MATT. A DAD’S EYE VIEW 23RD MARCH, 2010. LIVING WITH MATTY HAS NEVER BEEN EASY. TO ALL OUTWARD SIGNS, HE WAS A NORMAL, HEALTHY LAD WITH A GOOFY SMILE [FROM ALEX TEO!] AND A PRESENCE WHICH IMPOSED EFFORTLESSLY ON HIS SURROUNDINGS. WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE TODDLER, MANDY KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM. HAD HE BEEN OUR FIRST-BORN, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NOTICED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NORM. ON INVESTIGATING THIS OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 18 MONTHS, MATT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING ASPERGER’S SYNDROME – PART OF THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM, BUT AT THE END WHERE THERE ARE MANY HIGH ACHIEVERS. LIFE WAS NEVER EASY FOR MATT BECAUSE THE PART OF HIS BRAIN THAT DIDN’T FUNCTION WAS THE AREA WHICH GOVERNED RELATIONSHIPS OF TIME, PLACE AND SOCIAL SKILLS. THE REST OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED THE ABILITY TO RATIONALISE THE TIMING AND PLACE OF EVENTS IN OUR LIVES, THE ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, GREET STRANGERS. FOR MATTY, THESE HAD TO BE LEARNED, BY ROTE, AND MOST OF THEM HE LEARNED FROM MANDY. MANY TIMES WHEN HE WAS LITTLE, I WOULD LOOK AT HIM AND CRY INWARDLY TO MYSELF, WONDERING HOW MUCH OF A NORMAL LIFE HE WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE. FACED WITH A SITUATION OR QUESTION NEW TO HIM, MATTY WOULD THROW AN ANSWER AT YOU AND BE WATCHING YOUR FACE KEENLY FOR A REACTION. THIS WAS HOW HE WOULD LEARN THE APPROPRIATE REACTION TO EACH SITUATION, AND STORE IT AWAY IN HIS BRAIN’S CPU FOR THE TIME WHEN SOMETHING THE SAME OR SIMILAR OCCURRED. I SPENT YEARS IN NEEDLESS WORRY! SINCE HIS DEPARTURE FROM OUR PHYSICAL SENSES, I HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED, AND OVERWHELMED, WITH TRIBUTES TO MATTY THE PERSON, AND NOT JUST HIS VIRTUOSITY WITH HIS GUITAR. TO ALL AT LARGE, HE WAS A WARM, FRIENDLY LAD WITH TIME FOR ANYONE, POLITE AND MUCH LOVED BY ALL HE TOUCHED ALONG THE WAY. THIS IS NOT THE MATTY I KNEW, BUT I AM IMMENSELY PROUD OF, AND HUMBLED BY THE LOVE WHICH HE GAVE AND RECEIVED FROM SO MANY ALONG LIFE’S ALL TOO SHORT HIGHWAY. TWO YEARS AGO COME JULY, MY FRIEND PETER BOYCE BECAME DANGEROUSLY ILL AND NEEDED A LIVER TRANSPLANT. HE IS ONE OF THE GUITARISTS IN SAHARA, THE BAND WITH WHOM I HAVE PLAYED FOR 25 YEARS THIS YEAR. PETER WAS IN RECOVERY FOR A YEAR AFTER HIS OPERATION IN THAT AUGUST, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL. THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT KEEP RUNNING UNTIL HE CAME BACK, THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION WAS TO INVOLVE MY TWO BOYS. MATTY STEPPED UP FIRST AND PLAYED GUITAR OR BASS AS HE WAS