like Prefab Sprout,New Model Army, The Mac Lads, to which were more punk bands. ACDC also played but unfortunately I missed them. So in the dressing room we met people before the start of they reached the big time, Joe Elliott, Steve Clarke, Rick Savage, Rick Allen from Def Leppard as they were just playing Thin Lizzy covers, until they released "On through the night". I remember listening to the first track they ever played there which was not a cover and one of their own, later to become part of the album "On Through the night", the track was called "When the walls keep tumbling down". We were quite sad to hear that Def Leppard would no longer be appearing again because they had just been signed to Vertigo (1980) and the venue was just too small, they had hit the big time. We became friends with Magnum, Bob Catley and Mark Stanway and of course the very late great Tony Clarkin and we met many other people besides. So, after a couple of gigs listening to Judas Priest, Scorpions, Van Halen and Black Sabbath to name but a few I was well on my way to being a permanent rock enthusiast. It was only in 2019 that I was approached by a presenter which I knew well from Cambrian Radio and he asked if I wanted to do a show. So, after the first week's nerves and a few weeks to prepare I then realised I had another show to do in six days. I then joined Crags Radio two and a half years ago and I am very proud to announce the involvement with Rock UK just recently.