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Interviews archive - G
Interview with:
Gilby Clarke
This interview was conducted after Gilby's show at Club Red in Tempe, Arizona on December 20, 2008. Although he was very busy, Gilby was gracious enough to take time out to do this interview with me. Thank you Gilby!
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: 12/20/08
EP (Electric Pussycat): OK, so you've been really busy. Back in August you did the Rock Fantasy Camp tour.
GC (Gilby Clarke): Yep.
EP: How did that go?
GC: That was fun. It was fun. You know, it's cool, it was fun hanging out with the guys more than anything. I mean, I'm not, ah, a very good teacher, you know, at teaching people stuff. I don't really have a lot of patience. But, um, it was really nice to see the guys and just hang out, you know, on the bus, and go to different cities and play shows. And, doing the shows with Extreme was great, because I've known Nuno (Bettencourt) for a long time. So, it was cool.
EP: Great. OK, in September you rode your Harley in the "Ride to the Flags" benefit. Uh...
GC: Oh, yeah!
EP: Can you tell me about that?
GC: That was great. Well, my buddy, Ryan, is a college student, and, uh, he wanted to do something that would make a difference. And, uh, so he, um, he put up a flag for each person that has died in the Iraq war. And, uh, so what he did was he got everybody together at the Reagan Library, and we got a bunch of motorcycles, and we rode out to the site where he put up all the flags. And, it was really moving, because you don't really think about how many people have died until you SEE something, and he put up a flag for each person. It was, it was amazing.
EP: Wow. OK....
GC: I like people that are motivated.
EP: Um, now you've been on a solo tour...
GC: Yeah.
EP: for a good part of this year.
GC: Yeah, on and off. (ha ha)
EP: How's it going, and how much longer....?
GC: Well, we're on and off, you know. We don't really go out, like, for the full on, like, three month tour or anything anymore. We mainly do a lot of weekend stuff, and, uh, and I like it. I mean, as you can tell, it's like, whether it's, you know, twenty or a hundred or five hundred or a thousand, it doesn't matter to us. We play because we're musicians and we enjoy playing. We enjoy looking at each other and challenging ourselves. So, for us, if the audience is great it's a bonus, but in a way it almost doesn't matter. We just love playing music, you know. And, I just want to play my guitar really loud.
EP: (laughing) You did that!
GC: It was a little loud. (laugh)
EP: Um, OK, I can't read my own writing. (laugh)
GC: You're cold. (ha ha)
(We were outside at almost 3:00 AM and I wasn't wearing a coat. I was shivering and Gilby noticed.)
EP: Ah, you've been doing quite a bit of production work...
GC: Yes.
EP: in your studio. Do you have any projects you're working on right now?
GC: Um, actually, I just finished so many in a row. I did the Silent Rage record, The Alarm record, Motochrist, uh, Crash Kelly, and there was one more in there. Who did I forget? Geez, I'm sorry, there was one more. Anyway, I did five records back to back to back. So, I'm always doing stuff. I'm, uh.... Who am I mixing right now? I just finished the second Alarm record that I did. And, uh, Kathy Valentine (former member of the Go-Go's) just sent me a song by a new artist she's working with that I mixed. So, I'm always in the studio. It's just, for me, I like working in the studio. I like being challenged. But, after a while, you know, I start sitting too long and eating too much. And, you know, it gets to me after a while.
EP: (laughing) Yeah, then it's time to get out....
GC: It's time to get out and do some live shows. (ha ha)
EP: Um, in September you performed and golfed at the Wade Morris....
GC: Oh, Wade, yeah!
EP: Golf Invitational. Are you a pretty good golfer?
GC: I'm a terrible golfer.
EP: (laughing)
GC: I'm terrible. You know, I've been playing so long you'd think I'm better, but I'm not.
EP: (laughing)
GC: I just..it's one of those... You know, I play baseball really good, you know. I'm a terrible golfer. There's...no matter what I do, I can't play good golf. I've tried. I've tried. I've done Alice's (Cooper) tournament a couple times, but I stink. No matter how much I play, I get worse. (laughing)
EP: (laughing) You need to have him give you some pointers.
