I started playing bass when I was 14 yrs old at high school cause I thought it was the coolest instrument there was. Turns out I was right! I studied Double Bass at high school and played in the West Australian Youth Orchestra. I moved to Canberra to complete a Bachelor of Music Honours Degree at the Australian National University and spent 8 years performing with the Australian Youth Orchestra and held a position with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. I did some further study in Europe in 2007 but my musical path took a different turn after seeing Prince play a concert at the O2 arena in London. I had always played bass in bands on the side but after seeing Prince and his band I decided to no longer pursue a classical music career, but rather become a session musician. I enrolled in a Jazz Performance degree at the ANU so I could study with Eric C. Ajaye. Eric played with Chaka Khan, Taj Mahal, Barry White, Freddie Hubbard, to name a few. Eric gave me the Music Man Bass I now play in VDELLI.

After working on the East Coast of Oz as a session muso for a number of years I returned to Perth in 2010 to join VDELLI. I used to go to VDELLI gigs when I was fresh out of high school with my mates and considered Mike and Ric to be two of my musical heroes. NOW I’M IN THE BAND! This is a massive achievement for me and I am very grateful to step on stage with two musicians whom I grew up listening to and idealising.

Some of the artists and musicians I have had the privilege and opportunity to work with have included: Olivia Newton John, 1927, James Reyne, Grace Knight, Ross Wilson, Angry Anderson, Youthu Yindi, Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets), Karnivool, Gotye, Saxophonist Bob Mintzer (USA), Bob Downe, Marina Prior, Jess McAvoy, Vdelli, Night Train, Grayson, D'Opus and Roshambo, Fourth Floor Collapse, Idea of North, Rhonda Burchmore, Jon English, Simon Crawford, and Queenie Van Der Zant, Emma Jane Murphy (Principal Cellist Australian Chamber Orchestra), Violinist Paul Wright (Australian National Academy of Music), World Renowned Recorder Player Genevieve Lacey, Harpsichordist Neals Pearls De Costa (Sydney Conversatiorum) Synergy Percussion, Jazz Pianist Bill Rigsby (Sydney), world famous Didgeridoo Player William Barton, Jazz Guitarist Carl Dewhurst, Composer Peter Sculthorpe, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Sinfonia, Arts Asia Pacific Production of Avenue Q, Oz Opera Production of My Fair Lady, Canberra Philharmonic Society's Productions of West Side Story, Les Miserables, Cabaret, and Cats.


My Favorite Bass Players are:

Jaco Pastorius
Pino Palladino
Ron Carter
Marcus Miller
Anthony Jackson
Paul Jackson
Stanley Clarke
Max McBride
Eric C Ajaye
Brian Bromberg


My Favorite Albums are:

“Heavy Weather” – Weather Report
“Thrust” – Herbie Hancock
“Shadows & Light” – Joni Mitchell
“Bedlam in Goliath” – The Mars Volta
“Voodoo” – D’Angelo
“Where The Light Is” – John Mayer
“Are You Experienced” – Jimi Hendrix
“Led Zeppelin I, II, III, IV” – Led Zeppelin
“Kind of Blue” – Miles Davis
“Battle of L.A” – Rage Against The Machine


Equipment:

I play a Music Man 5 String Ernie Ball Stingray Bass 1989 and a Fender Jazz 4 String American Standard
I use a Mesa Boogie M6 600watt Head with a 4 x 10 and 1 x 15 Ampeg Speakers.
My double bass is a German Rubner 4 String 1991
I have many effect pedals but with VDELLI I usually keep it simple (I do play bass after all!) and use an Aguilar Octave Pedal, and a TC Nova Delay Pedal as well as Boss Tuner.