While rehearsing with Shed, I bumped into Neil Brown, the other guitarist from my 'Urgent' days and we decided to mold part of his band 'Kruger' with my other band 'Abuse'. We brought Cal on-board and 'Big Trouble' was born.
Big Trouble '91
I spent the next seven years with this band, a classic rock band drawing on influences from AC/DC, Led Zep, to Radiohead. We recorded enough material for three albums and gigged constantly.
During this time, I wrote and recorded several instrumental tracks with Jim and drummer Calvert Carvill called 'Solo Project'. Another excuse to show off and play exactly what we wanted and to get it out of our system!
Big trouble supported bands such as 'Romeos Daughter', 'Samson' 'Diamond Head'. At the Marquee, we supported 'Gang Show' featuring members of 'Thunder','Dogs D'amour' and 'Motorhead'.
We won 'best rock band' in 'Brum Beat' magazine and got to record one of our songs in UB40's studio 'Dep International' as the prize.
After losing Cal on drums in '95, Big Trouble spent months looking for a suitable replacement. What an odd time that was. Nobody we tried seemed to be able to get what we where trying to do. The only guy who came even close was a D.J who doubled as a percussionist and brought his whole drum set with him in his back pocket! Two drum sticks and a tiny cymbal! It looked more like an oversized drawing pin...but he was good! He just didn’t own a kit! Finally Big Trouble found Michael Tong and all was right with the world again. We did change musical direction by this point though, so a name change seemed in order. After Jim spotted a poster for ‘Baldwins Nervous Pills’ at our manager Fred’s venue in Kent, we had found our new name.
We got turned down by 'Fergal Sharkey's' record label, got through nine vans, arrived at venues in London that didn't exist anymore, did a 'U' turn on Putney bridge during rush hour, got overtaken by a milk float, ran out of diesel twice in ten miles, managed to be 26 hours late for a gig and played a venue called 'The Cellar Bar' in a place called 'Graves End' on Friday the 13th.
After what Big Trouble went through I now realize how appropriate the name 'Nervous Pills' is!
Big Trouble promo
GALLERY
Roadhouse, Covent Garden 20th October 1992
Hibernian 7th Sept '92 
Rock Tavern Brierly Hill 
Witley Court photoshoot '92
Ice House Rehearsal Studio '91
