Neil (Dark Cookie) Cook
Born in Reading the late 60’s my musical tastes developed in the early 80’s THE best era for METAL! My first and still one of my favourite albums is Iron Maiden’s “Number Of The Beast”, The first time I heard “Run To The Hills” on top of the pops I was hooked! From there it was a shot step into many other metallic delights, Motorhead, Saxon, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ozzy and many, many other heavy rock directions. Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, the remnants of the NWOBHM movement etc. even Glam, Hair and Sleaze bands like W.A.S.P, Motley Crue, G’n’R. Before long I had a Denim cut-off with patches and badges and band names embroidered by my own fair hands (who knew being a rocker was so arts and crafts) and soon after my first leather jacket which I painted and added studs to. I was a Metal-head!I di scovered the mighty Friday Night Rock Show with the godlike Tommy Vance, I bought Kerrang every week and read it cover to cover, my bedroom being adorned with the posters of Rock Goddesses’ and the occasional Rock God for good measure, my pocket money often being spent in Sounds Records on the latest singles from the bands Tommy, Krusher or Mick et al were making our juvenile metal minds aware of. The rest, as they say is history. I am a life-long fan of Heavy Music. My tastes are broad and wide, and have changed over the years, but the one musical anchor is METAL. I still get the buzz from discovering new music, and am pleased the future of Heavy Metal is in safe hands from British bands like Tailgunner, Kaine, Absolva, Fury and of course its great to see my mighty Maiden still doing the rounds. Today I find myself in the privileged position to share my love and enthusiasm for Heavy music on the iterweb, emulating in my own terrible way the likes of Tommy and my mate Brian (Pithers, Readings own FM rock DJ who introduced me to so much music and Rock Stars like Fish and Toby Jepson and Tony and Bob from Magnum) by sharing my music with the denizens of the web. Plus I also write reviews for website such as UK Thrashers and Metal Temple, and who know, soon for Rock Radio UK too, like the reviews I would pour over in the back of Kerrang and Metal Hammer. This brings me to my show here on Rock Radio UK, Dark Cookie’s “HEAVY”. Heavy for two reasons. One, all the music I will be playing will be from the “turned up to 11” school of Rock and well I am no lightweight either! I am no Muso, I cannot play in instrument, sing or am a Rock God, I don’t have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the 14th line up of this or that obscure band. Nope I’m a Rock fan and get joy from sharing old and new music with anyone who wants to listen. I may have some insight into this music to share, and hope my inane ramblings will not get in the way of some fine HEAVY music.