Show Notes
Adrian Utley is one of the most versatile and creative musicians the UK has produced. His work with artists such as Jeff Beck, Patti Smith and Glenn Branca is testament to this. Shooting to prominence in the mid 1990s with Portishead, Adrian's beautifully judged, nuanced playing - with its unique jazz and soul sensibilities - set the band apart from their contemporaries in what would become known as the trip-hop scene. Dummy, Portishead's debut album, would go multi-platinum. The band continues to have a lasting influence in terms of production values, musicianship and sheer style. Adrian accepted an invitation to join me for this episode of Life on the Fretboard after an online conversation about our shared love of the work of Fred Frith - a pioneer in the improvised and exploratory music scene. Shortly after, I was invited to film an original 1958 Gibson Flying V. Those of you familiar with my work will understand my trepidation to go it alone with a guitar that was so far out of my comfort zone, so I asked Adrian if he'd like to join me in exploring one of the rarest and pointiest electric guitars known to humanity. I was a little taken aback at the speed with which he accepted. I made a video of us exploring that Flying V: https://youtu.be/VM95mN7eDC0 Once we had finished with the pointy beast, we sat down to record this conversation. Adrian shares his memories of working with Jeff Beck and Glenn Branca and we talk about Adrian's love of all guitars, from vintage L-5s to dumpster-find acoustics. We also chat about learning to love limitations, the Fender Jazzmaster, the best footwear for wah-wah pedal usage, and that solo from the song "Glory Box." Here's a reminder if you need one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnMTK8EdsOc I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Be advised there is adult language throughout. This episode of Life on the Fretboard was brought to you by the kind sponsorship of Elixir Strings https://www.elixirstrings.com. I use Phosphor Bronze 12-53s on all my acoustic guitars We are also brought to you by Microtech Gefell Microphones https://www.microtechgefell.de I used a pair of their M300 small diaphragm models to record this interview and you're hearing my voice on the M930 model. To support this podcast please use this Tip Jar link https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745 Your Host, Michael Watts https://www.michaelwattsguitar.com https://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwattsguitar https://www.instagram.com/michael.watts.guitar/ Learn more about the Fretboard Journal and our new, 53rd issue here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com
More from Life on the Fretboard with Michael Watts
Andy McKee exploded to prominence in 2006 with this video of his track "Drifting," released on the nascent CandyRat record label.
Martin Simpson is a true icon of the global acoustic music scene. As a guitarist, he has done a huge amount to push the boundaries of the acoustic steel string instrument - showing it can be an expressive and lyrical voice. As a songwriter, he is a masterful storyteller whose poignant lyrics are shared with a disarmingly gentle, no-frills delivery that makes those of us who grew up in the North of England very glad to have done so, and everyone who didn't wish that they had.
Rob Luft is a rising star of the European jazz guitar scene whose intricate and lyrical playing melds textures from around the world into a striking musical voice. Rob is an extraordinarily creative person and a bit of a chameleon, home with everything from soulful standards and improvised fusion madness to Balkan time signatures and the joyful lines of Congolese soukous. He has even composed and performed pieces for electric guitar with a full orchestra, which is very cool and unusual, to borrow a phrase from Martin Simpson. We talk about Rob's formative years - growing up in the rich cultural mix of South East London and his early exposure to mind-blowing music by the greats of the jazz scene. The first live gig he ever saw pretty much sealed the deal...you'll find out why. We discuss the blank canvas that is the electric guitar and the use of effects in jazz - which leads to a poetic diatribe from Rob on the subject of loud footswitches and his love for ancient Boss pedals. Rob shares the challenges of playing in different contexts, from a perfectly timed 45-minute free jazz set to high-volume open-air festival gigs where all your fancy chord voicings disappear into the wind. We discuss the importance of playing the lyric of the song and living a life untainted by the seductive power of the pentatonic blues scale. Rob speaks eloquently on the subject of ear training and sight reading. It could save your life someday! I really enjoyed this conversation. Rob is thoughtful, quick and (thanks to years working at a radio station) has impeccable mic technique! I also captured Rob's impromptu performance of the Johnny Green classic "Body and Soul." I hope you enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDa3qpLPgkI You join us on a beautiful summer's day at my studio in the Sussex countryside. It was one of the only really hot sunny days that we had in 2024 and at the start of this chat you'll hear a familiar sound at this time of year https://robluft.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/robluftjazz/ Thank you for listening and thanks to Jason Verlinde and the Fretboard Journal team, my sponsors Microtech Gefell Microphones. Life On The Fretboard is a Michael Watts production for Fretboard Journal - accept no substitute. To support Life On The Fretboard please click here https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745 Michael Watts: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwattsguitar Instagram https://www.instagram.com/michael.watts.guitar/ Website https://michaelwattsguitar.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com
