Les strikes the right chord
THIS week reporter Alistair Mackay talks to singer, musician and music shop owner Les More. The 52-year-old from Springburn forged out a highly successful career in the paper industry before opening up branches of Kelvin Delta Music in the Kirky Arcade, in Kirkintilloch, and Cumbernauld. Les has been in various bands since the 1980s. Most recently he has been a member of Itchycoo Park who have performed tributes to sixties music in the UK and USA.
How did you get involved in music?
After school I worked in a bank but only lasted 18 months. So, in the eighties, I joined some professional bands and it went from there.
How did those bands lead you to Kirkintilloch?
I always seemed to be starting bands and putting them together. By doing that I got in contact with musicians from the town who I've gone on to play in bands with.
There was always quite a good club scene in Kirkintilloch and from that a lot of bands were generated.
Is there still a strong music scene in the area?
I think it is getting more and more difficult for youngsters to break through, that is why we try to do everything we can to support local musicians.
We organise live music for the G66 festival, work with the council on the annual battle of the bands competition, run acoustic nights in local venues and give guitar and bass lessons.
Why did you decide to set up a music shop?
I was working for a paper company and was relocated to London for a while. I was paid silly money, had a company car and a flat, but couldn't stand living down there. I was later offered the chance to move there for good to avoid redundancy, but I took the money and ran. As I've always been interested in music I decided I should do something I enjoy. So I moved into one unit in the Kirky Arcade six years ago and we now have three.
Is it difficult being a small business owner nowadays?
The biggest frustration for business owners in towns is the amount of people who go to Glasgow to buy something they could get five minutes from their doorstep.
I fully endorse the 'Business for Kirkintilloch' campaign and we have the 'Save Time and Money: Shop in Kirkintilloch' sticker which readers might have seen in shops in the town.
There isn't anything you can get in a music shop in Glasgow which we can't get. People have to use their local shops or lose them.
Tell us about Itchycoo Park.
We try to faithfully recreate sixties music by bands like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who.
I play guitar and keyboard, we are all vocalists and we use authentic sixties equipment.
Recently, we performed The Beatles classic album Revolver at the Cumbernauld Theatre.
The Beatles themselves said it was impossible to recreate that album live, but with modern technology we pulled it off.
Are there any gigs with Itchycoo Park which really stick out for you?
We do a big festival in Kentucky every year called Abbey Road on the River which is fantastic. There are 50 bands on seven stages over five days and it is the biggest Beatles festival in the world.
Getting to know you
First car: Mark 2 Escort
First record: Blue Eyes by Don Partridge
Favourite holiday destination: Zakynthos
Favourite TV programme: The Bill
Book currently reading: 'Days in the Life: John Lennon Remembered' by Philip Norman
Famous person most like to meet: BB King
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Weather for Kirkintilloch
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
