2015.10.21 - Front Row Ravers - Interview with Gilby

Interview : Gilby Clarke and Friends

By SHASHWATH SP

With the rising rock scene in India, we’ve been fortunate to have had some Huge names in the industry come down!

Gilby Clarke is one of those massive names, as you all know. Being a part of Guns and Roses, for a short while, he has spread his love for music all around the world! The Owl was really excited to interview him and here’s how it went.

First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Front Row Ravers and our mascot The Owl for taking some time out for this interview. Hope you are loving your maiden visit to India? How does it feel to be here?

GILBY– To be here it’s great! It’s my first trip to India and It’s been fun. People are very sweet, very caring, and very nurturing. And that’s a nice change for us.

With a strong experience extending for more than 2 decades now, The Owl wants to know what exactly drives you now to make music? You have witnessed it all, the transformations in the music industry. What is the mantra behind you still going strong?

GILBY– *laughs* Times have changed. The music is totally different from when we started before.

It’s my job. It’s how I make a living. The hard part is being true to yourself and earn a living, and that’s really hard these days now. There are all kinds of ways of adapting and adjusting to current fashion and things like that. I have no problem of growing as a musician and trying new things. We need to be creative to go with the flow. To me, it fucks with the integrity. To me, it is important that you be yourself, keep your integrity and just keep trying. There’s going to be good years and bad years as well. It’s just the way it is.

Can you tell us something more about Guns N Roses? How did it all start? You joined them before the ‘Use Your Illusions’ tour back in 1993?

GILBY– I can’t really tell you anything new, it’s been 25 years and the stories have all been told . When I joined the band it was a popular band. It was easier for me coming in as the band was successful. What was hard was, fitting in the group that had already existed personality wise, musically and things like that. I was a good match, my guitar playing fit, my image fit and my personality fit. These are the key things that don’t usually fit always.

They enjoyed having new blood around too. The easy stuff was, we were playing sold out Concerts and records were selling. The hard part is when records aren’t selling, and Concerts aren’t selling.

There is some mystery associated with how your journey with Guns N Roses ended. Would you elaborate on that, please?

GILBY– Well, really simple, Axle one day just wanted to change things up. I honestly didn’t know what he wanted to do. He never talked to me directly, I always dealt with SLASH. There was one week I was in the band and then the next week he was just pissed off with something. And finally one day, the cheques stopped coming. That’s how it all ended.

You are still in touch with Slash and have collaborated with him on numerous occasions? Can you just give a small lowdown on what kind & how is he as a person, friend, and a guitarist?

GILBY– Slash nowadays is very different from the Guns N Roses slash. Back then everyone was a lot younger abusing alcohol and drugs. It was a different time then. Now, everybody is grown as a person, now we all have families. Deep down all of us still enjoyed playing music. Slash is a great guy. If you met him at an airport he would say ‘Hey! What’s going on?’ But obviously he’s more famous now than he was with Guns N Roses. He can’t just walk into a bar or a restaurant and hangout, that’s hard for him, he’s too famous now. But still he’s the same person.

You have a fantastic solo career of more than 15+ years now and seven albums with some big record labels.After Guns N Roses, did you think that you would have such a long solo career or you were just taking some time off before joining/forming a new group?

GILBY– The reality is No. I only made a solo record cause at that time we were writing songs for the Guns N Roses record and I gave those songs to them, and they said we don’t want them. So I went and made my own record. And then things started to change, nobody was in the band anymore and I needed to do something. I couldn’t go from a band like Guns N Roses and play guitar for another band, so I made my own band. I never set out to play a solo career. It just evolved.

You are like this well-learned student of ‘Rock N Roll’ with some amazing songwriting skills. What or who inspires you for this?

GILBY– Thank you.

Wow! That’s a hard one! *laughs*

John Lennon is a great writer to me. Also, Jagger/ Richards are great writers too. I like the way how every song is different from the other. When I’m writing a song, all I really think of is about the song and nothing else.

Talking about songwriting ‘ Cure Me or Kill Me’ is one of Owl’s favorite compositions. Can you please tell us the story behind this one! What prompted you to write it?

GILBY– It was our last song for the Pawn Shop Guitar label. We needed one more song for the album. I had the riff but it sounded a little blues so I started playing it with the band and the band kicked it into what it became. The title came from Duff, one day we were sitting backstage at the Guns N Roses show, and I was having a bad day, and I said ‘Somebody is going to Cure me or kill me’ and he pointed out that it would be a good song title.

You are touring India with a set of friends here. We would like you to introduce them to our Indian fans.

GILBY– Troy Patrick Farell is playing drums, who’s played with White Lions, Enuff Z’Nuff and a couple of other bands.

EJ Curse is the bass player, who’s played with Silent rage and White Lions too.

What advice would you prescribe to young budding guitarists and musicians to achieve a maximum of their musical journeys?

GILBY– Be Original. Be creative. Don’t try to just copy. It’s okay to have influences. But just don’t be your own influence. Try to come out with something creative and new.

Thanks, Gilby it was indeed special to have you doing this interview and before we close we have our popular rapid fire, The Fast Five:

1. Your best gig till date?

GILBY– With my solo band when we opened for Aerosmith back in the 90’s

2. Favourite Guitarist?

GILBY– That’s a hard one. Probably Jimmy Page. And I like Rick Derringer, Mick Ronson, Mick Taylor. There are a lot of guys I like!

3. Which was your first guitar?

GILBY– Gibson Les Paul

4. Your favorite artists or bands?

GILBY– A lot of my opinion changes over time. Sometimes it’s the Rolling Stone, sometimes David Bowie and then the Beatles.

5. One person dead / alive, you would like to go on a dinner with?

GILBY– Keith Richards. Come-On, doesn’t Everybody? *laughs*

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