He was approached by Nottingham Forest and had trials with Manchester CityMaher formed his first band, the Paris Valentinos, at the age of 13, with Andy Rourke and Kevin Williams (who later became an actor, known as Kevin Kennedy), performing for the first time at a Jubilee party in Benchill in June 1977, playing Rolling Stones and Thin Lizzy covers.
Он сформировал свою первую группу, The Paris Valentinos, в 13 лет, с Энди Рурком и Кельвином Вилльямсом (который позже стал актером, известным как Кельвин Кеннеди), впервые они выступили на юбилейном концерте в Бенчилле в июле 1977, играя каверы на Rolling Stones и Thin Lizzy.