- Likes: most things that are bad for you.
- Dislikes: Lists, giving up most things that are bad for you.
- Hobbies: Music, music, martial arts, video games, music
- Fav. Food: Tacos and Surf n Turf are in the Top Five.
- Fav. Movie: I’m a movie fiend so picking one is an exercise in futility
- Fav. TV show: Life, Peaky Blinders, The Office ( all versions)
- Fav. Position: Branch Manager doesn’t suck, wait , what do you mean by Fav. Position…. ?
- Fav. Drink: Crown n Coke, Kilkenny, any pint at any pub
- Who’s most Bootylicious? Sarah Shahi ( see Life) and Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (Look it up)
- Musical Influences: Past – Led Zep, Rush, Sabbath, Iron Maiden. Present – Gojira, Devin Townsend, Opeth, Katatonia. Future – ???
- Music I’m ashamed to own: The Adventures of Stevie V (on CD) The Miami Bass Machine ( on Cassette)
- Drives: 2014 X1 and I’m in love with my car
- Name of Invisible Friend: you mean alter ego? Dirk Hammerstone
- Nicknames: see alter ego, Hurricane, Shiny , Big Shiny
- Celebrity I once met: Dr. Ruth and Todd Kearns
- Celebrity I’d like to meet: Devin Townsend
- Someplace you might find me: out walking a Whoodle
- Occupation: Branch Manager of a Logistics company
Brad Wilson (SHINY) Guitar-vocals
I’ve always loved rock music. From a very young age, I grew up listening to Rock n’ Roll. And I always knew it would play a big part in my life. The who, what, when, where, and why did not become clear until much later.
I began with piano lessons when I was 7, really liking Elton John at the time (I was a kid give, me a break!). But I always looked up to my father, a guitar player who played around Vancouver in the early 60’s, and always enjoyed his playing and singing, and noticed how it could draw a crowd. I also realized that I preferred more of an edge to the music I listened to. I would later find out people called it “hard rock” or “heavy metal”. Knowing the piano was not going to cut it as my musical voice, and after some 8 years of lessons, I made a none too subtle leap over to the guitar. Learning a chord here, and picking up a lick there, basically self taught.
Being a late bloomer , I didn’t really start taking my “mid” talent out to the masses until the early 2000’s with bands such as The Munkey Wrench, The VooDoo Chill, The Mr. Furley Experience, and Gypsy Theory, playing a mix of covers and Originals. It was not until I sat down for an interview with a bunch of whack-a-dos in a little band called Skookum , that the teeth truly started to get cut. After a hiatus for a few years, putting out my own stuff with Fraud and Ionic (links below, please and thanks) , I found my way back to my musical family in Van Man and Storm and the Mighty Skookum! What’s next, you ask? Stick around and find out!
