Tuesday 30 July 2013

"YOUR LIFE IN ANOTHER'S WORDS" . . . . BEEN A BIG TWO YEARS FOR ME, AFTER SWEARING I'D NEVER GO NEAR COMPUTERS TO DO SHIT LIKE BLOGGING AND FARCEBOOK, I'VE NOW GONE AND DONE BOTH . . . . A GUY HAD MADE A TOTALLY UNSOLICITED COMMENT IN A THREAD ABOUT THE 'OLD DAYS' IN THE TOWN I LIVE IN DESCRIBING MY FIRST BAND . . . . I THEN WENT AND 'INTRODUCED' MYSELF AND HE WROTE THE SECOND PARAGRAPH I'VE INCLUDED HERE

FROM THE 'IT FEELS NICE HAVING A TOTAL STRANGER TELL YOUR STORY' ARCHIVES . . . . THIS IS HOW THINGS WERE FOR ME IN 1982

CHEERS TO PAUL BUXTON FOR THE RECOLLECTIONS AND NICE WORDS . . . . APPRECIATED BUDDY AND STOKED YOU REMEMBER IT FONDLY.


 Ballistics were a tough rock,with a kind of rockabilly twist local band with a surfer/quasi mod punk sort of following, i only followed them around because the good sorts followed them, so we went where they were. Some of their hardcore fans had what I think was the first ever FauxHawk hairstyle, a kind of put on mowhawk, without making the big shaved look committment. Lots of the Kingscliff surfer following at sometime in their set would all get down on the floor wiggling around doing "the worm", like they were having a "fit".


Great shows mate, I just happened to think of your name when I saw your FB name and it dawned on me. I remember you came into Mac & East at Pac fair where I worked in late 80's and i tried to sell you the "latest trendy" jeans, the faded levi 501's, but I couldn't convince you, ha! Yeah, me and my mates knew all the surfer Kingy crowd but we were a different crew but we knew you blokes had the sheila's following you back then along with the Kingy surfers, so what does a twenty year do, he goes with the crowd..

Monday 29 July 2013

"FUCK PULP FICTION" . . . . SHORT ON TIME, CAN'T ORGANIZE LIFE, WON'T SPEND PRECIOUS MOMENTS SMELLING THE ROSES, DIGGING WHAT'S REALLY WORTHWHILE . . . . THE WORLD CONTINUES TO DICTATE THAT WE COMPRESS EVERYTHING INTO SOUNDBITES, SOLITARY PICTURES AND HIP SLOGANS . . . . WE'VE BECOME A SOCIETY OF NON READERS, NON THINKERS AND SHEEP LIKE FOLLOWERS . . . . HERE'S 'PULP FICTION' IN A MINUTE AND A HALF . . . . FUCK !!!

This is brilliant, both in terms of editing, excess of the F bomb and the fact it still manages to tell the story, but like anything that gets the compressor run over it, the detail and the nuances are lost as we move at light speed toward the end, eager to stand up, get out and move onto the next 'thing', instead of sitting back, letting time dissolve, suspending disbelief and embracing detachment from a world that becomes increasingly tedious, predictable, depressing and dull by the fucking minute . . . . say NO to time management, fight the powers that turn everything into just another 'experiential nano byte', avoid 'fashion', follow your heart, hold onto 'life', never surrender.

Sunday 28 July 2013

THIS COMING WEEKEND, IF YOU'RE LIVING IN SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND . . . . GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, GO HERE, DO THIS . . . . THERE'LL BE LOTS OF FRESH BEARDS AND NEW INK TOO !!!

ALL 'SONS OF MUMFORD' PATCHED MEMBERS WELCOME . . . . MIKEEYRAT, THAT'S YOU AND ME BRO, WE'RE IN . . . . BREAK OUT THE SELVEDGE DENIM AND PENDLETONS !!!

TWO FAIRLY ORDINARY SHOTS OF CLIFF'S '70 VG TWO DOOR . . . . SERIOUSLY DOESN'T DO ANY JUSTICE TO THE PAINT, THE FLAME JOB, THE INDUCTION SCOOP FOR THE 360, THE CRAGARS OR THE PERIOD PERFECT STANCE . . . . JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THE HOADSTER'S MINIATURE MOPAR MUSEUM, ALONG WITH THE 'SPLITT DECISION' BUCKET, THE ROAD RUNNER AND THE HEMI POWERED CORONET . . . . PUT TOGETHER FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, STILL A TESTAMENT TO COOL.

IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT DETAIL SEPARATING A GOOD CAR OR BIKE FROM A GREAT ONE THEN CLIFFY'S VG VALIANT IS A CASE IN POINT, ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER TELLS YOU THIS IS A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE MARQUE, BUT, LIKE A SAID ALREADY, MY PHONE WAS DYING AND THE SETTING WAS ARSE BACKWARDS . . . . THE FLAME JOB IS THE HIGH POINT FOR ME, ALWAYS HAS BEEN, DONE BY AN AUSSIE LEGEND LIVING AND WORKING IN LISMORE, IT IS SO FUCKING BRILLIANT THAT YOU CAN STARE AT IT FOR HOURS JUST TRIPPING ON THE BLENDING, THE PINSTRIPING, THE LINES AND THE WAY IT SITS SO RIGHT ON THE CAR . . . . BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT HERE SADLY, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD ON IT COZ THESE PHOTOS SUCK BIG, HAIRY BALLS.

J J CALE "AFTER MIDNIGHT" 1971 . . . . I'LL JOIN THE LIST OF DEDICATIONS TO THE DEATH OF MEGA TALENTED SONGWRITER AND GENUINE HUMAN, MR JJ CALE . . . . FROM TULSA TO TEHRAN, OKLAHOMA TO OZ, HIS SONGS HAVE BECOME PART OF THE MUSICAL FABRIC OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN . . . . COVERED BY MANY APART FROM THE BLEEDING OBVIOUS, HIS LEGACY WILL ENDURE BEYOND HIS FINAL PLACE OF REST . . . . UNIVERSALLY RESPECTED BY HIS PEERS.

ANOTHER 'REAL TALENT' HAS GONE TO THE BIG GIG IN THE SKY, LAID BACK AND LACONIC, RIP JJ CALE

Saturday 27 July 2013

"THE MOONROCKET" PEDAL POWER PROPULSION UNIT . . . . RAN INTO THE 'STARMAN' LAST NIGHT WHILE OUT ON THE PURPLE PENIS SHOOTING A CLIP WITH CLIFFORIS HOAD . . . . CERTIFIED CLASSICAL FREAK AND UBER COLLECTOR OF SIXTIES TOYS, SMALL DOGS AND YOUNG LADIES . . . . THIS MOON INSPIRED CONTRAPTION IS HIS LATEST CREATION TO HIT THE STREETS . . . . 66 KILLER CC's OF SCREAMING STAGE II ZOMBIE POWER . . . . CATCH ME NOW COPPER !!!

I've known Andrew 'Starman' Star for the best part of quarter of a century, dude's a freak, been doing his own little trip the entire time, runs a cool as fuck record store, maintains a museum like collection of 50's and 60's toys and assorted ephemera, drives a coolomatic XP wagoon and a Clevo powered rod and has a fetish for leopard skin print and nubiles draped in same . . . . this groovy Moon themed, Dragstar based, two wheeled, two stroked pedally is the latest in a pedigree line of road going daily transportation to and from his place of work, capable of a near light speed velocity of 55kph, the Starman and the MoonRocket have once again become the bane of the local law enforcement's existence, cops 0, Starman 10 . . . . go Andy, you beautiful freak !!!

Friday 26 July 2013

"JACK NICKLAUS'S GRANDSON SURVIVES BEING A TOTAL FUCKING KOOK" . . . . STICK THIS ONE IN THE 'GUYS ON TWO WHEELS WITH HALF A BRAIN' OR 'GEE WHIZ, HOW COME THOSE CAGERS NEVER SEE US WHEN WE'RE TRAVELLING AT WARP FACTOR 9' SLOT . . . . GREAT FOOTAGE OF THE GRANDSON OF A GOLFING ICON GETTING CLEANED UP BY HIS FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD KOOK PATROL . . . . DON'T BELIEVE THE TRIPE, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR DESTINY, LIVE LONGER.