COMFORTABLE DOING WITH EACH SONG, AND I PLAYED BASS OR GUITAR. HE HAD TO LEARN 40 TO 50 SONGS IN A FORTNIGHT FROM THE 50’S THROUGH TO THE 80’S. HE PLAYED FOR US FOR 3 MONTHS UNTIL HE STARTED HIS HIGHER DIPLOMA GUITAR COURSE AT THE ACM IN GUILDFORD. KIP TOOK OVER AND PLAYED BASS FOR THE REMAINING NINE MONTHS UNTIL PETER WAS BACK IN HARNESS, SO TO SPEAK. MATT COULD TURN HIS HAND TO ANYTHING, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW. I WAS SO PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY ALONGSIDE BOTH OF MY BOYS DURING THIS PERIOD. MATTY’S ABILITY WAS A CONSTANT REVELATION. THE ONE THING THAT WILL STAND OUT IN MY MEMORIES OF HIM WILL BE DIRE STRAITS’ “THE SULTAN’S OF SWING”. MATTY COULD PLAY MARK KNOPPFLER’S SOLOS IN THIS SONG NOTE FOR NOTE WHEN HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD. HOWEVER, TRUE TO HIS OWN GENRE, HE JUST COULD NOT RESIST ADDING A BIT OF ‘DIRT’ TO THE GUITAR, NO MATTER HOW OFTEN I SAID TO HIM THAT IT SHOULD BE ‘CLEAN’. BUT THAT WAS MATTY! I HAVE BEEN IMMENSELY PROUD TO PLAY WITH BOTH MATTY AND KIP WITH ME ON STAGE. I WATCHED IN AWE AS MATT TOOK OFF IN SOLOS, OFTEN HAVING TO REMEMBER I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYING BASS AND NOT JUST WATCHING HIM. WHEN MATT WAS 13 YEARS OLD AND HAD BEEN PLAYING GUITAR FOR ALL OF SIX MONTHS, HE CONTACTED THE ACM TO ASK WHAT HE NEEDED TO QUALIFY FOR A PLACE TO STUDY MODERN GUITAR THERE. GRADE 5 THEORY, GRADE 8 PRACTICAL ON HIS GUITAR CAME THE REPLY. THIS BRINGS ME TO THE FIRST OF TWO VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MATTY’S LIFE. ANN LOBO HAS TAUGHT PIANO AND MUSIC THEORY TO GENERATIONS OF KIDS, INCLUDING STEFANIE AND KIP. STEF ACHIEVED GRADE 6 AND KIP GRADE 4 BEFORE THEY MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS. MATT WENT TO ANN FOR MUSIC THEORY LESSONS ONLY, EXPLAINING THAT HE DID NOT PLAY, OR HAVE ANY REAL INTEREST IN, THE PIANO. HE STUDIED HARD WITH ANN (EVERYBODY DOES WITH HER, OR ELSE!) AND SHE HAS OFTEN RECOUNTED THE TALE OF THIS BOY WHO ONLY CAME FOR THEORY LESSONS. SHE PUT HIM IN STRAIGHT AT GRADE 3 THEORY, AND MATTY PASSED THIS GRADE IN 11 MONTHS. SHE THEN TOOK HIM TO GRADE 5 THEORY, AND HE PASSED THIS GRADE IN 9 MONTHS. IN ALL HE WENT FROM SCRATCH TO ACHIEVING HIS GRADE 5 IN 20 MONTHS. HE ALWAYS HELD ANN IN AWE. TO HIM, AND TO STEF AND KIP, SHE WAS, IS AND WILL BE THE BEST TEACHER THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN. SHE IS A VERY SPECIAL LADY FOR ALL OF US. AS MATTY BECAME MORE AND MORE ADEPT IN HIS PLAYING, AND ‘DRIVE BY MASSACRE’ (A LOVELY NAME FOR A BAND!) GAVE WAY TO TERAKAI, HE BECAME MORE AND MORE OBSESSED WITH THE WAY HIS GUITARS WERE SET UP AND SOUNDED. UPTO THIS POINT HE ALWAYS NEEDED [MATT NEVER ASKED ME FOR ANYTHING – IT WAS ALWAYS “I NEED ….] ME TO RESTRING