Dave Wagstaffe.  Drums

Started playing drums while still at school, but first gigging bands were local outfits ‘The Clouds’ and ‘Second Sight’ before moving to London in ’71.
 Dave’s first pro band was heavy rock band ‘Argus’ (1972), whose debut album was released years later on the Audio Archives label, titled, oddly enough, ‘Argus! The band toured with many bands including Thin Lizzie, Brinsley Schwarz, Pink Faries, Lindisfarne
 The Equals and others.
 
The next band was a change of direction, Jazz-Rock band ‘Anaconda’, doing the rounds of the Jazz venues including ‘Ronnie Scott’s’. The general direction of the band was inspired by fusion band ‘Return To Forever’.
After a period living in East Anglia, working with several Norwich based bands including ‘ Supergrass’ with former Samson vocalist Mark Newman, Dave returned to London and joined H/M band ‘Gaskin’ in 1984 who were one of the ‘New Wave Of British Heavy Metal'’ bands.
 
When Gaskin fell apart, Dave joined Progressive Rock outfit ‘Quasar’ in 1985. Throughout his five and a half year stint with the band, Quasar toured constantly, recording the band’s second album ‘The Loreli’ as well as the previously unreleased album ‘Forgotten Dreams’
 
Next came ‘Landmarq’, who Dave still works with twenty years later, recording with them the albums ‘Solitary Witness’, ‘Infinity Parade’ and ‘The Vision Pit’, on the Dutch S.I. label, ‘Science of Coincidence’ and ‘Thunderstruck’ on the Synergy label, and ‘Aftershock’ on the Cyclops label, who also re-released the back catalogue. 2006 saw the release of the DVD ‘Turbulence’ (Metal Mind) and a new studio album to be released early 2010. In 1995, in between Landmarq commitments, Dave drummed with John Wetton on a short European tour,  playing material from King Crimson, UK, Asia, and John’s solo album ‘Battle Lines’
 
In 1999 Dave started working with Oliver Wakeman, son of Rick, playing on  the ‘The 3 Ages of Magick’ album, with Yes guitarist Steve Howe (Resurgence label) This was followed by ‘The View from Here’ (Watermark) and the most recent offering, ‘ Mother’s Ruin’ on the US ‘Prog Rock’ label, at the launch of which, the band were joined on staged by Rick, and the DVD ‘Coming To Town’ recorded live in Poland and also on the Metal Mind label. A new album is planned when Oliver finds time between his busy schedule with ‘Yes’ and ‘The Strawbs’
 
In 2001 Dave was involved with several projects of former Uriah Heep keyboard player Ken Hensley, recording on the ‘Running Blind’ album, and a DVD for ‘Classic Rock Legends’ only  part of which has so far been released, on the ‘More Than Conquerors’ DVD with Ken and John Wetton. In addition, there was an appearance at The Swedish Rock Festival along with Andy Pyle on bass and Dave Kilminster on guitar.
 
2005 saw Dave and former Landmarq keyboardist Gonzalo Carrera working with Davy O’List of The Nice, featuring on a recently released Live album. Other albums Dave has played on include one of his personal favourites- ‘Zemzeme’ with Iranian artist Cyrus Khajavi, with who he has worked on and off for more than ten years. Also, the Tracy Hitchings solo album ‘From Ignorance To Ecstasy’, ‘Vox Nouveaux’ with Canadian artist Ron Ganderton, and many other one off sessions.

Dave joined Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash at the end of ’08 and has toured constantly with them since then, having just completed a 30 date non stop tour of UK along  with ‘The Acoustic Strawbs’ and ‘Focus’, and a 21 date tour of Germany Austria and Switzerland, with a busy 2010 schedule ahead.Other musicians Dave has toured/played with over the years include former Yes men Peter Banks and keyboardist Patrick Moraz, guitarists John Mizzaroli, Dave Kilminster, Peter Haycock, Brian Willoughby of ‘The Strawbs’  Colosseum’s James Litherland, Jamie West Oram and Dave Bunce ( the latter three in different line-ups of ‘The Shakers’ with the late Tom Lundy) keyboardist Clive Nolan, Jazz singer Sue McCreeth, ‘The Downtime Big Band’ and others.