Diz Disley

When I lived in Corby, I remember Diz Disley was booked to play at the Nag's Head in the old village, having played there myself on a few occasions, I asked him if I could sit in.  Diz , at the time was doing his solo folk club thing but called me on during the second set.  It must have gone ok as he invited me to his next gig in Market Harboro', I turned up feeling quite nervous, however I felt a lot worse after the interval when he announced me as "boy wonder" !  After the first number I got up to go and he told me in no uncertain terms to "sit down" so I ended up doing all the second set with him,  he then invited me to do a concert with him on the following Saturday in Leicester.  At the time I was a member of quite a successful local band called "The Midnighters" run by two brothers, Pat and John Casey, and I had a gig with them on the same night so I had to decline his offer, Diz was not the type to accept such a futile excuse so I remember him saying to me "this is not a pub gig dear boy, it's a Concert in a Theatre, it's your big chance" !  Sadly it was a chance I missed, as much as I wanted to do it I felt I had to honour the first gig with the boys.  When he was in the area Diz called on me a few times after that, he had a big influence on my playing and certainly kept you on your toes,   - playing with Diz was a great experience.