GuitarTour Productions
Andre Cholmondeley. MUSIC. Tour Production & Support. Lessons
An ongoing story. 1965 ---?
We've all got the same story!! Humans on earth.
Arrive, try to thrive, then you're not alive.
1965 Feb 9, Born: Georgetown, British Guiana (soon to be Guyana on 5/11/66)
1965 In August, moved to Chicago w parents, father attended Illinois Institute Of Technology for engineering & management. . Mother works at Presbyterian St. Lukes. Learned to read by learning street signs on highway,flash cards and everything with words they could show me. Reading well by age 3.
1970 Moved back to Guyana after death of paternal grandfather. First experience with death concept, the image of being at a gravesite is still vivid in my mind.
1972 sister Lisa born Sep 29. I am thrilled.
1970-1976 Elementary school, Mr. Henry's Private School then Queens College (math, science, geography, english, french, geometry, phys ed, at age 10. the English School system is another world entirely!!
1974 Parents get divorced . Waaaaah!!
1976 Moved to Brooklyn NY, with our mother, we move in with her new partner who she soon marries. Brooklyn is great. New stepdad is an audiophile with a Bose system, so I understand early on how great stuff can sound. Spoiled by this, LOL. I attended SOMERS JUNIOR HIGH and lived at 256 E 96th St. Amazing time, NYC in the mid 70s!! Heard Parliament/Funkadelic, Hall & Oates, Rick James, Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Chuck Mangione, Lou Rawls and more on the radio and it was all formative.
1978 moved to Hazlet NJ, attended 10-12 grade at Raritan High, interesting time in a suddenly all-white world. Some amazing times and friends from then but some bizarre scars, and almost blinded by a racist dog who sucker punched me with a gang to back him up. Very lucky. Yeah it's an issue still, my left eye orbit was forever slightly damaged. Great musical journeys in these years. Was given a KKK membership application form by a fellow student (who is now a gun-nut far right extremist, according to his Facebook page), so NOTHING surprises me about the current state of the USA. NOTHING.
1981 Graduated RHS at age 16 (!), went to Rutgers University, Engineering student. Waaaay too young, waaay too many classes. Discovered serious weed smoking, tried acid for the first time, first Jamaican girlfriend (they are crazy!), first mushrooms trip etc. Safe to say Drugs and Rock n roll resulted in FAILING OUT, lol. Second wonderful sister is born in January.
1982 Middlesex Country College in Edison NJ. Graduated with an Asc. Sc. Computer Science. Great time, re-focus, lots of music, started playing guitar (age 18, late!), got into first band, etc. Saw KING CRIMSON for the first, life-altering time.
1985 Back to Rutgers University, didn't ever finish but minored in music, took a bunch of great music history, theory and world music classes. Amazing time, playing in bands, seeing amazing music live. Went to mindblowing amount of concerts. Saw first ever concert FISHBONE played in NYC. Saw early VERNON REID TRIO and the subsequent evolution to Living Colour. Both heavily influential and inspirational bands...
1988 Lived on the island of Trinidad for 6 months w my Dad & grandmother. Worked w my father on a fledgling computer-based Insurance app...way ahead of it's time but got me further into systems, laptops etc which were blowing up. I remember us FREAKING OUT at the prospect of getting a 500MB drive, and that --"who would EVER need more memory after that"....
1990 Recorded a great power pop/punk rock album INFERNAL DOLL with False Virgins. Look it up on Spotify etc. I played bass and loved making this with a great band
1988-1994 Lived in New Brunswick NJ, near Rutgers. Lots of music , started PROJECT/OBJECT, Zappa tribute band, from the remnants of ZEN PAJAMAS, a trio I was in. Tought night classes at alma mater MIDDLESEX COUNTRY COLLEGE. Started a lifelong connection to natural foods advocacy, writing and retail. Worked at legendary natural foods store GEORGE ST. CO-OP. Coordinator, Produce Manager etc
1994-2005 Moved to Red Bank NJ w partner Cheri Jiosne. Co-managed our natural foods store SECOND NATURE for a decade, it was an incredible place and amazing experience.
2007 Moved to Asheville NC
2009 Most shocking day of loss ever in my life, July 14 -- My dear mother Janette Softleigh suddenly passes away
2010 Worst day ever in my life, August 25 -- My life partner and musical co-conspirator for over 20 years Cheri Jiosne passes away from complications related to breast cancer. Horrible.
2011- 2014: to be filled in soon!..but pretty dark time.. looking back it was a journey thru a dark cloud of depression and loss...I went thru the motions, toured a bunch with Eddie Jobson, YES, Greg Lake and my bands, and just kinda somehow went on auto-pilot and kept the lights on...
2014 August. Back home from moe. tour, working on next couple projects, getting prepped for some fall shows and a return to touring with Adrian Belew Power Trio on his tech crew.
2014 August/Sept -- played guitar on tour with the incredible MIKE DILLON BAND..this is awesome as it's the most eclectic and wild outfit I've been privileged to be a part of!
2014 Oct-Dec -- Tour managed/teched for the one/only ADRIAN BELEW....
2015 .....needs update
2016 March-April, June-Sep, Nov-Dec -- Various YES Album Series Tours of the UK, Europe, USA, Japan
2017 Jan/Feb -- YES rehearsals and Album Series Tours of the USA and CRUISE TO THE EDGE
2017 Feb/Mar/Apr/May-- Adrian Belew power Trio Tour of USA/Canada ( I am not on the EU leg in April)
2017 July-Sept-- YESTIVAL, featuring YES, Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer's ELP Tribute, Tour of USA/Canada.
2017 November-- BRAND X "Reunion" Tour of W Coast USA.....
2019 Yes in Japan, Brand X West Coast USA, Yes/Asia/John Lodge/Carl Palmer+Arthur Brown "Royal Affair" Tour
2017-present Tours of USA, UK , Japan etc with YES/Steve Howe
TBC....!