MEET THE AUTHOR
Aviation
Having amassed,over 13,000 hours flight time as a Senior Airline Captain and Airbus Trainer on both long haul and short haul routes Mike was lucky enough to fly some of the worlds most advanced aircraft to destinations throughout the world. The flying being as varied as it was interesting. The vast majority of the commercial flying was on the advanced, computer dominated, Airbus 330 and its smaller, short haul siblings the A320 and A321, Mike also was fortunate to also have also flown the “Brown Classics’ i.e. the Boeing 767 and 757. for a number of years.
The passengers flown were as exotically diverse as the aircraft, From the elderly Indonesian villagers on their first ever flight on the most important pilgrimages they will ever undertake to Saudi Arabia. to perform the Hajj, to flying holidaymakers willing to lose their shirts into the desert Sin City of Las Vegas. Karma in perfect balance.
music
Last year, just before the COVID lockdown Mike completed a thirty date European tour with vocalist Mark Lanegan (Queens of The Stone Age, Screaming Trees and now Sunday Times Bestseller) as guest drummer with post-punk legends the Membranes and Amelia Chain. The highlight appearing alongside PIL and Clash founder member Keith Levene at the London Roundhouse.
Before life in aviation, Mike could be seen on stages and TV’s throughout Europe performing as a drummer for various bands and artists. The music was again as varied as the aircraft he would later fly. From drumming for 10cc’s Graham Goldman and Andrew Gold (Lonely Boy – Never Let Her Slip Away) band Wax, in front of a World Wide TV audience of 10’s of Millions at the Rock Festival to playing alongside the Stone Roses, The Cult and Manchester legends New Order as guitarist with his own band B.F.G.
Having ignored the calls for B.F.G. to reform over the last thirty years, Mike finally relented and performed a series of concerts including appearing in Leipzig in front of 1.300 new and old fans. The concerts have been captured on the recently released live album ‘Out Of The Darkness – Into The Light’
Another passion is music production along with orchestrating, now being very much involved with Modern Classical Artist ‘Amelia Chain’. Coldplay’s Three times Grammy award-winning producer Ken Nelson described ‘Solstice’ by the artist as ‘Fantastic, beautiful melodies superbly played’
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SIGNED CD’s
‘BFG, One Of The Greatest Goth / Dark wave bands of all time.’
Mark Lanegan (Queens of The Stone Age – Screaming Trees)
‘As Intense as Joy Division.’
Jim Batten (Coyotte J)
The B.F.G. tracks featured on the soundtrack above were produced by and feature Capt. Mike Simkins. To order your signed CD by Mike please click order below.
Out Of The Darkness
B.F.G.’s return to the stage after 30 years, captured in front of 1,500 fans in Leipzig Germany. Features ‘Paris’ and ‘Higher Than Heaven Is.’ 12 track signed album.
Fathoms
B.F.G. Debut album first released in 1988. Features ‘Higher Than Heaven Is’ which was Melody Makers Mick Mercer’s ‘Single of the Year’
Compilation 86/89
Originally only released in Germany, the album brings together all BFG singles and E.P’s on one CD. Now also containing the 12 inch mix of Paris.
Blue
The guitars are noisy and punchy, the beat definitely has and industrial tempo and the singer has a great baritone voice that bares a slight resemblance to Joy Division