HIS GUITAR [HIS B C RICH WARLOCK IS ABOUT THE MOST DIFFICULT BEAST TO RE-STRING, OR INDEED REPLACE A BROKEN ONE]. SO I BROUGHT HIM TO SEE MY FRIEND MICK JOHNSON. MICK IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL MAN. APART FROM BEING KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY AS A LUTHIER [THAT’S A GUITAR MAKER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD THIS WORD BEFORE] THERE IS NOTHING THAT MICK DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT MAKING OR REPAIRING OR REBUILDING GUITARS AND AMPLIFIERS. IF THERE IS SOMETHING HE DOESN’T KNOW, THEN BELIEVE ME, IT ISN’T WORTH KNOWING! WE BECAME REGULAR VISITORS TO MICK’S HOUSE IN SHINFIELD, ESPECIALLY AFTER MATTY ACQUIRED HIS COVETED L T D, E S P M11OO GUITAR! MICK HAS KEPT THE GUITARS AND AMPLIFIERS GOING OF MANY OF THE 60’S AND 70’S GUITARISTS. HIS GREAT FRIEND IS BRUCE WELCH OF THE SHADOWS, FOR WHOM HE TENDS HIS GUITARS AND AMPLIFIERS. MATT NEVER ASKED ME TO RE-STRING A GUITAR AGAIN AFTER MEETING MICK. MATT WAS ALWAYS UNHAPPY ABOUT SOMETHING WITH THE SET UP OF HIS GUITAR. AND RIGHT UP TO NOW, MICK WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD SORT HIM OUT. WE WERE THERE SO OFTEN, I ASKED MICK IF WE COULD PUT A CARAVAN IN HIS GARDEN TO SAVE HAVING TO DRIVE THERE AND BACK ALL THE TIME. MATTY LOVED AND RESPECTED MICK, AND HELD HIM IN SUCH AWE, HE WOULD NEVER RING HIM UP AND TALK TO HIM ON THE PHONE. AGAIN, IT WAS A CASE OF “I NEED TO SEE MICK ……”. I’D SAY OK, GIVE HIM A RING AND I’LL TAKE YOU UP THERE. MATT NEVER WOULD, HE’D ALWAYS EXPECT ME TO DO IT FOR HIM. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I SAID TO MICK BEFORE MATTY PASSED AWAY WAS “LOOK ON MATTY AS ANOTHER BRUCE – BUT WITHOUT THE MONEY”. MATTY WAS CONSTANTLY INTRIGUED BY OTHER INSTRUMENTS, AND DABBLED IN THE UKELELE, MANDOLIN, KEYBOARD AND LATELY THE OCARINA. MATTY ASKED MANDY TO GET HIM ONE FOR CHRISTMAS. IT COULD NOT BE ANY OLD OCARINA, OR CHEAP FOR HIM TO LEARN ON. AS WITH EVERYTHING MATTY TOUCHED IT HAD TO BE THE BEST THAT MONEY COULD BUY! – MY MONEY, OR MANDY’S OF COURSE! THE OCARINA DULY ARRIVED FROM AMERICA AND MATT SET ABOUT LEARNING TO PLAY IT. KIP SAID THE SOUND WAS AKIN TO SOMEONE “MURDERING A KLANGER!” MATT WOULD BE IN HIS ROOM AT ONE END OF THE LANDING, PUFFING AWAY, KIP AT THE OTHER END LOADED UP YOUTUBE AND HAD THE THEME FROM THE KLANGERS BLASTING BACK AT MATTY. “ALL RIGHT, VERY FUNNY” MATT WOULD BAWL BACK. SO I’M GOING TO MISS BEING THE FREE TAXI SERVICE, THE BANKER, THE GUITAR LEAD REPAIRER, ETCETERA. NOT ENTIRELY OF COURSE, ‘COZ THERE’S KIP! I’M NOT GOING TO MISS ‘LOSING’ MY SOCKS, MY SHOES, OPENING MY GIG CASE AT A CLUB AND FINDING MY HEAD MIC LEAD IS MISSING, GETTING MY ACOUSTIC GUITAR OUT AND THERE’S NOT A PICK IN SIGHT ANYWHERE IN THE CASE [THERE’S