GC: Yeahhhhhh........probably. (laugh)
EP: (laugh) Um, in January you'll be performing with Starfuckers...
GC: Yeah!
EP: in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
GC: Yep.
EP: Um, for people that don't know, can you tell me a little bit about the Starfuckers?
GC: The Starfuckers is a band that we've had, um, every Thursday night at The Cat Club in Hollywood. And, it's been going on now, geez, probably for about eight or nine years. And, I did, like, the first three or four years with Slim Jim (Phantom. Former member of the Stray Cats), Tracii Guns. We had, uh, Yogi (Lonich. Currently plays lead guitar for Chris Cornell) play guitar. We had Mark Ford (former member of the The Black Crowes). We... A lot of different people rotated. So, it's just kind of been our fun jam band, and we do do occasional dates every now and then. So, uh, we're gonna go out and do the, uh, Tattoo Festival in Green Bay. It's a five day event. So, it's gonna be a blast. Just playing covers, David Bowie, the Stones. It'll be great.
EP: Cool! Uh, in recent years you've worked with Nancy Sinatra...
GC: Yep.
EP: and Heart.
GC: Yep.
EP: Love them.
GC: Yes, they're good.
EP: Uh, how did those gigs go?
GC: Well, I mean, ah, every now and then, like, I do guitar gigs, you know. Heart was fantastic, because, uh, we played a lot of the 70s stuff, which I really, really love. And, the 80s stuff was done more acoustically, you know. And, uh, they're such incredible musicians. I mean, I still think Ann (Wilson) is probably the best singer I've ever heard in my life.
EP: Oh, God yeah.
GC: And, Nancy (Wilson) is an incredible guitar player. I mean, she plays the electric well, too. But, she's really known for her acoustic work, which is just really innovative. But, it was fun. I mean, I just got to sit back and play solos, you know, and sing a couple backgrounds here and there. And, Nancy always like to have, like, a rock 'n' roll guitar player in her band. So, even though..... She likes to mix a lot of, you know, uh, the traditional band she has, but with some new players to just spark it a little bit. And, uh, for me it was a challenge because it's all reading music, and I'm terrible at reading music. So, it really made me read better.
EP: Great! Um, have you been recording any new solo stuff?
GC: I did, and then, uh, we did the (Rock Star) Supernova thing and it took all my new songs. (laughing) So, I'm working on it. I'm working on it.
EP: You're working on it right now.
GC: Yeah, I'm working on it.
EP: Awesome. Let's see, I think I've got a couple more.
GC: Alright, let's get the bonus question. The guys are getting cold over there. (laughing)
EP: (laughing) If I can get the page turned over. OK, well, um, we just talked about, uh, recording. When might we see a new album?
GC: I don't know. I really don't know. I only... I make a record when I have ten songs that I like, you know. And, uh, I just....I don't know. It could be a year; it could be two months. I really don't know. It just...when it all comes together it's gonna be great.
EP: OK, uh, I loved Slash's Snakepit.
GC: Ah!
EP: Are you planning any more collaborations or anything like that?
GC: Um, well not with Slash, you know. I think that at this point we've all kind of moved on, you know, and stuff. But, uh, I love collaborating with people, I mean, no matter who it is or what it is. I love it. I love to work with people. Doing the record with Tommy (Lee) was fun, because we have different styles, you know, but we do like the same kind of music. So, it's always good to have different people in there to inspire you.
EP: OK, um...
GC: Alright, I gotta go. I gotta go. Sorry to cut you off.
EP: OK. OK, that's fine. Thank you!
GC: Any more, real quick.
EP: Oh, I was going to ask one more, just what the plans are going into the future? Anything you want to tell fans?
GC: Nothing really right now. We're still gonna just keep playing shows and recording. I mean, that's really what we do, you know. So, hopefully it's just getting better and better, you know.
EP: OK, thank you.
GC: Thanks a lot. Did you get lots of photos?
EP: Yes, I got a lot.
GC: Good, use those.
