The wild man of Down At Heel - this web site is dedicated to his memory. In many ways, Gavin Simonsen was the driving force of this band. A coiled spring of a man - he poured huge amounts of energy and emotion into his playing, imbuing it with an integrity and openness that startled and astounded.
He was the model of the rock guitarist, long-haired with unshaved face. He would stand legs apart upon the stage as though preparing for gladiatorial combat. Take the fight to enemy and take no prisoners! He confessed to despise competitiveness amongst guitarists but was determined to stand out from the crowd. He possessed an instinctiveness that let him escape the normal musical conventions and create a style that was quite unique.
Influences were wide and varied - from hard rock through to Motown - but perhaps the biggest influence was Paul Kossoff of Free. Like Kossoff, Simonsen had an intensity that over-ruled everything. He could only ever be a star.

Gavin was an epileptic, and the condition was never fully controlled. It was ultimately to steal him form his family and friends at too young an age.