LESSONS IN RIDING #1 . . . . RIDE AS FAST AS YOU LIKE, JUST REMEMBER THAT AT SPEEDS LIKE YOUNG NICKLAUS JR IS TRAVELLING HERE, IF YOU MISCALCULATE THEN CHANCES ARE IT'S GONNA BE THE ENDO YOU NEVER WANNA BE PART OF . . . . IN THE BATTLE OF CAR VS BIKE, EVEN IF YOUR IN THE RIGHT . . . . IT'S ALWAYS A LOSING GAME.

JOE STRUMMER "LOVE KILLS" . . . . FILE THIS ONE UNDER 'ESSENTIAL LISTENING', JOE, GARY AND A CAST OF THOUSANDS . . . . IF YOU NEED TO ASK THEN I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, LEECH OFF SOMEONE ELSE . . . . AND THERE'S BIKES AS WELL . . . . NO POINT BLURBING ANY MORE, JUST THE NAME 'STRUMMER' SAYS IT ALL . . . . ADIOS BASTARDOS !!!

"RESTAURACION SUPERGLIDE 1971" ['ALVARO CASTILLO' POOTUBE] . . . . WHILE WE'RE ON THE '71 SUPERDUPERGLIDE THING . . . . A SUPER TIDY EXAMPLE OF THE REAL McCOY FROM SENOR ALVARO CASTILLO . . . . UNDOUBTEDLY WILLY G's GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE HARDLY RIDEABLE MARQUE WAS TURNING THE BIG TWIN INTO SOMETHING CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER HANDLING . . . . STILL MY MOST LOVED BIG TWIN, FROM FX TO FXR, BUILT TO RIDE !!!

A SKIRTSTER FRONT END TACKED ONTO AN FL WASN'T A NEW IDEA BUT WILLY'S EPIPHANY GAVE THE FACTORY A MODEL THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME, I KNOW THE DESIRE TO CHOP EM UP IS ALWAYS A MONUMENTAL FORCE BUT THE SUPERGLIDE, EVEN IN BASIC, BOG STOCK FORM, IS ONE HOGGLY THAT DOES THE INTENDED JOB STRAIGHT OFF THE DEALER'S FLOOR WITH VERY FEW MODS REQUIRED NOR NEEDED . . . . OBVIOUSLY THE BODY STYLING BOAT-TAIL KIT WILL ALWAYS BE A MATTER OF PERSONAL TASTE BUT THE PLATFORM AS RELEASED IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE SEVENTIES IS A KILLER PACKAGE . . . . FOR A DECENT COLLECTION OF SHOTS OF THE MODERN DAY EQUIVALENT, GO AND VISIT THE HATER AT http://throttlelust.blogspot.com.au/ AND TRAWL BACK THROUGH HIS ASSORTMENT OF PICS OF THE FXR . . . . THE MAN IS SIMPLY ILL FOR THEM.

"1994 HD 1340 BOAT-TAIL REPLICA" ['RICCARDO TOSI' POOTUBE] . . . . I'M PRETTY FOND OF SAYING 'JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD', IN THIS CASE HOWEVER, IT'S ALL THE REASON YOU NEED . . . . WHO THE FUCK WOULD EVEN THINK OF DOING A BLOCKHEAD REPLICA OF ONE OF THE MOST MALIGNED MODELS EVER TO ROLL OUT OF THE MOTOR COMPANY'S DOORS . . . . RICCARDO TOSI, THAT'S WHO, METHINKS IT'S FREAKIN FABULOUS !!!

Willy G's acid dipped, Sportster inspired Super Duper Glide was a model most folk had a good laugh at when it hit the showroom floors in 1971, most of the boat tails were ditched almost immediately in an effort to take the radical side out of the Xperimental designation, as a result, they're pretty much rare as rocking horse shit today, although likely a little more loved than forty years ago . . . . don't know about you guys but I've never encountered an attempt at a replica, let alone on a Evo platform, at any point in the past until my eyes collided with this brilliantly conceived look-a-like last night in the hours after midnight, old mate Riccy Riccardo Tosi has done a killer job of realizing what is obviously a bike that holds a special place in his oddball heart and for me, that's the only thing that matters, sometimes just because you can is the only reason worth a squirt of Willy G's wee-wee !!! 

