Ian Watson

The first thing Ian can remember is drowning. Brown water going on forever and forever. He was about four, maybe five, he isn't sure, but that's what happens when you grow up on a boat. Eventually you fall off. The first time Ian was properly seasick, he filled up a couple of plastic buckets. He must have been around seven. He doesn't remember much, but thinks the bucket might have been red. Or orange. He can't be sure.

What he can be sure of is where they were going. Sandwich in Kent to Calais in France. Regular as clockwork, every weekend. Sailing and booze for the parents, being sick and catching the travelling bug for the kids. Not a bad deal really. Especially when you go on to spend your life getting drunk with rock stars in exotic locations. Yep, 1989-2000, Melody Maker. Marrakech, Hong Kong, Sarajevo, Vilnius, New York, Madrid, Reykjavik, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Oslo, Phoenix, Athens, blah blah, etc etc.

Life since the start of 2001 has been strange but exciting. Ian's driven across Iceland in a howling gale (well, sat in the passenger seat, changing the tape every so often, but you get the idea); danced with seven foot transvestites in Tel Aviv, wondering why this hadn't happened before; and climbed a volcano in Bali at 4am, wondering why this was happening now. He's also written about music, comedy and travel for The Times, The Sunday Times, London Evening Standard, Sunday Herald, Rolling Stone Australia, NME, Amazon.com, Dotmusic, BBC Online, Bol.com, and NME.com. He is, it has to be said, enjoying his retirement from full time rock'n'roll.

Contact him on ianwatson@maker.demon.co.uk - he doesn't have his own website, but if you're at a loose end and after something to kill a few minutes, then Ian has the occasional laugh at http://www.clubbeer.co.uk

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http://www.clubbeer.co.uk

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