| 1. What are you currently up
to? |
27.09.03 10.15am Waiting to enter Euro Tunnel on first date of
European tour, "The Road to Tilburg" as Bob & Bing may have put it.
|
| 2.
What has been the highlight(s) and lowpoints(s) of your career
to date?
|
The high - finding an audience for my extremely complicated brand of
music.
The low - seeing my 1957 Les Paul in two halves after it was knocked
off a stand by accident in Sitthard as they had seen fit to mount an
agricultural show in the same venue, same day... road crew under
pressure... etc etc...
|
| 3. How did you first get into the music business? Who have been your
main influences on your career to date?
|
A day trip to Calais... pass round the cap for the young Harmonica
player aged about 8... All music has been influential, from Hank to
Handel, somewhere lies Hackett.
|
| 4. Could you take us through some personal highlights of your new
album, 'To Watch The Storms'?
|
I had a lot of fun with the whole album - very proud of the woodwind
arrangements on Serpentine Song for instance.
|
| 5. You've covered many styles of music. Which have proved the most
challenging and who would you like to work with in the future?
|
Orchestral work is most satisfying & challenging as I'm self-taught.
My idea of heaven is that when musicians die they all end up in the
same band... but perhaps that would be hell.
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| 6. You are about to embark on your first large UK tour in almost
ten years. What do you think the reaction will be from fans? What sort of setlist can the fans expect?
|
Ticket sales would imply that staying off the road in this country
for ten years is very good for the box office. I expect the reaction
from audiences to range from complete bafflement to sheer delight...
|
| 7. How healthy is the UK progressive rock scene? Has it seen a
revival in interest along the lines of mainland Europe or do you still find your biggest markets are overseas?
|
I never considered myself in a category as I've approached most forms
by now. I leave 'movements' such as 'Prog' to others. Markets I leave
to the marketing department - I'm only interested in music - I just
make a noise for a living.
|
| 8. How come there was never a second GTR album? Did the band work
well as a unit?
|
GTR had a hit album in the USA and a bankrupt company in the UK to
fund it. In other words, it was impossible in the long term.
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| 9. What do you do in your spare time outside of music?
|
I make sure I have a life outside music. I try to stay fit, read, and wish I was more practical... but you can't have everything...
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| 10. Message to your fans...
|
The message is 'Be true to yourself... It's never too late to become a
genius at anything... The worst that can happen is only death... so
isn't it about time you cheered up, love your old pal, Steve'
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