The 2nd in my From the Vaults Series looks at a project I have been a part of for over 22 years.
Julia, Leon and Myself – My Pet Junkie
It’s amazing that a band formed at university when I was a teenager is still going as I enter my 40’s.
We even managed to play as recently at 2020 just before the lockdown.
Working with Julia Bell and Leon Camfield over the years has helped greatly with my journey. We have at least an album of unreleased material but given our own very conflicted schedules we are happy just to play and meet when the planets align.
Also for now our listeners will have to make do with live cuts from our years of shows together. This one dates back to 2007 (only 14 years – no big deal ;). This song has been very much a part of our set since 2005 and one of my proudest compositions.
The video has become randomly patchy over the years but I’m still super pleased to have it documented.
Filmed and edited by Mark Garvey and mixed by Chris Hollis
The grainy photo below is of Myself performing as a member of My Pet Junkie roundabout the turn of the Millennium. Behind me on the drums is long term collaborator Leon Camfield who to this day still performs with me when schedules allow; and stood next to me on the Bass is good friend and one time My Pet Junkie original member Richard Porter.
Onstage with Richard at the Trinity Bar, Harrow, London – Late 2000
Richard was an essential part of My Pet Junkie’s birth and he performed with the band for over 2 years before moving on. He Performed on both of MPJ’s EP’s before we signed with Riverrun records to make our first album.
Can You answer This 2000 Artwork by Kevin ChangThe Interstellar Conspiracy Theory 2001 Artwork by Al Maceachern
Following Richards departure from the group Julia Bell stepped in to take low end responsibilities and we have remained the same line up since 2001. However Richard has remained a constant pillar of support over the years surprising us by turning up at shows unannounced numerous times between his own many journeys to Dubai and the US among many places.
In 2016 I received a message from richard which read “I thought you might be interested in seeing a guitar my dad has just finished (this is number 5 or 6 I think) his plan for this one is to pass it onto a touring musician who uses it, but then passes it on to another musician and they use it and pass it on and so on and see how far the guitar can travel around the globe.” So Intrigued by this I contacted Richards Dad – John Porter.
He has taken the time to build guitars simply by teaching himself from the internet. He sources the wood from scrap and turns it into something again useful and quite frankly beautiful.
John had just finished building a beautiful new guitar and as it says above he wants it to travel. My brother (who incidentally was the man who got me into guitar) was able to meet him and pick the guitar up for me.
And then suddenly one day – there it was – in my possession…..
Now as much as I love guitars I have over time come to see them as basically a tool for a job. If they need to be slowly destroyed for the sake of making the right sounds then so be it. Not to say I generally mistreat them but I use them very percussively and that does increase the wear and tear no end.
However with this axe I felt it truly deserved total respect and every time I would play it I wanted to be delicate and gentle.
Within the guitars sound hole read a note from John:
“This Guitar is Free To The World”
And so it’s journey had begun. I was honoured to be one of the 1st to play it and so it was next to work out where it would next go.
As always these things seem to direct themselves and no longer had I had the guitar arrive I was contacted by on old friend.
Can you play at my wedding was the request of one of my dearest oldest friends P.
She was due to be married a couple of months later and wanted me to perform a totally acoustic version of the John Martyn classic ‘May You Never’ at her wedding.
I was honoured and scared to be asked and to be performing a piece I loved so much but was also petrified of attempting.
But as the performance was to be totally acoustic and the guitar was not an electro-acoustic. It seemed fated that my performance would be the live debut of this beautiful instrument.
And so it came to be that in the summer of 2016. I performed the John Martyn classic in front of the wedding attendees….
Using my new homemade 6 stringer.
However the story did not end there. P’s new wife Sarah was an accomplished musician herself. She performs under the name Little Sister Blue. Later in 2016 she was due to fly with P out to Japan in order to start a new life. It seemed somewhat fated that this purpose built travelling guitar should start clocking up some miles.
In the same day it had made not only its 1st public performance but also it’s 2nd – With it’s new owner.
Sarah and P would perform a wonderful duet later the same day and so the process of it’s travel from me to her was complete.
The guitar is now living out in Tokyo with Sarah and from there who knows next.
Yes that’s right folks. For anybody who has been following my musical activities as far back as 1998. This is a real rare chance to catch prog rock mother project in action.
My Pet Junkie (L to R) – Leon, Julia, Stuart.
Musikal Sin Presents:
My Pet Junkie – Long-time favourites of Herts’ gig goers, proggy alt-rockers MPJ grace Club 85 for a rare live performance. With frontman Stuart O’Connor touring the world solo, and drummer Leon Camfield involved in many other projects (including comedy duo Spandex Ballet), appearances have become a rarity – catch them while you can! https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Pet-Junkie/6828345908
My Pet Junkie /Billy Skins 5th /Alone With Wolves /Sunsets The Day , Fri 25th Oct, Club 85
Stuart O'Connor 