French Version

Steve WALWYN - Interview 25 Juin 2009

1. You are here today in a beautiful place, called "Le Château de la Verrerie" in Le Creusot for the Blues Festival, what do you think of this place ?


It's very beautiful and I was looking on the website of the concerts yesterday and I saw the house and it's even better in real life, of course.

AM : And you saw the different paintings all around.

Yes, and the special buildings outside, the shaped like cones which I understand were previously glass factories.

AM : That's it.

Yes, very interesting.




2. You're in the band till 1989.




Exactly.

AM : As the guitarist of Dr Feelgood.

Yes.

Do you remember why you have decided to join the band ?

Well, I have been a fan since I was at school and I remember a friend coming to my house with Dr Feelgood's first album and he said : 'You must listen to this, you must listen to this' and I did listen to it and I became a fan and after that, many years after that, I was in a band called The DT's in England and we played with Dr Feelgood several times and became friends. And when the previous guitar player to me, which was Gordon Russell decided to leave, I got a call : Are you interested ? and I said well I've to check with my diary first, so that was in June 1989.



3. If you haven't played in Dr Feelgood what other bands would you have loved to join ?


I don't know, I've never thought about that. Well, I can say that I did play with one of my heros before I joined Dr Feelgood, in that I played together with Steve Marriott, just before he died from 1987 to 1989, so but after that I didn't have really much time to think about any other band to be honest.





4. Why have you chosen to play the guitar instead of an other instrument ?


Good question. I think my first inspiration was Rory Gallagher. I bought a Rory Gallagher album "Live in Europe" which I think was 1971 maybe, and I was just completely blown away by this album. I even play it now, I can play all the songs, all guitar solos and I think that was the moment where I thought : 'I want to do that', so thanks Rory !






5. What is your favourite guitar ?



My favourite guitar is the one, I don't have it here today, because I don't take it on airplanes now but it is a 1967 Fender Telecaster. I had it since 1976, I bought it in 76, second hand. It's very old, it's very worn, it's been broken twice and repaired, but it's my guitar !




6. What is your best memory as a member of Dr Feelgood ?



Oh, (laughing) my god ! Hm, probably, one of the first gigs, which was in London, at a venue called 'The Town and Country Club' and I didn't know this, the day before, I didn't know that this concert was going to be filmed. So I came to the venue and did the sound check and then I realized there were cameras everywhere, TV cameras. But it was just a fantastic gig, a fantastic gig and it's also, I can rewatch it because it's on DVD now. That was good memory.

AM : What is the worst one ?

The worst one. Well, are you talking about gigs and concerts ? There have been a few gigs where, maybe for some reason, there haven't been many people, but I can't think of a really, really one really bad remembrance you know, no, I can't think of one...I'll think about that, next question, please !




7. In 2003 you cycled from Cornwall to Scotland.


I did.

AM : So you did 1000 miles.

Yes, that's right.

AM : To raise money for the Down's Syndrome Association.

For the second time.

AM : Yes because in 2004 you did a cycling tour through Spain too.

Yes.

AM : Was it for the same association ?

No.

AM : Just for fun ?

Just for pleasure. Yes.

AM : Pleasure, okay. Do you wish to organize a new cycling trip like these ones in a near future ?

Yes, but I can also tell you about one I did before in 1986. I did the same trip from Land's End to John o'Groats...Cornwall to Scotland.... and that was for a different charity, it was for a charity which trains dogs for blind people which is in my town they do that, and I had a friend at that time who worked there so I thought that would be a good thing to do, but I have a trip this week. (laughing)

AM : This week ?

When I go home on Sunday, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday I will be cycling cross England but not for charity.

AM : Just for fun.

Just for fun. Yes.

AM : And you will take photos ?

Oh yes.

AM : And put them on your website ?

I hope so, yes. I hope it doesn't rain ! (laughing)



8. In 2010 from Friday 5th March to Sunday 7th March there will be a Weekend Break, called "Down at the Doctors".



Yes.

AM : Can you speak about it ?

We are invited people to a hotel on Canvey Island which is the base of the band really. It's partly owned by the band's manager, who has been with the band right from the start and if people want to come they can come and stay at the hotel and we will have dinner with them and we will play an acoustic set and also an electric set and we will just be around for people. We are very approachable, is that right ? we don't mind being...we're not stars.

AM : You don't want to be a star ?

I'm too old, now ! (laughing)

AM : Do you want to be a legend ?

No. (laughing) So, it's just a week-end for real Feelgood's fans and they can visit some of the places associated with the early band for example the pubs they used to play in, in the old days, and different locations which where on the album covers we would take them to those places, it's also, it's a kind of an association with the Lee Brilleaux memorial which we have every year, so it's a similar kind of thing but it's two days instead of one.

AM : I read on your website that every year there is something for Lee Brilleaux.

Yeah.

AM : On his memory and I think it's great and a lot of fans come.

And all the money goes to charity, it goes to a hospital which was looking after Lee when he was ill.

AM : And it was on April 7th 1994, the day Lee Brilleaux died.

Yes.

AM : Of course it was a shock for everybody, a very sad and bad news for the members of Dr Feelgood.

Yes.

AM : And I read that each year there is a memorial day in Canvey Island, so this year it was on May 8th.

Yes it's normally on the Friday which is closest to Lee's birthday, which is the 10th May, so which ever the Friday is closest to that's...that's when it is.

AM : Thank you Steve.