EP: I will. Thank you so much!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilby Clarke
This interview was conducted after Gilby's show at Club Red in Tempe, Arizona on December 20, 2008. Although he was very busy, Gilby was gracious enough to take time out to do this interview with me. Thank you Gilby!
Interviewer: Tawny Khat
Interview date: 12/20/08
EP (Electric Pussycat): OK, so you've been really busy. Back in August you did the Rock Fantasy Camp tour.
GC (Gilby Clarke): Yep.
EP: How did that go?
GC: That was fun. It was fun. You know, it's cool, it was fun hanging out with the guys more than anything. I mean, I'm not, ah, a very good teacher, you know, at teaching people stuff. I don't really have a lot of patience. But, um, it was really nice to see the guys and just hang out, you know, on the bus, and go to different cities and play shows. And, doing the shows with Extreme was great, because I've known Nuno (Bettencourt) for a long time. So, it was cool.
EP: Great. OK, in September you rode your Harley in the "Ride to the Flags" benefit. Uh...
GC: Oh, yeah!
EP: Can you tell me about that?
GC: That was great. Well, my buddy, Ryan, is a college student, and, uh, he wanted to do something that would make a difference. And, uh, so he, um, he put up a flag for each person that has died in the Iraq war. And, uh, so what he did was he got everybody together at the Reagan Library, and we got a bunch of motorcycles, and we rode out to the site where he put up all the flags. And, it was really moving, because you don't really think about how many people have died until you SEE something, and he put up a flag for each person. It was, it was amazing.
EP: Wow. OK....
GC: I like people that are motivated.
EP: Um, now you've been on a solo tour...
GC: Yeah.
EP: for a good part of this year.
GC: Yeah, on and off. (ha ha)
EP: How's it going, and how much longer....?
GC: Well, we're on and off, you know. We don't really go out, like, for the full on, like, three month tour or anything anymore. We mainly do a lot of weekend stuff, and, uh, and I like it. I mean, as you can tell, it's like, whether it's, you know, twenty or a hundred or five hundred or a thousand, it doesn't matter to us. We play because we're musicians and we enjoy playing. We enjoy looking at each other and challenging ourselves. So, for us, if the audience is great it's a bonus, but in a way it almost doesn't matter. We just love playing music, you know. And, I just want to play my guitar really loud.
EP: (laughing) You did that!
GC: It was a little loud. (laugh)
EP: Um, OK, I can't read my own writing. (laugh)
GC: You're cold. (ha ha)
(We were outside at almost 3:00 AM and I wasn't wearing a coat. I was shivering and Gilby noticed.)
EP: Ah, you've been doing quite a bit of production work...
GC: Yes.
EP: in your studio. Do you have any projects you're working on right now?
GC: Um, actually, I just finished so many in a row. I did the Silent Rage record, The Alarm record, Motochrist, uh, Crash Kelly, and there was one more in there. Who did I forget? Geez, I'm sorry, there was one more. Anyway, I did five records back to back to back. So, I'm always doing stuff. I'm, uh.... Who am I mixing right now? I just finished the second Alarm record that I did. And, uh, Kathy Valentine (former member of the Go-Go's) just sent me a song by a new artist she's working with that I mixed. So, I'm always in the studio. It's just, for me, I like working in the studio. I like being challenged. But, after a while, you know, I start sitting too long and eating too much. And, you know, it gets to me after a while.EP: (laughing) Yeah, then it's time to get out....
GC: It's time to get out and do some live shows. (ha ha)
EP: Um, in September you performed and golfed at the Wade Morris....
GC: Oh, Wade, yeah!
EP: Golf Invitational. Are you a pretty good golfer?
GC: I'm a terrible golfer.
EP: (laughing)
GC: I'm terrible. You know, I've been playing so long you'd think I'm better, but I'm not.
EP: (laughing)
GC: I just..it's one of those... You know, I play baseball really good, you know. I'm a terrible golfer. There's...no matter what I do, I can't play good golf. I've tried. I've tried. I've done Alice's (Cooper) tournament a couple times, but I stink. No matter how much I play, I get worse. (laughing)
EP: (laughing) You need to have him give you some pointers.
