A rock band used to be four guys and a drummer. Now it's five guys sitting around reading manuals!
But what I think my emphasis is, is on the fact that I like music a lot.
You learn so much about music from all the people you surround yourself with - good, bad and indifferent. It's extremely hard to be specific.
Drummers haven't managed to develop their individuality quite as well as guitarists have. We can be so focused on the nuts and bolts that we overlook the importance of individuality - the broader picture, if you will.
Entertainment is about telling everybody that everything is alright but music is on the side of the upsetters and that's where I'm at.
I listen to Bill Stewart play the drums and when I have finished doing that, I listen to Bill Stewart.
And I like messing around in the engine room of music. Seeing what happens in the rhythm section area.
We used to drink an awful lot of alcohol.
I don't really remember a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, really.
Holding on to some of your uniqueness is the trick instead of surrendering it at the Academy of Contemporary We're Gonna Make You a Star.
Close to the Edge, Red, One of a kind, Discipline, Earthworks, The Sound of Surprise, all seem to me to be albums that captured the essence of the intention.
Sometimes I had to room with Tony Kaye and that was awful.
I didn't write any music at all, and then, I remember Jon Anderson being very insistent saying that there were two kinds of musicians: the ones who wrote music and the ones who didn't. And clearly the ones who wrote music were more superior human beings in his mind. So he kind of nudged me and sort of prodded me into it. I picked it up slowly. Then I learned more about chords and harmony and I just kept adding to that. One of the great things about having good players in your band is that you just ask them questions. You can pick up some good information that way.
Plus I am being hounded by all the fabulous new drummers, Bill Stewart at the head of the pack.
The best practice you can get is on the bandstand, but in between gigs I feel I have to stay in shape.
If I was hearing something I couldn't do, I would figure out how to do it.
My harmony is passable but is usually made more eloquent at the hands of Steve Hamilton.
One of the great things about having good players in your band is that you just ask them questions. You can pick up some good information that way.
People come with expectations and as a bandleader I constantly try to remind the audience to leave its expectations in the lobby.
I seldom play in a trio, but acoustic music is likely to be lighter, quicker, and quieter.
So I have the classic amateur's technique; I know some very tricky bits and I have large gaping holes.
I practice at home, in between phone calls, and have much to do.
And we'd drink huge amounts of scotch and coke, which is a ghastly sweet drink... And now people don't drink nearly as much, for good reason. We're all a little wiser.
At the end of the whole day of working with people you want some privacy.
This amateurism however, can sometimes be helpful in forging a style; you have to work around your weaknesses.
