Kevin Davidge

We first met Chris in 1987 when he brought his younger brother and his drum kit over to a rehearsal room in Tredegar for the very first Red Alert practice. I remember us all helping out to take the drum kit in and his first impression on us was of a very intelligent, down to earth friendly guy who was very mature for his age. Our fondest memories of him were when we entered the 1988 Battle Of The Bands competition. The average age of Red Alert at that time was 14/15 and most of us were novices as musicians so we needed all the help we could get. With our drummer's brother being an excellent musician and at this early stage of his life (I think he was around 17 at that time) had already been there and 'bought the t-shirt' with his band Plan Of Action we were very fortunate to have his advice, help and assistance available to us. Chris attended our rehearsals in preparation for this competition. To be around him was inspirational. He was talented, helpful, funny, enthusiastic, very very hard working, well mannered and he would never talk down to us. We improved rapidly during this time and as a result we were runners up in the competition. I have no doubt that if Chris hadn't given us the help he did we wouldn't have got anywhere. That's when we realised Red Alert had potential, and the band has been going ever since. By the following year we were much more our own band and we won the competition (1989) and Chris was still behind us with his valued and positive encouragement which certainly gave us the confidence to win.

In the following few years Chris would often come along to our gigs if he wasn't gigging himself, and we would attend his gigs if we were able to. Those days were so much fun and I remember both our band and his getting better and better. On stage Chris was simply awesome. He excelled at harmonies, lead vocals, keyboards (on certain songs) and I always remember loving his guitar sound and playing style. The face melting solo he would do at the end of Rockin' all over the world with his Strat behind his head was always a show stopper! He also liked a pint or 6!

In socialising circumstances he was also a unique individual. He was very positive and would love to give good advice about any aspect of life (not just music.) He always had very interesting and/or funny stories to tell and he gave 2 taps on the roof of your car as a "thank you for the lift" every time you dropped him off. He was never one for causing trouble and you could easily tell that he had a genuine and very strong love for his family.

When he moved away from Ebbw Vale we rarely had the chance to see him or speak to him but he was often brought up in conversations about 'the good ol' days' and our lives took us in directions where we would meet people who knew him and loved talking about him. Just months before his death, Red Alert did a charity gig for In The Pink in Ebbw Vale and some audience members had brought some photos to show us. The photos were taken by these people who had been audience members to Red Alert back in the late 80s so there were some photos of us on stage and off stage. Chris was on several of the off stage photos, so we had been reminded of him once again!

When we heard the news of his death we were stunned, saddened and devastated but that time brought those fond memories back again.

I am proud to say that Red Alert is one of the best gifts God has given me. We still enjoy it immensely and we keep it interesting by constantly setting ourselves bigger challenges. The main reason for this is the love of rock 'n' roll. We obviously give ourselves credit for keeping it going for nearly 20 years (and counting) but I can honestly say that if Jaime didn't answer our advert for a drummer in the local paper we would not have met Chris and the band would have struggled in those early years and probably wouldn't have survived. Instead of that we had a 'rocket launch' of a start and we will be eternally greatful to the people who were around us at that time and in particular, Chris Caswell.

Keep rockin'

Ann Wyatt

I met Chris when my son Justin joined a school band back in 1984. They called themselves Plan of Action, and I went on to manage them for a few years in which time they achieved some success appearing on tv for Saturday Superstore and Children In Need. Even at 14 years of age, Chris showed his talent and musical ability.

We toured "Welsh club land" and Chris' sense of humour carried us through many a long journey home late at night. Chris was the youngest band member and the clubs gave him a good insight on how people enjoyed themselves. He usually chose to travel home with me in the car rather than the "tranny" (preferring the comforts!) Always laughing at the antics of the crowds. One night I remember a lady decided that it would be a good idea to dance on the table. Of course, she fell when the leg broke and Chris collapsed on the stage, laughing so much he couldn't sing or play his guitar. This set off the other band members and in the end the whole club was laughing with Chris.

Knowing the Caswell family is a privilege, and we are still very close friends. Chris is always in our thoughts and we often reminisce of the good times. He was such a unique person, you couldn't fail to love him. As a family "We will never forget".

Thanks for the memories Chris.

Terry Page

Chris along with four other youngsters gave me some of the best times and memories of my life. They were called Plan of Action. Five very talented boys. I have many fond memories of Chris. One was the first day I met Chris. He was 11 years old, my son wanted to start a rock band and I was charged with finding the talented boys required. When he came to the door, I asked him if he was interested in joining, he said he was but although he could play the piano he would like to join as a guitarist. He asked me if my son, who was 12, could really play guitar. Chris was very bubbly and very enthusiastic. The second time was the boys' first professional gig, it was at the Gurnos Club in Merthyr Tydfil which had a bit of a reputation for being rough. However, on arrival Chris was stopped from going in. They wanted to know what he was doing there and when he said he was part of the entertainment they could not believe how young they were. They went down a bomb that night, with a standing ovation and encore. The third occasion says it all. While recording at EMI in London, the producer felt that a song they were performing was made for a piano and having a Grand Steinbach in the studio it was a pity we didn't have a pianist. I said "give me one minute". With that I called Chris and explained what the producer wanted and guess what, I know now that's when the rhythm guitarist of Plan of Action became the piano man.

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