Mike Debbage
Staff Writer

Comments: I was raised in the blue collar northeast of England, home of shipbuilding, coal mining and Newcastle Brown Ale. The working class tradition that arises from the roots of metal and rock and roll was a natural attraction.

I departed the Mother Country at the tender testosterone age of 11 years old and migrated to Funky Nassau in the Bahamas, where I spent my adolescent years. In 1983, I finally landed Stateside, which included stays in Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

All these cultural centers only helped diversify my musical tastes, yet the drive of rock and roll, even at the age of 43, is a still a thrill.

Musically, the glitter bands Slade and T. Rex were my earliest exposures and that I continue to enjoy today. However, the televised California Jam was an eye-opening experience that introduced me to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Before I knew it, I was exploring the likes of Uriah Heep, Angel, UFO. It only seemed like a blink of an eye when the decadent “poodle” bands crept up on me.

I have been reviewing for about five years with About.com. I then connected up with the Swedish website The Northern Light that was run by Lennart Hedenstrom, who also ran the official Glenn Hughes website. Since I’m a huge Glenn Hughes fan, Lennart and I had much to talk about.