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The first time i saw janick perform was in a band called white spirit. The word soon got round that there was a band from the north east touring yorkshire. The word was find them and just watch and listen, the first time i ever saw them was in the empire working mens club in south elmsall, nr pontefract west yorkshire. It was a sunday afternoon 1979/1980, i remember seeing their large windsreened transit van with a large W on the door parked outside the club. My expectations where extremely high because the word was that this band is on a par with a another of my favourite bands, a trio called limelight from mansfield i think. Anyway we entered the empire club it was packed solid, we all noticed the black fender strat and the array of marshall hardware scattered around the stage, very impressive but can they play? The good thing about the empire club in those days was the artistes played noon and night, was i in for a all my bithdays rolled into one. They opened the first set with shine on you crazy diamond, the only thing missing was syd barrett, ;the song is about him;. I was totaly gobsmacked and looking around the concert room so was everyone else. They played some of their own material, which in time to come became our favorites, Anyway back to the grind. I spoke to janick after their first spot and low and behold he,s a perfect gentleman, no arrogance, no frills just a guitarist, a brilliant guitarist. I followed them all over south and west yorkshire for about six months, there was a mention of white spirit in the sounds music paper. The article showed a little photo of janick and a caption underneath read uriah heap clones, i had never heard anything from heap at the time, but i thought they must be good also. Mick box would have been proud. After about six months white spirit disapeared from the scene, we where in total shock, had we upset them?. Limelight another favourite of the vast majority also vanished, the saying all good things come to an end comes to mind. So as not to be beat i went hunting for recordings of white spirit, i dropped on a record shop twenty miles away in sheffield. I bought the pink cover single back to the grind, the album white spirit and low and behold limelights album and single. Many years past, plenty of festivals/concerts under my belt, then i hear janick gers is touring with gillan. We saw janick on stage at sheffield city hall with gillan and john Mcoy, and he seemed at ease playing along side a singing legend, ritchie blackmore without the tantrums. Then some years later hes in supergroup iron maiden with ex sampson singer bruce dickinson, I think he got there with his skill as a guitarist and also his great personality. I would like to know what happened to malcolm pearson, bruce ruff etc from white spirit.
Thank you from Ian Horne,
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
England