GC: Yeahhhhhh........probably. (laugh)
EP: (laugh) Um, in January you'll be performing with Starfuckers...
GC: Yeah!
EP: in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
GC: Yep.
EP: Um, for people that don't know, can you tell me a little bit about the Starfuckers?
GC: The Starfuckers is a band that we've had, um, every Thursday night at The Cat Club in Hollywood. And, it's been going on now, geez, probably for about eight or nine years. And, I did, like, the first three or four years with Slim Jim (Phantom. Former member of the Stray Cats), Tracii Guns. We had, uh, Yogi (Lonich. Currently plays lead guitar for Chris Cornell) play guitar. We had Mark Ford (former member of the The Black Crowes). We... A lot of different people rotated. So, it's just kind of been our fun jam band, and we do do occasional dates every now and then. So, uh, we're gonna go out and do the, uh, Tattoo Festival in Green Bay. It's a five day event. So, it's gonna be a blast. Just playing covers, David Bowie, the Stones. It'll be great.
EP: Cool! Uh, in recent years you've worked with Nancy Sinatra...
GC: Yep.
EP: and Heart.
GC: Yep.
EP: Love them.
GC: Yes, they're good.
EP: Uh, how did those gigs go?
GC: Well, I mean, ah, every now and then, like, I do guitar gigs, you know. Heart was fantastic, because, uh, we played a lot of the 70s stuff, which I really, really love. And, the 80s stuff was done more acoustically, you know. And, uh, they're such incredible musicians. I mean, I still think Ann (Wilson) is probably the best singer I've ever heard in my life.
EP: Oh, God yeah.
GC: And, Nancy (Wilson) is an incredible guitar player. I mean, she plays the electric well, too. But, she's really known for her acoustic work, which is just really innovative. But, it was fun. I mean, I just got to sit back and play solos, you know, and sing a couple backgrounds here and there. And, Nancy always like to have, like, a rock 'n' roll guitar player in her band. So, even though..... She likes to mix a lot of, you know, uh, the traditional band she has, but with some new players to just spark it a little bit. And, uh, for me it was a challenge because it's all reading music, and I'm terrible at reading music. So, it really made me read better.
EP: Great! Um, have you been recording any new solo stuff?
GC: I did, and then, uh, we did the (Rock Star) Supernova thing and it took all my new songs. (laughing) So, I'm working on it. I'm working on it.
EP: You're working on it right now.
GC: Yeah, I'm working on it.
EP: Awesome. Let's see, I think I've got a couple more.
GC: Alright, let's get the bonus question. The guys are getting cold over there. (laughing)
EP: (laughing) If I can get the page turned over. OK, well, um, we just talked about, uh, recording. When might we see a new album?
GC: I don't know. I really don't know. I only... I make a record when I have ten songs that I like, you know. And, uh, I just....I don't know. It could be a year; it could be two months. I really don't know. It just...when it all comes together it's gonna be great.
EP: OK, uh, I loved Slash's Snakepit.
GC: Ah!
EP: Are you planning any more collaborations or anything like that?
GC: Um, well not with Slash, you know. I think that at this point we've all kind of moved on, you know, and stuff. But, uh, I love collaborating with people, I mean, no matter who it is or what it is. I love it. I love to work with people. Doing the record with Tommy (Lee) was fun, because we have different styles, you know, but we do like the same kind of music. So, it's always good to have different people in there to inspire you.
EP: OK, um...
GC: Alright, I gotta go. I gotta go. Sorry to cut you off.
EP: OK. OK, that's fine. Thank you!
GC: Any more, real quick.
EP: Oh, I was going to ask one more, just what the plans are going into the future? Anything you want to tell fans?
GC: Nothing really right now. We're still gonna just keep playing shows and recording. I mean, that's really what we do, you know. So, hopefully it's just getting better and better, you know.
EP: OK, thank you.
GC: Thanks a lot. Did you get lots of photos?
EP: Yes, I got a lot.
GC: Good, use those.
EP: I will. Thank you so much!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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