Wednesday 24 July 2013

"BASTARDIZED VOLUME 3" TEASER . . . . TRYIN TO THIN OUT MY BACKLOG OF DRAFTS FROM THE LAST EIGHT TO TWELVE MONTHS AND FOUND THIS . . . . JUST LIKE THE NIPPONESE GUYS, THE SWEDES REALLY DO IT FOR ME WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOM CAR AND BIKE CULTURE . . . . THERE'S A PALPABLY VISCERAL COMPONENT TO THE 'BASTARDIZED' SERIES THAT GOES RIGHT TO MY CORE AND CAPTURES THAT ESSENCE . . . . GUARANTEED SUPER FUCKING COOL !!!

THE DUDES FROM THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN HAVE BEEN TURNING OUT PERFECT RIDES IN THE OLD SCHOOL STYLE WITH A TWIST FOR DECADES NOW, THEY'VE GOT THE CAPER DOWN PAT, EXCELLENCE IN BOTH STYLE AND EXECUTION SEEM TO BE A COMMON POINT AMONG THEM, APART FROM ACTUALLY GETTING YOUR ARSE OVER THERE TO SEE IT IN THE FLESH, FOOTAGE LIKE THAT FEATURED HERE HAS GOT TO BE AS GOOD AS IT GETS . . . . THROW IN A SHITHOT SOUNDTRACK BEING LED FROM THE FRONT BY THE PHABULOUS 'PHOEBUS BEAT CLAN" AND YOU'VE GOT THE RECIPE FROM HELL TO ASSURE YOU OF MAXIMUM ENJOYMENT OVERLOAD.

Monday 22 July 2013

"DON'T IT MAKE YOUR BROWN EYE BLUE - FLASHBACK NINETEEN NINETY". . . . DREDGED FROM THE DEPTHS OF WAYNE KENNETH ANTHONY LYLE PATRICK BYRON SMITH'S TREASURE CHEST OF ARCHIVES . . . . THREE LADS, THREE BIKES, ONE BUM AND A CHICK . . . . MIKEEYRAT ON THE '43 WALLA, MARCUS McDUDE AND MISS McDUDETTE BESIDE THE SPRINGER AND WLP ON HIS 1974 T140V BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON . . . . OLDER AND UGLIER BUT STILL INTO THE SAME SHIT.

Mikeey was in Osaka in 1990 when his gorgeous girly snapped this shot of him astride the nicely restored 1943 WLA, replete with do-rag, Ray-Bans and a jacket I was always envious of, this young, international jetsetter was the very definition of tres cool . . . . Marcus McDude and Miss Pipes cut a dashing picture as a tandem act on what was then his brand new pride and joy for the first year of the nineties, he then whisked her away to the north coast to live in peace, harmony and tranquility . . . . Mr Dog Potato Head, aka WLP, on the other hand, was more than content to hang out with the local gay community, press the flesh and learn from experience that no front guard and K81 Dunlops were to be a bitter disappointment as a performance package, however, despite a substantial increase in bodily girth over the intervening years, he still wears pretty much the same shit, still rides a similar styled bike and still enjoys pressing the flesh . . . . what goes around, bums around.  
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU'LL NOTICE BY MY SUBTLE HAND GESTURE I WAS PRETTY UNDERWHELMED WITH THE MOON ACTION GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND

Sunday 21 July 2013

SPONTANEITY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT . . . . AFTER YET ANOTHER WEEK OF DRIZZLING RAIN AND ORDINARY WEATHER SUNDAY DAWNED CLEAR AND BRIGHT . . . . TOOK MY 88 YEAR OLD MUM TO CHURCH AND PICKED HER UP, NORMALLY SHE LIKES TO CATCH A CAB, MAKES HER FEEL INDEPENDENT . . . . DON THE FULLFACE, ON THE SICKLE AND SURGE SOUTH AT A STEADY 120/130 . . . . GOOD FRIENDS, CONVERSATION, BEER, PIZZA, HOME, DONE.

