BOB
SHARP
The Journey
The Musical journey started for me listening to such great bands as the Beatles,Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones to mention but a few. It was the introduction to the folk clubs and available live music in the days of the folk revival in the Mid 60s and early 70s that really took my interest to become a player. I began to be a regular at the Compasses folk club at Little Mt Zion in Tunbridge Wells and the Black Horse at Telham in Sussex. It was in these Clubs I got to hear some of the music that was to influence my own playing.
Bob Sharp
In the early days I began to listen to such groups as Fairport Convention,Steeleye Span,Pentangle and Lindsfarne all of which gave me an exciting interpretaion of traditional English music and who I travelled far and wide to see in live concerts.My local folk clubs started to book artists that included Martyn Carthy ,The Dransfields,John Renbourne,Martyn Simson and Bert Janch the latter was to be one of my greatest guitar influnces along with Ralph McTell.
In 1974 the travel bug took over and that led me to a new life in Australia and early settlement in the Northern Territory a wonderful beginning and a great introduction to the Folk Music World of the Southern Hemisphere and opportunities to be part of that heritage. My early Musical influences and a chance meeting with Ken Ferguson from a similar background gave birth to the Alice Springs based duo Facial Expressions that played an important part of Australian Folk Music throughout the 80,s leading to national and International tours and many recordings many included the valuable Colin James who later became part of the group.