A bass player in name only, he plays low notes only when absolutely necessary. (I think the guys from Spinal Tap used to call it playing "lead bass".

He gets his inspiration from songwriters such as Lennon and McCartney, Difford and Tilbrook, Pete Townshend, Sting and Andy Partridge.

Some have said Gary's songs have too many words, and the words that are there have too many syllables. He recently heard XTC's Andy Partridge explain his overly cerebral lyrics this way

"Bull! What they are saying is, "We like it stupid and we like it pre-chewed. We're here in the old people's home of the mind and we like it all pre-chewed up for us, because we don't have any mental teeth." That's what they're saying. I hate the idea of dumbing-down for any reason. Why should anyone be asked to come down? I say . . . come up. It's sunnier up here without all the idiocy. (New York Post 2/26/99)

Gary says "Ditto."

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