THIS IS THE REAL AUSTRALIA, LEAVE YOUR PRETENSIONS AND BIG CITY 'TUDE AT THE DOOR . . . . YEAH, JUST BLOODY PERFECT . . . . GROOVIN, ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. 
 CHOOK DOESN'T COMPREHEND THE CONCEPT OF PHOTOS, THE SISTAS DO
 STANDING, SITTING, TALKING AND LISTENING, THE LAST OF THE OLD SCHOOL BEER GARDENS
 SUNDOWN IN BRUNS TOWN, THERE'S A MOON IN THE SKY CALLED THE MOON
 A COOL TREAT, A COUPLE OF FAGS AND A BLOODY GOOD CHAT
PARK IT WHERE YOU CAN, YOU 'RIDE' A BIKE AND YOU 'DRIVE' A CAR

NEIL YOUNG "OLD MAN" 1971 . . . . TIMMYMUCKER ASKED ME HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS BLOKE THE OTHER DAY . . . . NOTHIN BUT LOVE MAN . . . . HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY NOT LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DOYEN OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY . . . . SO MUCH PERSONAL SORROW IN HIS LIFE, ALWAYS DONE THINGS HIS WAY, A FELLA SO INTEGRAL TO FUSING COUNTRY AND ROCK INTO A SEAMLESS WHOLE . . . . THIS YOUNG MAN NEVER GROWS OLD, HEART OF GOLD.

"SPLINTERS FROM THE PAST" - LOOKING BACK BETWEEN '82 AND '85 . . . . ONLY SHOT OF THE GTR, PARKED AND DRIVEN, NOT A CLUE WHO TOOK THEM . . . . A RARE SMILE ON A YOUNG BILLY ROCKER'S FACE, COMB THAT QUIFF . . . . SIMMONS DRUMS IN A PSYCHOBILLY BAND, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT, LETTING YOUR VISION GET DILUTED BY SOMEBODY ELSE . . . . WISH I STILL HAD THAT COLLEGE JACKET, WISH I FOUND THE PRICK WHO STOLE IT.

Saturday 20 July 2013

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE . . . . THE FINAL FEW FROM THE FESTIVAL OF THE ROD AT BRUNSWICK . . . . I WAS GOING TO BREAK THIS DOWN INTO A COUPLE MORE SEPARATE POST AND THEN I THOUGHT, SCREW IT, BUNG EM ALL IN TOGETHER AND HAVE DONE WITH IT . . . . A VERITABLE FRUIT SALAD OF TWO AND FOUR WHEELED TWEEKERS, FREAKERS AND SQUEEKERS . . . . VARIETY IS INDEED THE SPICE OF LIFE AND THE WEEKEND WAS THUSLY A PROFUSION OF DIVERSITY.

SO THIS IS IT, THE FINAL INSTALLMENT FROM THE "BACK TO BRUNS" SHINDIG . . . . AN OLDE WORLDE, NO WANK, NO BULLSHIT WEEKEND OF LAID BACK, DRINK IT IN, INFERNALLY COMBUSTING FUN AND FRIVOLITY TO BE HAD BY ALL . . . . GET THERE NEXT YEAR IF YOU CAN.

THE TRAIN KEPT A COMIN - MORE MARVELOUS METAL FROM THE BRUNS ROD + CUSTOM RETRO FEST . . . . BRUNSWICK HEADS IS A SMALL BURG OFF THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY JUST SOUTH OF THE BORDER, THE OLD HIGHWAY USED TO RUN RIGHT THROUGH ITS GUTS . . . . AS THE BYPASS WAS BEING BUILT THERE WAS TALK OF BRUNS DYING AND LOSING OUT . . . . LUCKILY, THAT SHIT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED, IT'S ACTUALLY PRESERVED ITS UNTAINTED APPEAL.

A HANDFUL OF UNRELATED VEE-HICKLES THAT CAUGHT THE EYE OF MYSELF AND CHOOK WHILE DOIN THE ROUNDS ON SUNDAY MORN . . . . THE EX-BILLY GIBBONS CADDY IS AN AMAZINGLY EYE STRAINING EXERCISE IN SUBTLETY WHICH IS SORTA LOST IN PHOTOS BUT CHECK OUT THE 'BLOW-UP' IMAGE OF THE FLAKE ROOF . . . . THE LIME GREEN WILLYS, WELL, WHY WOULDN'T YOU, THE DEFINITIVE MODERN DAY GASSER HOMAGE . . . . A LEGIT REPLICA OF THE SO-CAL LEGEND PUT TOGETHER A FEW YEARS BACK WITH THE HELP OF MR SHINE AND CHAPOURIS, SHINE WAS BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR . . . . A '57 OLDS CUSTOM WITH A SUBDUED MIX OF SATIN AND GLOSS TANGERINE HIGHLIGHTS OVER A PALE BRONZE BASE . . . . AND FINALLY A TRIO OF PRE-WAR RODS THAT WHILE NOT SETTING ANY PRECEDENTS WERE EVOCATIVE OF WHAT RODDING WAS ALL ABOUT BACK IN THE MISTS OF TIME . . . . IT MIGHTN'T BE THE BIGGEST AND SHINIEST SHOW IN THE COUNTRY BUT IT'S A BLOODY GREAT VIBE IN A GORGEOUS SEASIDE TOWN THAT HAS REMAINED UNFUCKED BY THE RAVAGES OF THE WORLD AT LARGE.

