My names Darren Anslow, although as you may have already gathered I prefer to be called Daz, I’m in my early 50’s and I was born and bred in Walsall in the West Midlands where I’ve lived for the majority of my life, that is before I was dragged kicking and screaming across the border into Wolverhampton where I now live with my beautiful wife Sonia and my three amazing step-kids, two of whom have just dipped their toes into adulthood, and a third who’s not too far behind them. I also have three equally amazing grown up kids of my own, all busy living their own lives, doing their own things, and basically just trying to find their own way in life.

I’m an avid supporter of the mighty Saddlers, Walsall FC, even though I don’t manage to attend games anymore due to ongoing health issues, I have a keen interest in learning about my ancestry and the stories it has to tell, and also love photography, creative design, and attending live stand-up comedy nights and live music events whenever and wherever I can, be it punk, metal, Oi!, ska, folk, rock, country, or RnB, and I have seen some amazing acts in stadiums and arenas over the years including Guns N’Roses, Iron Maiden, Eagles, Mariah Carey, Judas Priest, Madness, Slayer, Bryan Adams, and even Rod Stewart to name but a few, not to mention the hundreds if not thousands of smaller lesser-known bands and artists I’ve seen at festivals, in the back rooms and cellars of pubs and clubs, or at smaller independent and dedicated music venues up and down the country, all of whom deserve our respect for helping to keep live music alive and kicking.

I have two mantra’s in life, the first being ‘there’s only really two genre’s of music, the music you like, and the music you don’t’, which reminds me never to let myself get pigeon-holed when it comes to appreciating good music, and the second being ‘we’re here for a good time, not a long time’, which reminds me never to take life too seriously, get out, have fun, meet new people, and make great memories, none of us know what’s around the corner and life’s simply too short to waste.

In 2005 I was diagnosed with Severe Epilepsy despite evidence on my medical records to show that I should have been diagnosed during my very early childhood, and in 2019 my chance of becoming a casualty of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) was raised from ‘at risk’ to ‘an increased risk’ as I have no prior warning before seizures are about to take place, and despite the ongoing efforts of two separate Neurology departments from two separate hospitals, anti-seizure medications have still proven ineffective when it comes to controlling my seizures. I am also diagnosed with moderate depression and anxiety as a result of my epilepsy, severe sleep apnea, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as a small number of other minor ailments.

With me what you see is what you get, I don’t put on any airs and graces nor do I try to be someone I’m not. Some people like me, some people love me, some choose to dislike me, others choose to hate me, but that’s fine, I bare no grudges, it’s each to their own and we don’t all have to get along, although wouldn’t life feel a whole lot better if we did?