MY PROG HERO
He’s a big metal fan, but the Nazareth and Twilight Road singer is still in awe of his highly accomplished muso bandmate, Don Airey.
Inspiring the wider music world…
“I first met Don through a friend many years ago, back when I was in [Welsh heavy metal band] Persian Risk. It was around the time he’d just joined Rainbow, and it was the first time I’d met someone quite famous. He was just so down-to-earth – a normal guy, a wonderful guy.
Then years later when I was in Krokus we were doing a festival in Switzerland, Don was playing too and he took my number, and in 2006 we did our first gig together, in Austria. From there I started recording with him, on his [2008] solo album, A Light In The Sky. I’m four albums in with him now and we’ve got another one on the go too.
I’d say that A Light In The Sky is quite a progressive album, it’s very clever. When we did those songs live, it was so different to what I do normally. With Nazareth, I work the audience and run around, and I can’t really do that with Don, because his is such a musical band. If I’m running around like an idiot it just doesn’t work!
The first time I heard Don play properly and up-close was actually at a pub across the road from his house. It was a warm-up show we did for his family and friends. I was sat a foot away from him and couldn’t believe what I was hea