Friday 19 July 2013

JOHNNY CASH AND JUNE CARTER "JACKSON" . . . . WELL, WELL, WELL, HASN'T 'THE MAN IN BLACK' MADE THE BIG CROSSOVER INTO MAINSTREAM SUPERSTARDOM IN THE LAST DECADE AND A BIT . . . . THE BOY NAMED SUE WASN'T ALWAYS SO POPULAR AMONG THE BROADER COMMUNITY, IN THE SAME WAY WILLIE, WAYLON, KRISTOFFERSON, HANK AND A HOST OF OTHER COUNTRY GENTS AND LADIES WEREN'T . . . . ALWAYS DUG THE 'TUDE IN JUNE'S VOICE.

IT'S A GOOD THING TOO, THE WAY IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ALL ALONG BUT I GUESS IT TAKES SOME FOLK LONGER TO STICK THEIR TOES IN THE MUDDY WATER AND DECIDE IT'S OKAY TO JUMP IN . . . . SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, WITH MUSIC AS IN LIFE, FOLLOW YOUR HEART, DON'T SWEAT THE HATERS . . . . YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT AT THIS CAPER.

Thursday 18 July 2013

MAX WILLIAMS, NO RELATION BUT ONE ENORMOUS INSPIRATION, INFLUENCE AND A TRULY BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING . . . . LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, TEACHER, MUSICIAN, ENGINEER, PHILOSOPHER, STROKE SLAYER, MOTORCYCLE AND CAR BUILDER . . . . HE WAS A FRIEND, A MENTOR, A FELLOW BAND MEMBER FOR SIX EPIC YEARS . . . . AND SO MUCH MORE TO SO MANY PEOPLE . . . . A COLLECTION OF HIS HANDIWORK IN TWO AND FOUR WHEELED FORMS.

MY SINCERE AND HEARTFELT THANKS, APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE TO SCOTTY WILLIAMS FOR SO WILLINGLY AND HAPPILY PROVIDING THE PHOTOS . . . . LOVE YA MATE.

Max was one of those rare individuals who could not only turn his capable hand to anything he chose to but would excel in doing so, he taught many of my friends at the local Papist boys school and could teach anything from physics to Latin, he had a severe stroke around the same time my father did and managed to will himself back from being nearly written off by the doctors and went on to achieve so much more . . . . he had always been mad about all things mechanical and was well known and respected for his ability to rebuild and meticulously restore both cars and bikes to the highest level, his H1 triple was a wicked thing, I first met him in about '84 and immediately learned to shut the fuck up and listen when Herr Schmart was talking, then we end up playing music together in my first cover band for nearly six years from about '91, I was singing and Max was on sax as part of our three piece 'Jurassic Brass' section, he was such a funny bastard . . . . concurrently he built almost single handedly the most incredible Yammy XV1000 custom cafe racer jigger while I was a partner at Classic Bike Tune, and I mean all of it, plus a cracking SR500 in the same style, he put together a superb Cobra replica with a fuelie 302 with input from his 'apprentii' and son, Scotty, it was awesome as well, I could go on about this bloke for so much longer but typing through tears is a tad difficult . . . . he left behind his gorgeous wife, a beautiful daughter, two fine sons and a shitload of friends who will forever hold treasured memories of him as the gifted, generous and wonderful freak that he was . . . . enjoy the work and talents of Mr Max Williams, I'm just honoured to say he was my friend. RIP.

*** You'll notice his 'logo' on the tanks of his custom bikes . . . . he was forever being stopped by blokes saying they didn't know MV made such a bike, depending who it was or whether Max felt like taking the piss would determine his response . . . . 'dry' was an accurate character type descriptor.