Interview q on powerpoint
- 1. When did you first start learning how to play the guitar? I first started learning how to play the guitar. I was in Florida well I have loads of family in Florida and my dad’s Canadian and my mum and dad was here and my brothers here. So erm went to Florida and went into a guitar shop when I was like 12 and I was like that is sweet that guitar I want to buy it and my dad was like you messing if you want a guitar we will get it at home. My dad’s always played the guitar all his life since he was like 16 and we always had them around the house so I just got home and he handed me a guitar and then he went out one night and came back and I had learnt how to play highway to hell but really awfully and he was like how did you learn that an I was just like well you know. So I was basically 12 and I have just continuously played since then like 4 hours a day.
- 2. So did you teach yourself how to play? I remember my dad just being like one day, trying to show me something and then he went can you play this an then I just completely had him off and I was like 14 I felt so bad after it because he was like yeah that was good that. He completely self taught and but obviously I’m self taught by using tabs on the internet and YouTube and like just work it out from there. It was pretty inevitable that I was going to learn anyway because I was always trying to learn from like 8 and my dad would be like I’ll show you this and id be like ahh sweet ill do it.
- 3. Why did you choose the guitar as an instrument to play? I chose the guitar because there was loads around the house so it was pretty simple plus it’s like definitely the coolest instrument ever. It was just like easier because I know my dad was a guitarist so I he would buy me guitars when I get a bit better cos then he can play them as well like this one he bought he doesn’t even get to play I play but like he payed for it all. It was just the more accessible one for me.
- 4. What bands have you been in? We were beautiful I was in a function band i don’t know what we were called it was something stupid and now I’m in high violet and the band with no name.
- 5. Did you ever sing and play the guitar, which do you prefer? I do at home but that’s literally it. There have been times where I’ve had to do backing or like sing on recording. I’ve never in my life other than in front of my parents actually got a guitar and sung while playing as an artist. I just don’t like singing in front of people it would make me feel awkward I just couldn’t do it. There’s been a time where I’ve just been singing to myself like while setting up not playing the guitar as well but people have been like we will have to get you to sing an I’ve been like no. I can’t even look at the crowd like while playing the guitar
- 6. Did you ever feel less important by just playing the guitar in the band and not being the lead singer? No because the lead singer was quite small and quite chubby so the lead singer never got really much like... I used to feel a bit like because everyone always goes up to the lead singer to say that was boss that like the sound techs and stuff they never really go up to the guitarists I don’t like being the front I just couldn’t do it I just like playing the guitar and that’s it. I felt like that sometimes in high violet.
- 7. How does it differ playing the guitar as a soloist? I’ve never really done any solos I’ve busked with someone and its like similar to doing a solo like someone singing an me playing the guitar suppose it would be different if it was just me because I don’t like that. I don’t mind when there’s 3 other lads there and when u play u can’t even see the crowd id hate every looking at me I couldn’t deal with that and you wouldn’t have anyone to rely on. I literally rely on other people with no drummer I wouldn’t be able to keep in time and if you mess up it’s completely your fault.
- 8. If you could play in any band who would it be and why? I’d make a super group with Freddy Murphy and queen I’d like to be in any band that are earning money as long as it wasn’t anything weird like mcbusted id make a super group id have Freddy Murphy signing id have Travis barker on drums just that.
- 9. What are your plans for the future? I’m going to carry on growing my beard and I’m going to push the band I’ve just started and get better on my guitar and hopefully buy more guitars and I don’t know what else really I don’t plan that far ahead will stick at uni and probably work this weekend and next weekend
- 10. Can you see yourself being successful in the future? Yeah erm I don’t know yeah I suppose the band I’ve just started is looking good already and we’ve only had one practice and we’ve got a manager lined up and were doing this thing where you write an albums worth of music and then you do your first gig when I was in we are beautiful we had like 2 practices and we hadn’t written any songs and Chris was like in 3 weeks we’ve got a gig s we need to write songs now and I was like omg and then you play your first gig and sound awful but what you’re supposed to do now is play your first gig and be amazing and everyone will be like where did these come from. So yeah I’d love to be successful.
- 11. Do you think you will join anymore bands? I’m in two already and I’m in uni and i work so i don’t have time to be in anymore even if i left one id just stick to the one band like it’s so difficult keeping up with two having to take my gear to two different places in Liverpool and learning two different sets of songs id have like 30 songs in one band and 30 in the other so id have like 60 different songs in my head which was so hard.
- 12. Who are your music inspirations? I don’t really have any Simon Neil pretty cool. When i was like 12/13 i just thought i needed to be slash i grew my hair all long and it was really curly then it kind of just worn off id say i still secretly wanna be slash its a difficult one. I used to like play the guitar exactly like slash like learn the style and everything but now it can’t work I’m in a band.