I'm a failed rock star and that's probably why I ended up writing about music.

I gave it a bit of a go. At 17 I quit my first band an hour before the gig because I was too scared to stand in front of 300 schoolkids and sing Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Understandable, ne? A few years later, the Trees never got beyond rehearsal, but at least there's a tape somewhere of some original songs. I gave up, like a true lightweight, when I realized my voice was crap.

So I've never had the "pleasure" of touring with a band. It's something I've always wanted to do. And in the eternal quest to understand what rock 'n' roll is all about you just have to "do" a tour.