Richard Stains, Guitarist, in the United Kingdom

Welcome to the Music of Richard Staines

From his "Musical Biography:"

"I was born in Pontypool, South Wales in 1965, and grew up in Caldicot, Tintern and Chepstow, all within the county of Gwent/Monmouthshire.

"I learnt double bass while at Chepstow Comprehensive and participated in various orchestras locally, culminating in a Gwent Youth Orchestra performance in St Davids Hall, Cardiff. I sang tenor in the choir, and performed various classical pieces in churches in the area. I sang and played double bass in a small jazz group. I also jammed and performed bass guitar with a group of friends from Chepstow school.

"In 1984 I left Chepstow for London and Kingston Polytechnic to study Computer Science. It was here that I bought an acoustic guitar and started to teach myself to play, while jamming with other students as a bass guitarist. I also jammed with various local performing jazz groups in pubs in the area. By 1988, my transition from bass guitarist to acoustic guitarist was complete. Most of my friends not realising I played bass.

"In 1986, I spent 9 months in Aylesbury, and helped teach guitar at a local arts centre...."

You're not likely to hear Richard Stains perform live, unless you live in the UK. (According to his schedule, he was at The Portland Arms in St Albans today.)

I ran into him on MySpace (myspace.com/richardstainesmusic), and have heard recordings of his music. What can I say? He's good, really good, with the guitar.

Oh, yes: there are sample recordings of his music online: check out that MySpace account, and his website.