My gran, a retired music teacher, taught me piano at a young age, and I started playing guitar in my early teens, settling on and developing bass at 15 (music practical exam instrument), acoustic singer/songwriter at 18 and electric guitar at 23 when I joined a metal/hardcore band.

I was a late-blooming live enthusiast, partly due to lack of decent venues in my home town of Edinburgh. I went to see RHCP at Murrayfield Stadium in 2004.

Yamaha Acoustic Electric FGX720SCA
Yamaha Acoustic F370
Ibanez Bass SR 300 DX (I love my bass, especially the bass boost)
Epiphone Les Paul Studio Worn Brown (New favourite)

I can't settle on one influence, would have to be a top five.
Michael Jackson (my mum had all of his albums and back when I had no sense of music taste I listened to them over and over - taught me about rhythm)
David Gray (after seeing him on TOTP a couple of times I decided I liked him - first conscious music taste decision - and was heavily influenced at the time as I was still playing piano)
Stereophonics (my dad brought Performance & Cocktails home one day and I loved it - been a massive Phonics fan since. They taught me about catchy riffs and good writing)
Nirvana and System of a Down (simultaneously brought me into the world of rock and I've never looked back)

Scott Robinson Band (alt.rock - play bass/backing vox) - met Scott in first year of university, been in various forms of his band since. We play when we can. One album released.

The Moral Occult (folk.rock - play bass/backing vox) - a bunch of university friends, the band has seen many variations of names, songs and band members, but driven always by Adam Crawford.

Constance (metal.hardcore - play guitar/backing vox) - as friends we talked for a long time about starting a band and finally did in summer 2011. We're gigging and recording, played a couple gigs in G2 that are our biggest achievements to date, it's good playing to a crowd of more than fifteen people. EP out this summer.

Pocket Fox (jingly.jangly.indie.pop - play bass) - chanced upon being in the band as front man Matt Regan was struggling to find a bassist, so I stepped in.

Victor Wooten. In my eyes, the best bass player ever in existence. He can do things on bass that would probably seem impossible on paper. A true inspiration. A jam with him would be an incredible lesson as much as it would just be so much fun!

Mainly played to the rest of the bands plus a few mates, but have had the occasion to play to a hundred or so people a few times. School concert, G2 gig with Constance, Love Music Hate Racism fund raiser with Scott Robinson Band and also asked to play guitar for a vocalist at a Burns Supper. Really enjoyed playing the G2 gig, although my most memorable performance was playing alongside Chasing Amy and Casey Ryback with Constance at Pivo Pivo - stage invasions really get the good cheer and adrenaline rushing!

First album that came to mind was Toxicity by System of a Down, so I shouldn't think too much about it and don't second guess otherwise I'll never choose. First heard it in 2003 after a friend made me listen to the title track. I hated it, but the next day it was stuck in my head. Thereafter I fell face first into SOAD and rock/metal in general.