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Q: I
notice from pictures from the first leg of the tour that it seems like
you and Sting have been pretty much wearing the same outfits
throughout. Is that part of the overall stage presentation that's been
planned by a stylist or can you guys wear whatever you want? - from
Kevin
A: We
don't wear the same clothes every night although I often wear black
because it's what orchestral musicians wear and I am kind of like in
one. I haven't been paying attention to what Sting has been wearing.
We wear what we want and nobody takes the slightest bit of notice.
Q: Do you
have any influence on the setlist that is played on the tour or is the
decision made by Sting alone? In Cologne you mentioned you would like
to reintroduce Hounds of Winter. Any chance to hear the song on this
tour? - from Stephan
A:
Sometimes I do have an influence over the set list but Sting always
has the last word. We have rehearsed 'Hounds of Winter' and hopefully
will do it soon.
Q: Having
played all over the world, what are your top 5 favourite auditoriums
to play in? Is there a particular venue you haven't played yet, but
would like to? - from Kevin
A: My top
five venues are Plaza de Toros (Madrid), Albert Hall (London), The
Roman amphitheatre in Verona, The Olympia theatre (Paris) and Joe's
Pub (NY). But the truth is that it's down to the atmosphere and that
could be anywhere.
Q: How do
you prepare to work with musicians you haven't played with before when
you have to prepare for a gig on short notice (such as your TV gig
with the Living Colour guys) Do you give them a setlist and your CDs
to learn the songs? How much time and guidance do they have from you
to prepare? - from Kevin
A: To
prepare for something like this is mainly to be mentally focused. This
can be helped by having rough chord charts which I provided. These
usually change as they are only a guide.
Q: I
believe it was during 'Forget About The Future' that you inserted a
riff from 'Jeremiah Blues' during the spring tour. I also remembering
hearing you do something similar with 'Spirits In the Material World'
during 'Roxanne' last week. For me, this is the sort of creativity
that makes your live performance so captivating - is this something
that you tend to experiment with in soundchecks, and do you find that
as a tour goes on, that you tend to do this even more? - from Jock
A: Yes we
do experiment a lot on stage (more than people realise). When we find
a good idea we do it for a few shows until we find it's time to move
to another one. This keeps it interesting for all of us. I like using
different musical references in his songs.
Q: I'm a
piano-player from Berlin. I'm a big Sting-Fan and love the actual band
and your guitar-style. The transparency of the sound of the band is
great. Is there a special method, how you arrange the piano, keyboard
and guitar parts with Jason and Kipper, that they don't "clash"? -
from Mark
A: The key
to using two different keyboard players is to have parts that
compliment each other. Kipper plays the more 'produced' parts and
Jason is more of a loose cannon. I also like 'Dienda'. I believe Kenny
was a real genius. I miss him.
Q: What
was your first paying gig? Did it go well? - from Michael
A: My
first paying gig was when I was 16, in Wisconsin, at some kind of
luncheon which I can't remember too well. I think I got $15.
Q: You are
obviously a great guitarist, but you also bring something else to the
stage. The way you interact with the audience brings a dimension to
the concert that has a way of making the audience feel like they are
part of the concert. The way you make eye contact and are willing to
interact is refreshing. Is this something you have developed or is it
natural for you? - from Tammie
A: One
thing I can't tolerate watching is when musicians or performers behave
as if they are superior to an audience thereby ignoring them. The
reason we are there is because you are so interaction is only natural
for me. I genuinely love the audience even if they are there not to
see me but Sting.
Q: You
have been playing the same songs with many different but incredible
amazing musicians as Vinnie Colaiuta, D. Sancious, Manu Katché, etc. I
wonder if you needed to change your style or something in your way to
play the guitar playing with different musicians. And I wonder if this
has been an obstacle or it have been a great experience for you and
why? - from Xaloc
A: It is
always a challenge playing with different musicians because your role,
as always, is to try and compliment their playing in the way you do.
This is something that is already known or felt with all the people
you mention. I always learn by playing with different people.
Particularly about my weaknesses which I work on.
Q: What
are you thinking about while performing? Is it about chords or notes
you are about to play? Or is there a bit of fear - not to screw up
some difficult part of a song? Or maybe you're not thinking about your
own play, but rather something like: "Wow! This guy (Sting) is singing
really good!"? from Arturs
A: I think
about the strangest things like have I fetched the washing, or did I
remember to call my daughter today to where are we to wow this sounds
good!
Q: What do
you feel when you are playing in front of so many people? My favourite
Sting songs are 'Fragile', 'Fields of Gold' and 'Shape Of My Heart'.
What is the song that you most like to play? Some of the names of your
songs are related to Buenos Aires. Why? - from Myriam
A: I like
those songs too. I co-wrote 'Shape Of My Heart' so that one is
particularly close to my heart. To me there is equal merit to playing
in a stadium or a club. It's all about the experience. The reason I
sometimes use BA references in my tunes is because I was born there
and lived in Hurlingham until I was 11. I went to school in Cordoba.
Q: What's
the funniest thing that's ever happened to you on stage? - from Kevin
A: Hmmm,
funniest thing... I think it must be when we played in San Francisco
on the 'Mercury Falling' tour and a fan came up to me while I was
playing who was on the phone and asked me to say hi to her boyfriend
(who couldn't be there) which I did and the audience noticed. He
couldn't believe it was me!
Q: I think
one of the best skills you have is that you definitely know the value
of letting some spaces in between a progression. I mean being aware
that a silence can be as important as any other note on music. As it
is an obvious temptation to fill a song with more and more elements
when one plays it everyday, how do you avoid 'overplaying'? - from
Julio
A: With
live playing it is important to know what your limitations are.
Actually, limitations or restrictions can be quite helpful and
creative. For instance if I have no strings I arrange the tunes
differently. The songs must evolve to make them interesting. If you
give an artist only two colours to work with he can sometimes do more
or be more creative. Spaces are important when playing live because
they give the listener a chance to use their imaginations.
Q: I get
quite nervous playing in front of an audience. As a seasoned
performer, maybe you don't experience butterflies much anymore, but
when it happens, how do you deal with nerves? Do you have a specific
routine you follow before each show to mentally prepare you for those
2 hours on stage? I'm curious as to how various musicians spend those
final 30 minutes before performing... - From Kevin
A: Very
interesting topic. Yes I still do sometimes get nervous. Actually,
nerves is a good thing which shows a sign of respect to your
surroundings. I can't tolerate anything more than seeing an over
confident musician on stage. When you are nervous you play with more
sensitivity. My secret, or formula is to be as relaxed as possible
leading up to a show. Perhaps reading a book, practicing Bach or
playing chess. Five minutes before I go on I do get butterflies which
I deal with doing some stretches. All I do when I get on stage is just
try to remember that I am here to provide pleasure, not pain. I find
it helps to try and lose yourself in the music as though there were no
one there. Once you conquer that, open your eyes and sort of look
through peoples faces and into their hearts. It helps me play with
more emotion. Everyone is different but this works for me.
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