USUALLY FOUR!], FINDING MY NEW SET OF MATCHED 12 STRINGS IS NOW ONLY 11 … THE LIST GOES ON. IF MATTY COULD BE WITH US STILL, HE COULD HAVE THE LOT, IT WOULD BE WORTH IT. THAT WE ARE ALL GOING TO MISS HIS PRESENCE GOES WITHOUT SAYING. EACH OF US WHO WERE PRIVILEGED TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. THE OUTPOURINGS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE SHOWN HOW MUCH PEOPLE REGARDED HIM FOR HIS MUSIC. HIS DEATH HAS EVEN AFFECTED THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE AND WALL STREET. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INEXPLICABLE MASSIVE DROP IN THE SALES OF PEPPERONI PIZZAS! ITALY ARE REPORTING THAT THE EUROPEAN BUTTER MOUNTAIN IS BEING REPLACED BY A MOUNTAIN OF PASTA BOWS AS THERE HAS BEEN A SIMILAR DROP IN SALES. SHARE PRICES IN BATCHELORS AND DR OERTKER HAVE FALLEN. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION OFFERED FOR THIS SUDDEN DIVE IN THE SALES, BUT WE KNOW WHY, DON’T WE?? IF MATTY HAD A MEAN STREAK IN HIM, IT WAS HIS INABILITY TO SHARE A PEPPERONI PIZZA! HIS APPETITE WAS LEGEND. EVEN A 28” PIZZA FROM COSTCO, WHICH MANDY HAD TO CUT IN THREE TO BE ABLE TO COOK, WAS NO PROBLEM. IT MAY HAVE TAKEN MATT A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT IT WAS GUARDED MORE TIGHTLY THAN THE CROWN JEWELS UNTIL IT HAD BEEN EATEN! SO IF ANYONE WAS COMING ROUND AND PIZZA WAS ON THE MENU, TWO WOULD HAVE TO BE COOKED, ONE FOR MATTY, ONE FOR SHARING WITH THE REST! I STOPPED BEING ‘DAD’ TO MATTY, AND TO KIP, SOME TIME AGO. MY NICKNAME WAS ALWAYS ‘DODDIE’, SO THAT WAS WHO I BECAME FOR THE BOYS TOO. KIP HAS HIS ONLINE I D AS ‘DODDSY’ TO DIFFERENTIATE HIMSELF FROM THE OLD MAN. I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THE YOUNG MAN THAT MATTY BECAME. MANDY DESERVES THAT MOST AS HE CONFIDED IN HER ABOUT EVERYTHING AND SHE WAS HIS GUIDE IN LIFE. I CAN TAKE SOME CREDIT FOR HIS TALENT BECAUSE I MADE IT MY BUSINESS TO ENSURE HE GOT THE BEST TUITION THAT WE COULD AFFORD, ALONG WITH STEF AND KIP, SO THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE SLOW PROGRESS I DID AT HIS AGE. IN FOUR YEARS, MATTY PUT IN MORE PRACTICE HOURS THAN I WAS ABLE TO DO IN FORTY. THAT’S WHY HE WAS SO BRILLIANT. NOW, AFTER THE BURIAL ON FRIDAY, WHENEVER I SEE A RAINBOW IN THE SKY I’LL KNOW IT IS MATT UP THERE, ADJUSTING GOD’S LIGHTING RIG TO GET IT JUST RIGHT. THE THUNDER WILL BE HIM CRANKING UP HIS BELOVED PEAVEY 5150 MK II AMP UP THERE. THE LIGHTNING WILL BE MATT LICKING HIS FINGERS AND TESTING THE POWER SOCKET TO SEE IF IT IS LIVE. GOD BLESS YOU, MATTY, I WILL NEVER, EVER REPLACE THIS HOLE IN MY SOUL THAT YOUR PASSING HAS CAUSED. I CRIED FOR YOU IN LIFE, I CRY FOR YOU IN DEATH. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY SON, MY GENIUS, MY MATT. LOVE FOREVER, DODDIE.