Interview with Gary Moore
Gary Moore on the eroticism of the guitar, the innocence of Drum & Bass and his personal blues.
He is so shy, it hurts. The man sitting in the armchair just opposite looks away in order to avoid eye contact. He�s got black curly hair, a scarred face and is wearing gym shoes with the emblem �DKNY�. No, he�s not tired, although he gave a concert last night. On the stage, he feels at home. Up there, he�s master of the situation. However, as soon as the curtain falls, the connection with the outside world is broken. Along with the last note, the illusion of intimacy evaporates.
Gary Moore, the rock star, ceases to exist. Because outside the concert hall, Gary Moore is no star � although he has his little ways. In private life, he�s a 47-year-old man who is unable to look the person sitting just opposite in the eye. Gary Moore started his career in the heavy metal-formation Thin Lizzy. Together with the band�s leader, Phil Lynott, he recorded the exceedingly successful duet �Out In The Fields� in 1985. From then on, Moore has been devoted to solo-projects, in particular.
The album �Still Got The Blues� alone went on to sell over 3 million copies. The reactions to his latest works, �Dark Days In Paradise� and �A Different Beat�, have been restrained. Both albums show strong influences from the dance floor genre. If Moore�s detour from hard rock had already caused a few raised eyebrows, then this new style made people shake their heads. At the moment, the Irishman, who lives in London, is thinking about the next change of direction.
What kind of people are guitarists? Do they differ in constitution from drummers, bass-players and keyboard-players?
�It�s always the crazy ones who are drawn to the guitar. I have never been interested in playing any other instrument. To me, only playing the guitar seemed to promise adventure.�
What, exactly, fascinated you about this instrument?
�The guitar is very expressive. Apart from that, it�s great to brag about. And guitarists get the best women!�
Do you feel this is still the case today?
�On the contrary, I�m a person who doesn�t find it easy to come out of his shell. I�d rather not express my feelings with words. Instead, I communicate from the stage. The guitar helps me to escape reality, so to speak.�
Have you developed a personal attachment to your instrument?
�I have been accompanied by the guitar throughout my entire life, almost. It has become a part of me. Or rather, have I become a part of it? Either way, we have melted into an organic unity.�
Does it resemble a marriage-like relationship? Is the guitar your mistress?
�There is definitely a special kind of chemistry between us � like the one you feel in a relationship between a man and a woman. When I take the guitar in my hands, I feel the reaction.�
How can you stand being without your guitar?
�When I haven�t played it for a while, I definitely become dispirited. Then I miss the guitar a lot. When I pick it up and start playing again, it feels as though you�re having sex for the first time in over a year: Completely overwhelming!�
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you�ve been forced to choose between a woman and your guitar?
�Luckily, I have never been on the horns of that dilemma. I once talked about this with B.B. King, who�s been married a number of times. He told me that when his wives started complaining about his many tours, he immediately packed his suitcases!�
Have you ever given your guitar any nicknames?
�Sometimes I get the feeling the guitars find ME funny! It is often said about me that I make guitars talk. Only, the silly thing is: the only talk guitars give you is crap! Most of the time they say: �Keep your dirty hands off!� hahaha. Besides, I have 55 guitars altogether. Giving them all names would be too strenuous.�
For what purposes do you use them all?
� In the beginning of my career, when I didn�t have any money, no one ever gave me anything. Then, when you�re reaching fame, people start throwing guitars at you! Certainly, I give some away, but...guitars are my passion!�
The rock-guitarist is, pure and simple, a flash macho who make audiences� heads spin with his solos. Isn�t this picture old and downright ridiculous?
�There are still guitarists who go out of their ways to correspond with this picture. The problem is, most rock-guitarists are pretty conservative: they stick to the old stuff and are afraid to experiment. Because of this, the rock genre has come to a musical standstill.�
In the dance-music genre, on the other hand, there is a lot of movement. Does this genre�s yearning for innovation remind you of the early days of rock music?
�Yes, definitely! Young people with plenty of enthusiasm recorded these incredible albums almost as some kind of homework. They cared about the music and not the big money. Back then, music was original and undestroyed. Dance music seemed to be closer to the spirit of the 60s than anything else.�
So it�s possible to bump into Gary Moore on the dance floors of Drum & Bass-clubs in the year 2000?
�Occasionally, when I�m on tour. But never when I�m back home in London: I�m too old! When you�re over 40 in London, you no longer have the guts to walk into a dance-club. The kids would shout: �Who brought his old man in here?��
What can you and your guitar contribute to this kind of music?
�The sound in clubs is characterized by technology and computers. I don�t think a human touch can hurt � that�s where the guitar comes in. The effect is incredibly fascinating.�
Have you thought about exchanging your guitar for a Roland TB 303?
�Hahahaha! Luckily, that won�t be necessary: I already have one! No, I would never give up the guitar completely, just use it in a new context.�
The song �Surrender� has a �foundation� consisting of ambient sounds on top of which you can hear the distorted sound of a guitar. Is that a modern form of the blues?
�On this album I tried to create completely different atmospheres. Sometimes the guitar sounds as though it�s coming from far away. Then I use it to produce strange sounds. When your listen to the CD you probably think these sounds come from a synthesizer!�
Do you know what your musical �fosterfather� Peter Green (ex-Fleetwood Mac) thinks about this excursion to the dance genre?
�I�m afraid I don�t. He did, however, tell me what he thought about my tribute album to him, �Blues For Greeny�. It disappointed him that the songs were so similar to the originals. That really surprised me, because that was the last thing I was trying to do. He even accused me of using his backing tracks!�
Can your fans from the heavy metal and hard rock days keep up with these constant changes of direction?
�I have no idea. They probably hate �A Different Beat�. What can I do about that? The worst thing for me to do is to make an album that makes everyone happy except ME. First of all, it wouldn�t be honest. And second, I would be forced to tamper with music that I hate for the rest of my life! By the way, I�m working on a new style again...�
What should your audience be prepared for next? Will you perhaps turn to jazz?
�Now, there�s an idea! No, seriously: I don�t know how to play jazz. I simply don�t have the necessary background knowledge. You know, I don�t even know how to read notes.�
Please, tell us what Gary Moore will sound like in 2001?
�My latest album was based on rhythms. Now, I would like to sound more melodic again. That�s not a great innovation � just something I haven�t done in a long time.�
When you look back on your life � is there something you regret?
�I once left Thin Lizzy in the middle of a tour. I had my reasons, of course, but it wasn�t a very nice thing to do. Today, I feel I should have stuck it out another couple of months. Above all, I�m thinking about Phil (Lynott. Died 1986, Editor�s remark). Because of this, we lost four precious years of our friendship; we didn�t speak to each other during all that time.�
When your time has come � what song will be played at your funeral?
�Well, I�m sure it won�t be any of MY songs: the people attending the funeral would definitely like to enjoy the fact that they�re finally rid of me, hahahah!�
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