Bernie Torme

Tormé was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy and formed his own band at a young age. His first paid performance came when Don Harris, a 14 year old drummer he played alongside when he was 17, secured a gig at the local Girl Guides' dance in Kilmainham in Dublin. Tormé then played in Dublin band 'The Urge' in the early 1970s before relocating to London in 1974, where he initially played with heavy rockers 'Scrapyard' (whose bass player, John McCoy would later be re-united with Tormé in Gillan), before forming the punk 'Bernie Tormé Band' in 1976.

The Bernie Tormé Band toured with The Boomtown Rats and Generation X among many others. Tormé has since revealed that he secured the supporting band slot with the Boomtown Rats by agreeing to go around London putting up posters advertising the tour.