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Backstage Pass |
with Ed Mitchell
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I've been wondering lately if I might be getting a bit old for this magazine lark. Well, Total Guitar in particular - I could always write for the People's Friend one day, if the money was good. The readers of Total Guitar are young - and that means much younger than me. Some of these kids weren't even born when Kurt Cobain topped himself back in 1994 for goodness sake. They no doubt find it hard to imagine a world without mobile phones and the Internet. In fact, their parents had probably just started dating when I began working in McCormacks back in April 1986. These young 'uns I speak of are my faithful readers and I'm old enough to be their father. And I'm only 36!
I wrote a piece for an industry trade magazine recently. In it I wanted to make music store workers, and their bosses, aware of the importance of young customers. I believe I made a good case for treating these first time buyers with respect and meeting their needs in an effort to keep them coming back. At the end of the feature I suggested that dealers should try to keep one step ahead of their customers by visiting trade shows - like the guys at Macs do - to predict the coming trends in musical instruments and also by checking out music television channels such as Kerrang! and MTV. You know, to see what the kids are into these days. Now, that is a good idea. Shame then, that I haven't been following my own advice!
You see. I'm a wee bit out of touch with the music scene. There I've said it. I feel better. And it happened so fast. One minute I was the font of all rock n roll knowledge, the next there was suddenly a million new genres of metal and I couldn't tell them apart. Embarrassing, as it was to admit, I didn't know my Grindcore from my Australian War Metal. How sad was I? Might as well pull on a cosy jumper and spin a Val Doonican record whilst sucking on a Werther's Original. Hmmm.creamy.
Luckily, I'm not employed for my knowledge of the current music scene. I was chosen for my writing skills and my expertise with gear. Not bragging, that's just a fact. And in this job my age is a bonus. Actually let's call it experience simply because, well, it makes me feel better. Those 19 years I spent in Macs turned me into the formidable gear hound that I am today! Told you I wasn't skiving John! More and more I realise just how important gaining that knowledge has been to my career. I get so many enquiries from young bucks looking for an in at the mag. you know, writing reviews for Total Guitar. Sadly the lack of experience is telling. Without sound product knowledge any reviewer, like any music store worker, is pretty much useless to the people that rely on them to steer them in the right direction. That's why it's tough to get new writers, and in particular gear reviewers, who can cut the mustard these days. If you want my job folks you need to start doing your homework.
So. I've made peace with being out of touch with the modern music scene. I know I can still be a useful member of society before they put me out to pasture. These days, I'm the guy the Total Guitar team turns to when they can't remember the name of The Who's bass player or which Beatle single came first. And that suits me just fine..
Thanks for listening. See you next month!
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| EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - NICK 13 from TIGER ARMY |
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This month I've got a treat for all the punks, rockabillies and psychobillies out there. I recently caught up with Nick 13, singer and guitarist of US band Tiger Army. You may have seen Tiger Army touring earlier this year as support for Morrissey or at one of the band's headlining shows. I saw them a few years ago in Glasgow supporting the mighty Dropkick Murphys and I was blown away. The band is currently in the studio recording the follow-up to III: Ghost Tigers Rise, a killer album that had the band firing on all cylinders. Enjoy this interview with Nick 13. And no, that's not his real surname.
Ed: How did you enjoy touring with Morrissey in the UK?
Nick 13: The reaction from Morrissey's crowd was very positive. We had some of our own fans there too but it was good to have a new audience to play to. They seemed to appreciate what we were doing. You're never sure how another artist's audience is going to take what you do. They way I looked at it: if they were fans of Morrissey then I knew that they had great taste in music!
How did you enjoy touring with Morrissey in the UK?
The reaction from Morrissey's crowd was very positive. We had some of our own fans there too but it was good to have a new audience to play to. They seemed to appreciate what we were doing. You're never sure how another artist's audience is going to take what you do. They way I looked at it: if they were fans of Morrissey then I knew that they had great taste in music! |
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Have you noticed a growth in interest in the band since you last toured the UK?
The first time we played here we supported the Dropkick Murphys and we had some fans at the shows but of course people were there to see the headliners. When we went back to the UK in early 2005 to play our own headlining shows I was really pleased to see how much our fanbase had grown. We get a lot of feedback from the UK now, which is great.
What are you guys doing at the moment?
We've been at home working on new material. We're hoping to get a new record out late this year or early next.
Do you manage to do much writing on the road?
It's funny. before I started touring I didn't think writing was something I could do on the road. Things can really come to you at the oddest times, whether it's a guitar riff or a melody or a lyric. And sometimes the boredom you experience between shows can be a great thing for writing. If you're just sitting around with the band on the tour bus sometimes little pieces of songs can come to you. You grab a guitar and a sheet of paper and those things do get used when you get home. You see, much of being on tour is waiting around!
For more information on Tiger Army visit the band online at (you guessed it) http://www.tigerarmy.com |
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| | Back
Issues of Backstage Pass... |
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You can now view back issues of
'Backstage Pass' below...
AUGUST 2005
- Interview with Noodles from 'The Offspring
SEPTEMBER 2005
- Summer Naam Report, Interview with Richie Sambora
OCTOBER 2005
- Interview with Les Paul, Playing tips from Brian
Setzer
NOVEMBER 2005
- Interviews with Jonathan Davies and Hugh Burns
DECEMBER 2005
- Interview with Steve Stevens
JANUARY 2006
- Interview with George Thorogood
FEBRUARY 2006
- NAAM Show Roundup - Deke Dickersons Guitar Geek Show
MARCH 2006
- Exclusive Joe Perry Interview
APRIL 2006
- Exclusive interview with Roddy Byers
MAY 2006
- Exclusive interview with Hank Williams III
JUNE 2006
- Exclusive interview with Morrissey guitarist Boz Boorer
JULY/AUGUST 2006
- Exclusive Summer NAMM Report
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
- Exclusive Interview with Tim Armstrong from Rancid
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McCormacks
Musical Instruments
Ltd. - 29-35
Bath
Street -
Glasgow - G2
1HT
Tel. 0141 332 6644 -
Fax. 0141 353 3095 - E-mail
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info@mccormacks-music.com
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