D A V E W A G S T A F F E
Dave Wagstaffe was born in Washington, Sussex, but grew up in Yorkshire/Lincolnshire. Dave's first musical interests were awakened after being taken to see The Shadows when he was ten years old. A year later he started jamming on a home-made drum kit with a guitarist friend from school. On a mad impulse he joined the Army for a couple of years after leaving school, playing briefly in the regimental band, before being enticed out to join Skegness-based band The Clouds.
Other local bands followed before Dave moved to London in the early seventies. After a period auditioning for numerous bands, Dave and bass player Mick Pearl formed heavy rock band Argus, unashamedly stealing the name from Wishbone Ash's third album, which they were big fans of. Argus toured with many major bands including Thin Lizzy, Pink Fairies, Lindisfarne and Brinsley Schwartz. Recording from that time were released on CD many years later on the Audio Archive label. After Argus went their seperate ways, Dave joined jazz-rock band Anaconda.
Dave re-located to East Anglia for a number of years, working with various bands around the Norwich area, before returning to London, where he joined heavy metal band Gaskin. This was followed by a period recording and touring with progressive rock band Quasar. In 1990 Dave began working with Landmarq, of whom he has remained a member to this day, appearing on all their albums and DVD releases to date. In and around Landmarq Dave has worked with many other artists. In 1995 Dave was asked to put a band together for John Wetton for a European tour. Landmarq vocalist Tracy Hitchings' solo album From Ignorance to Ecstacy also featured Dave on drums and in 1998 Dave toured with Janison Edge, also appearing on their album The Services of Mary Goode.
In 2001 Dave worked with former Uriah Heep member Ken Hensley, contributing to his Running Blind album as well as appearing on a DVD release and appearing with him at the Sweden Rock Festival. These projects also featured former Wishbone Ash bassist Andy Pyle as well as guitarist Dave Kilminster (John Wetton/Roger Waters).
Dave has also worked with Oliver Wakeman for several years and appeared on his 3 Ages of Magick album, along with Steve Howe of Yes/Asia. Further albums followed - The View From Here; Mother's Ruin - as well as a live DVD, Coming To Town.
Other artists Dave has either gigged, recorded or jammed with over the years include world music artist Cyrus Khavagi (Zemzeme album), Davy O'List (of The Nice, Second Thoughts album), Peter Banks, Rick Wakeman, Danny Kirwan, Patrick Moraz, James Litherland, John 'Irish' Earle, Jamie West Oran, Dave Lennox, Peter Haycock, Colin Cooper, Brian Willoughby, John Young, Mick Box and the Illegal Eagles. Dave is also an in-demand drum teacher and regularly gives clinic and demos. During 2000-01 Dave was the drum teacher for Ivor Arbiter's Fender Rock School. Dave is also an endorsee of Zildjian cymbals.
As a huge Wishbone Ash fan since 1970, and with Steve Upton being a very big early influence, Dave was delighted to having have the opportunity to perform classic Wishbone material alongside the band's founding member Martin Turner.
Dave performed with Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash between January 2009 and November 2013 and is featured on the Life Begins and Garden Party releases.
