Where did it all start?
When I was about 15 and getting into different kinds of music, I picked up the compilation Hindsight of the Australian band The Church ( if you don’t know them and like your guitars jangly check the track ‘Almost With You'). The front cover featured guitar player for the band Marty Willson Piper with a Shergold Modulator electric 12 string and the most beaten up pair of black suede Chelsea boots Id ever seen. The owner loved these boots so much he has taken needle and thread to them and has a toe protruding. I spent hours listening to this LP and staring at these boots. I HAD to have a pair. Where to get some….
In Melbourne, there is a small shop in a tiny street of a not so central suburb that sells the most dazzling array of handmade Chelsea boots. The store is called Rocco’s. Run by a chap by the name of Rocco Bufalo since the 1960s. It is a haven for Melbourne rock and rollers, beatniks, and anyone looking for something different in footwear. I had several pairs over the years and always loved them. If I'm ever back in Melbourne a visit to Rocco’s is a must.
The 3rd reason would be my love of the Beatles that started when my older sister got The Beatles LP collection in the mid-80s. Many words by more learned people have been written about them - so I won’t even try. But they have remained at the toppermost of my poppermost despite many other strong contenders over the years.