Claire Tole-Moir is Head of Popular Culture at Bonhams, the world-famous auction house in London. On a daily basis, she is in direct contact with some of the most iconic and culturally impactful works of modern art, sculpture, photography, film and artist memorabilia of the last century. So if you fancy a Man Ray photograph; a golden ticket from the original Charlie and The Chocolate Factory film; if you've got your eye on John Lennon's mosaic swimming pool; or maybe Roger Moore's silver Dupont cigar lighter, Claire and her team can make that happen for you. All you have to do is submit the winning bid. And then, there are the guitars… Let me tell you about the guitars! We're talking serious instruments owned by iconic musicians: The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Joy Division, Radiohead, Judas Priest, Jeff Beck, Slash, Peter Green...the list is ever-growing. Which to my mind begs the question: What's it like, being responsible for the sale of guitars that have changed the history of modern music and impacted our global culture on a seismic level? Well, there's only one way to find out! I met up with Claire Tole-Moir at Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. There was a palpable sense of excitement as it had recently been made public that Bonhams is about to handle the sale of one of the most immediately recognizable guitars on earth, Rory Gallagher's extraordinary Fender Stratocaster! Yes, THAT STRAT! I think you'll agree that's pretty awesome. So join us now at Bonhams in the heart of London to find out more. This episode is sponsored by Guitar Tech Courses - an online treasure trove of information created by British luthier James Collins which will guide you through the set up and maintenance of your beautiful instruments. Follow the affiliate link here and you can also support the podcast. https://www.guitartechcourses-academy.com/p/guitar-pro-setup/?affcode=1348382_dohdjpdf Speaking of which - thank you to everyone who has used the Tip-Jar link to make a donation. Life On The Fretboard is a one-man show: I do literally everything and your support is as encouraging as it is appreciated. If, and only if, you have enjoyed this episode then please do consider making a donation via this link https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745 You can see more about this and future auctions at Bonhams right here: Bonhams Popular Culture https://www.bonhams.com/department/COL-ENT/popular-culture/ Bonhams Popular Culture Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bonhamspopularculture/ Claire Tole-More Instagram https://www.instagram.com/claire.tole.moir/ Michael Watts: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwattsguitar Instagram https://www.instagram.com/michael.watts.guitar/ Website https://michaelwattsguitar.com
Lord of the Les Paul and Mariscal of the Marshall Stack, Scott Gorham shot to worldwide prominence with the legendary rock band Thin Lizzy. He created what would become known subsequently as "The Twin Guitar Attack" - a harmonised lead guitar style developed alongside players such as Brian Robertson and Gary Moore, driving home the larger-than-life persona of frontman and bass player Phil Lynott. At the height of their powers, Thin Lizzy were a world-straddling colossus of a band - hard rocking for sure but real songwriters, too. And just incredible live! I caught up with Scott at what used to be Olympic Recording Studios in Barnes (Led Zeppelin, Queen, Lizzy ... they all made records there). It's now a cinema complex and restaurant with a private members club hidden away for those in the know. We talk about Scott's early exposure to the guitar and live music, his relocation from California to London, and an audition for Thin Lizzy which I suspect would have broken most of us. We discuss the iconography of Gibson's Les Paul model. In particular, the heavily supervised shopping trip for the mini-humbucker Deluxe model with which Scott has become synonymous. We go deep on the semantics of scratch plates, amplifiers the size of a family SUV, and what happens when your guitar gets famous without you. But it wasn't all gold tops, champagne and caviar, life in Thin Lizzy could be tempestuous and Scott is candid about the darker times including how golf helped with the pain of recovery from addiction. Hey, if it works… right? We talk in depth about Scott's secret double life as a visual artist, discuss two of the rarest materials in the universe and share a fond hope that benevolent extraterrestrial life might just have our backs after all. Now, what no-one knew - because he had kept it a secret from the world - is that Scott Gorham is an extremely skilled artist and some of his extraordinarily detailed pencil drawings from the Thin Lizzy period have been rediscovered and are now available as fine art prints. He's had his first gallery showing and it's all going rather well. You can see more here: https://scottgorhamworld.com Take a look at Pain, Curiosity and Apocalypse, three works that we discuss in detail. Be advised - the language gets a little fruity as we progress. It doesn't get too awful, but listeners with delicate sensibilities or the under-fives should proceed with caution. This episode was brought to you by the kind sponsorship of Guitar Tech Courses. Founded by British luthier James Collins (himself a graduate of the prestigious Galloup School of Guitar Making in Michigan) and an accredited repair technician for Gibson guitars for several years now, Guitar Tech Academy offers an online archive of instructional videos covering the maintenance and set-up of just about every modern guitar design from the wrap-around bridge of a '54 Goldtop to Bigsbys, Strat and Tele bridges, acoustics and archtops, too. It's all there. James will guide you through the theory and practice of setting up your guitar for your playing - follow this link https://www.guitartechcourses-academy.com and sign up today - you will never have sounded better! Join me next time for a chat with Superstar auctioneer Claire Tole-Moir of Bonhams London, who has been responsible for the sale of iconic instruments used by Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Slash, Ian Curtis and many more! A Fretboard Journal Podcast. https://www.fretboardjournal.com