Having enjoyed the recent BBC documentary on “The Story of the Guitar” I happened upon the immensely talented guitarist and composer, Clive Carroll. To say he reminds me of a superb “slight-of-hand magician” is not an understatement. The attached video hopefully shows you my strange turn of phrase, it’s just WOW! You can see lots more of Clive in action below and after that we’ll speak with Clive to learn more about him…
1. What inspired your love of the guitar?
My parents are musicians and my Dad repaired guitars and banjos. There were always instruments lying around the house and I learnt trad tunes from my Dad when I was a kid. I realise now that I used the guitar as a form of escape from the real world and I got to meet lots of other musicians and play gigs from a very early age. It was an addiction.
2. What’s your new CD about and how long did it take to produce?
The new CD ‘Life in Colour’ is a collection of pieces written in various countries whilst on tour over the past four years. Quite often people write an album much more quickly at a certain place personally so the album has a distinctive feel. I’ve written like this too in the past but this time there are pieces written whilst on a complete high in Memphis for example, to times when I was feeling very different somewhere else!!
3. What was the last Festival you performed at and what was it like?It was the Ullapool Guitar Festival in the Highlands this October and for me it’s like coming home. The organisers here gave me my first solo gig in 1999 which I will be eternally grateful for as I have met many great friends there. This year there were lots of really good impromptu sessions too and I played a duo set with Stefan Grossman which was a bit surreal because up ‘til then I’d only heard him on vinyl!
4. What are your funniest and worst experiences performing in front of an audience?
Once I played a show in a Lincolnshire village and the presenter didn’t know who was coming on. Before I was asked on stage he asked the audience for a minutes silence after a death in the village and then he mistook the C for and O at the beginning of my name so I got announced as “Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome to the stage, Olive Carroll” … And this 6 ft fella walks on… That was pretty funny…
5. What are you most proud of and what dreams or goals would you like to fulfill?
Currently it’s this new album. In the future I want to write some more orchestral music and I would love to get that played live. I’ve been on the road since 1999 and there hasn’t been a lot of time to write larger works but now I feel I have to make time.
6. What’s the best and worst advice you have ever been given? And did you follow it?
Hmmm… I was told once that if I was going to succeed in the music business I had to play stuff that people know and not play my own music…. maybe just ‘slip one of my pieces in’ half way through the set. I didn’t follow that advice and although I haven’t made zillions of spondoolicks I get a huge amount of satisfaction knowing that people have come to the concert to hear my music.
7. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why?
How about the head of the RSPCA, the head of the Pro Hunting lot and Basil Brush. Maybe just leave them in the kitchen and see what they produce….
8. What is the best book or books you have read and why?
I read a lot of books on planes and if they’re not page turners I’ll drift off. So, with that in mind the last few I really enjoyed were, Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), Witch of Portobello (Paulo Coelho) and Hard Times (Charles Dickens).
9. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
I have a sister who is a fantastic guitar player and singer. I write all my music on paper first before learning it on the guitar. I listen to all the CDs that people send me. I can’t play after 15 pints of Guinness…. But I know some people who can. I’m currently driving everyone around me crazy because I’m learning the Fiddle.
10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I would like it to be compulsory that every child learns a musical instrument at school.
______________________
To see lots more of Clive in action check out his website, his MySpace and his YouTube web pages – just superb!
Tags: Clive Carroll, guitar hero, guitarist, guitars, Life in colour