November 1975 - Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is No 1. This is Ed’s first exposure to the music that will shape his life.
January 1979 - Ed hears Judas Priest for the first time, as Take on the World is a chart hit.
March 1980 - Ed is exposed to the NWOBHM via bands such as Saxon and Iron Maiden.
July 1980 - Ed buys his first single, Armed and Ready by MSG.
August 1980 - Ed buys his first album - the Epic Records compilation Killerwatts.
February 1982 - Ed gets his first electric guitar.
July 1982 - Ed gets his first amplifier and Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest on the same day. This is as good as life gets!
October 1983 - Ed has’nt played guitar much over the last few months and he gets it out for the last time. Soon it will be foolishly sold but he will come back to it.
March 1985 - Ed hears Unchained by Van Halen and promptly buys Fair Warning for the princely sum of £3.25.
April 25th 1985 - Ed gets his old classical guitar back from his cousin and begins to play again. This time he doesn’t stop! From now till his first gig he soaks up all the sounds of 80’s rock guitar.
September 19th 1988 - Ed attends his first day at Newcastle College where he studies Music and Performing Arts.
April 27th 1989 - Ed has a practice with two friends, Guitarist Dave Moore and drummer Dave Lynch, plus some bass player that he can’t remember! This is the beginning of his first band XLR8R.
March 23rd - XLR8R play their first gig at the 244 Rock Club in Newcastle. The line up consists of Ed, Dave Moore, Dave Lynch, singer Mark Savage and stand in bass player Graham Williamson.
September 1990 - XLR8R record their first demo.
January 1991 - The Ultimate Sensation gets a four star review in Metal Hammer and XLR8R’s flirtation with rock stardom begins in earnest. The rest of the spring and the summer are spent consolidating their rapidly growing live reputation.
September 1991 - XLR8R begins recording their second demo, Chemical Entertainment. The tape receives rave reviews in the rock press and the band starts to gain wider interest.
August 17th 1992 - XLR8R support Thunder on their Donnington warm up at Newcastle’s prestigious Mayfair night club. Around 2000 people attend.
September 1992 - The band enter Trinity Heights studios to record the Mechanics of the Mind demo. This begins a long professional association with Producer/Engineer Fred Purser. The demo gets five stars and demo of the week in Kerrang a few months later.
February 1993 - On one of the last Friday Rock Show’s to be hosted by Tommy Vance, XLR8R win the rock war and a session is commissioned.
February 24th 1993 - XLR8R travel to the town of Stavanger in Norway and play their first overseas gigs.
April 2nd 1993 - XLR8R head down to Maida Vale studios and record their one and only Radio One Session. It is broadcast early the next month and then things begin to slow down. Music is changing and the world of 1990 no longer exists within the confines of rock and metal.
May 1993 - Despite the changing musical climate, the band are voted the 8th best unsigned band in the country by the readers of Kerrang
November 26th 1994 - XLR8R support Skin (the band not the singer!) at the University of Northumbria. Around 1000 people attend.
December 1994 - after a tumultuous 12 months XLR8R enter Trinity Heights once more to record their debut album Inner Oceans.
May 1995 - Inner Oceans is released. It receives rave reviews and gets four stars in Kerrang and five stars in Guitarsist. Ed is also featured in Total Guitar and XLR8R continue to play to good crowds in Newcastle.
May 7th 1997 - XLR8R play their 115th and final gig at Trillians bar, their spiritual home of the last two years. The band struggles on for a few months as they toy with a new name and direction but go their separate ways in August. Ironically the band is voted the 7th best unsigned band in the country by the readers of Kerrang.
September 1997 - Ed forms Arch Stanton with his good friend Clive Jackson.
December 1997 - Arch Stanton enter Trinity Heights studios to record their first demo Old Dog, New Tricks. This will feature Ed’s first ever lead vocals.
February 1998 - Arch Stanton play their first gig at Trillians Bar in Newcastle.
March 1999 - Arch Stanton record the demo In Glorious Technicolor.
May 2000 - Ed records the tracks 130R, Reflections, Frequencies and Assegai. These demos will form the basis of the album that will become Plectrumhead.
June 16th 2000 - Arch Stanton play their last gig at the Bridge Hotel, which ends in acrimony when they have an argument with their so called manager!
August 2000 - Ed’s demo Plectrumhead is given a four star review in Guitarist magazine and the track 130R is featured on the sound page.
May 2001 - Ed records the tracks Plectrumhead, Closer, Blue Skies Above, Stratosphere, Bone Cutter, So Glad and Requiem for the demo Motion Control.
January 2002 - The Plectrumhead and Motion Control demos are pitched to various independent record labels.
April 2002 - Ed enters Trinity Heights studios and records the album Plectrumhead.
May 2002 - Ed signs a worldwide deal with Lion Music to releases Plectrumhead.
October 15th 2002 - Plectrumhead is released to excellent reviews.
September 2003 - Ed begins to record a version of Foxy Lady for the album The Spirit Lives On: the music of Jimi Hendrix Vol 1.
April 2004 - The Hendrix album is released to positive reviews.
March 2005 - Ed begins recording the follow up to Plectrumhead.
May 2006 - Ed appears at the prestigious London Guitar Show and begins his association with all out guitar online magazine.
August 2006 - Ed enters Trinity Heights studios to record the debut album of his band Vendetta.
September 22nd 2006 - Moonfudge is released worldwide through Lion Music.
April 2007 - Ed makes another appearence at the London Guitar Show.
September 14th 2007 - Vendetta release the album Tyranny of Minority.
September 16th 2007 - Vendetta appear at the inaugral All Out Guitar Festival.
June 14th 2008 - Ed is one of the judges of the Guitar Idol contest. This truly international event takes place at the London Guitar Show.