In April I spent a most interesting afternoon interviewing Malc Wagg about his life in music. Malc will be well known to many in Barrow because over the years he has played guitar with dozens of bands that have livened up our pubs at weekends. Remember any of these? In the 60s Malc played in The Holly Vees, a popular rock and roll covers band featuring among others Buddy Holly and Bobby Vee songs hence the name. Later, in the 70s there was Fast Fret Fred which again had a very good reputation for playing Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Marty Wild and of course The Beatles. The bands often gigged in The Three Crowns, The Hammer and Pincers, as was, and The Soar Bridge Inn.

In the 1980s illness was a dark cloud over the Wagg family as Malc’s brother needed a heart transplant. The operation took place and was completely successful. In thanks to the Royal Papworth, a specialist heart hospital in Cambridge, the band Malc played in called The Recycled Teenagers, together with the pub, The Trap, organised Charity Music Days.There were three; held in 2003, 04 and 05 respectively. These were extremely well attended and in total raised £3,000 – a very large amount at the time. I think many Barrow Voice readers will remember them well. The Trap, for newer Barrow residents, is now The Lime Tree Day Nursery so has a rather different clientel!

As well as playing numerous local gigs and Blues Nights in The Navi, in the 90s Malc enjoyed a week’s gig at Pontins in Prestatyn. Here the band was the Arkansas Travellers and all wore the same natty American style outfit with obligatory Stetsons. I learnt that you pronounce Arkansas as Arkinsaw. Who’d have believed it?

This busy band life continued up to 2019, Malc playing in the band Six Dollar Hat, but the arrival of Covid and lockdowns knocked everything professional on the head. Now Malc gigs with friends just for fun.

Although the strongest motivation in Malc’s life has always been music he only regards himself as semi – professional because until he retired in 2016 he’d always worked as a plumber. The gigs had to be fitted around working hours.

But how did it all start? How old was Malc when he fell in love with the guitar? The answer is sixteen. His cousin Christopher Snaith played with The Moonstones which was a support band for Loughborough Town Hall. Christopher taught him the chords C F and G and Malc said he got by with them for a long time! Then he bought a guitar tutor book and also began to watch and learn from other guitarists who knew more than three chords. Soon he had become a highly versatile guitarist who could jam – join in with anyone. Malc loves jamming as it encourages all sorts of different people to join the band on stage either with their own instruments or just to sing.

And how long has Malc been a Barrovian? After getting married, at the tender age of 19, Malc and his young wife moved to Barrow and then after a few moves around the village settled in Grove Lane where they live today.

Finally, I asked Malc what had been one of the highlights of his life and was very surprised by the answer. He told me that in the 1970s, to join a band called The
Mayflower, he’d had to learn to play the flute so he bought one and could play it after only six weeks. Yeh! Asked for any low points he said that in relation to music there hadn’t been any. What a wonderful note on which to end.

Gaynor Barton