30 YEARS AGO, 'THE CREW' AT THE BEACH, FIRST TEAM SHOT . . . . I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK ROW WITH SUNNIES ON, CHOOK'S SECOND FROM RIGHT FRONT ROW AND RAT, BASSIST IN MY FIRST BAND, RIGHT OF MIDDLE ROW WITH PERFECT QUIFF . . . . MIRACULOUSLY, NOBODY FROM THIS SHOT IS DEAD YET DESPITE OUR BEST ATTEMPTS AT LIFE AND LIMB SITUATIONS OVER THE INTERVENING THREE DECADES . . . . YES, IT'S JUST LIKE A PENIS, ONLY SMALLER.

BY THIS STAGE ME AND RAT HAD STARTED 'THE BALISTICS', A PSYCHOBILLY OUTFIT THAT LASTED FROM '82 UNTIL '85, HENCE THE QUIFFS AND COLLARED SHIRTS, MY BACKGROUND WAS SKATEBOARDS, CARS AND MOTORBIKES BUT RAT WAS THE HELL SURFER . . . . HE'D PADDLE OUT, SMOKE IN MOUTH, HAIR PERFECT, TEAR IT UP, COME BACK IN WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A HAIR OUTTA PLACE, THEN PROCEED TO GET DRESSED INTO STREET CLOBBER OF CREEPERS, JEANS AND SHIRT . . . . LEATHER JACKETS WERE A TOTAL HEAT STRESS SITUATION IN SUMMER ON THE COAST BUT IT DIDN'T STOP US, NEVER LET PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT STAND IN THE WAY OF IMAGE.