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Characterised in the band's mural iconography as an eighteenth century dandy, Long Don's stage presence oozes sexual tension. As his mission statement suggests, he is all Tongue and Groove (and he ain't never been in B&Q, know what I mean?). His flirtations with the occult, and the subsequent periodic possession of his body by the spirit of Jim Morrison have led to his projection as the Lizard King of Birkenhead. When the music's over, he'll turn out the lights.
In performance he is by turn Reptile (Lizard skin, Snake hips), Romantic Poet,
Urban Cowboy and Trick Cyclist. That same element of surprise and danger that
has characterised the great rock'n'roll vocalists like Morrison, Presley and
Jagger is ever-present when he takes the microphone. His voice is versatile
and eloquent; his harp playing earthy and animal. Ladies, beware!
Apart from Jim Morrison, the Lizard King has influences as varied as Bossa
Nova (the Gilbertos), Divine Comedy, Crowded House and Dion (the Wanderer).
His other passion is Tranmere Rovers FC, for whom he would lay down his life.
Long Don relaxes with a spot of DIY, and has completely refurbished his house
several times from top to bottom in the styles of different historical periods.
His tour de force was the rambling conservatory he built single-handedly one
day when his wife Janet was out at work. 'When you're not gigging things can
get a bit mundane,' muses Long Don, 'So rather than getting out of my head
on drugs I thought I'd give the Mrs a nice surprise when she came home.'
New fans of the Baudelaires may not know that Long Don's on-stage antics inspired
the song Fax from Johnny Otis. At the seminal Pineapple gig he forgot the
words to Willie and the Hand Jive and pretended that he'd just received a
fax from the great r'n'b maestro with 'new words.' And so a song was born.
Long Don's favourite breakfast: exotic flies
~ Baudelaire Bo Diddley Beau Brummel ~