Rowan Robertson's story sounds like something you'd hear on the evening news – ‘... and a kid who got a chance to play onstage with his musical hero – more after the break...’ Except it wasn't a one-off, perfect-for-the-cameras moment.
Hearing that legendary metal belter Ronnie James Dio was in need of a new guitarist, in 1988, Robertson – then 17 – sent a scratchy demo tape of his playing to the singer's fan club. The tape was impressive enough that it eventually fell into the hands of the singer and his management, and subsequently landed him an audition, which in turn, incredibly, got Robertson the gig in Dio's self-titled band.
