I am often asked how I hooked up with VR and how Geoff and I met. This is how it all began.......

In 1982/83 I was the bass player in Laaz Rockit and we were playing all the local clubs in the bay-area trying to get a start and a local following. Geoff was doing the same thing with an early version of VR. I happened to be at the Old Waldorf in S.F. for one of the Legendary "Metal Monday" shows.There was a band on the bill called Vicious Rumors. I had never seen them before, but decided to check them out.

As the lights dimmed and VR was about to take the stage, I noticed some strange stuff going on. The whole stage was bathed in thick fog and through the crowd was a procession of hooded monks carrying a coffin! They slowly made their way to the stage and proceeded to stand the coffin on end in front of the drum riser. Strange sounds were coming out of the guitar amps, and everybody looked around at each other in the crowd wondering what the hell was going to happen next! All of a sudden.....the coffin opens up and out comes Geoff Thorpe playing the opening riff to "Ultimate Death"! The whole band kicks in and I was totally blown away! I had never seen anything so intense in a nightclub!!

I thought that my band (Laaz Rockit) was pretty good, but after seeing VR I felt like selling my gear and looking for another profession!! I had to seriously re-think my strategy for success. I know it probably sounds pretty corny, but I felt that Geoff had a certain charisma and star quality about him-and that I new that we would work together someday....

A few weeks later, I ran into Geoff at the Old Waldorf and I introduced myself to him. I told him that VR was great and that if his bass player ever left that band I would quit Laaz Rockit in 2 seconds to join his band!! I recall telling him that I would only be interested in playing for one of 3 bands: Judas Priest, Scorpions, or Vicious Rumors! He got a real kick out of that! We exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to stay in touch.

About 1 1/2 years later, I was out of Laaz Rockit and fronting my own power trio ( Black Leather). We were looking for a 2nd guitar player,and I called Geoff to see if he would be interested in playing in my band ( what an ironic twist!) He said that he was struggling to keep VR going and was going to give it one more shot. Now that ironic twist came full circle again and he told me he was looking for a new bassist!! That was basically the end of my band, and I ended up auditioning for VR shortly there after and got the job! And the rest is history!
I guess its obvious that I was a VR fan and admirer of Geoff long before we teamed up for 9 crazy years in VICIOUS RUMORS!!!!!