and spectacular 1978 Spaceship world tour. Trickster also appeared as Boston's "Special Guest" during their 1979 tour for "Don't Look Back". Quill and Don't Panic In 1981, after Trickster left Jet Records label, Bates moved back to Birmingham and re-joined Quill (sometimes referred to as "Kwil"), where he met his future wife, Jo, with whom he later formed the band, Don't Panic. After a period writing songs for RCA/Arista Music, Don't Panic spent three years, 1987–1990, playing the hotel circuit in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In 1990, Don't Panic returned home just as the first Gulf war started. Atlantic Bates resumed solo work, and jingle writing/singing/playing at the Old Smithy Studios, Worcester, where he also became lead singer/songwriter and playing guitar, keyboards and bass with the AOR band, Atlantic. Atlantic released one CD, Power. Around the same time, Bates was the featured vocalist on the theme song for The Gladiators TV programme, and featured on several tracks of the accompanying gold-selling album. ELO Part II In 1993, Bates met up with old friend Kelly Groucutt, who had been ELO bassist, resulting in Bates joining ELO Part 2, replacing Pete Haycock and Neil Lockwood. ELO Part 2 took the music of ELO around the world, often playing with symphony orchestras in large venues around the globe. Extensive touring in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, US, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, UK followed ... until 1999, when Bates quit to spend more time with his family, and to pursue a long-held ambition to study for a degree. Solo work and recent career After supporting his studies with all manner of gigs, stints in call centres, and a period as a bookseller in Hay-on-Wye, Bates graduated from the University of Wales in 2003 with a History BA Hons. The solo albums 'Naked' and 'Agony & Ecstasy' were released in 1996 and 1998, plus tours of the UK and Germany with Mik Kaminski. Two further solo albums, Alter Ego (2003) and One Sky (2005) followed. All released on Bates's own labels, DPP, and latterly Essential Music. A compilation CD Retrospectiv, also on Essential, was released in 2007. After leaving ELO Part 2, Bates became a member of the Eleanor Rigby Experience, along with Andy Bole, Maartin Allcock, Clive Bunker and Tina McBain, who released 2 CDs and toured extensively in the UK. A short