Sometimes amazing opportunities come along, only to be derailed by the failure of technology.
That is what happened to me this week.
Backstory: A good friend of mine in high school introduced me to the music of the Scorpions. He had the album “Lovedrive” on vinyl. I loved it, and proceeded to go through their back catalog. One album I purchased was their double-live “Tokyo Tapes”.
And of course, on that album was Ulrich Roth.
So needless to say, when I heard that guitar legend Uli Jon Roth (born Ulrich Roth) was coming to Vancouver, I was pretty excited. Naturally I put in to cover the show for review and photos, but amazingly enough, I was also offered a chance to interview Uli over the phone.
The day came and I had my recording device, an iPhone 5, ready to go when his team called. I pressed record, the indicator came on to confirm recording, and off we went, talking about all sorts of things. Amazing.
Then I came back to the file to transcribe it. It wouldn’t play. I tried several work arounds. No real help from Apple Support. Then I finally got it to go.
No waveform, no audio. A file over 33 minutes long and nothing. Heartsick.
So I’m going to have to summarize, from memory. I didn’t even save my interview questions. Argh.
Uli is a very well spoken man, with a slight hint of a German accent. I told him about how, instead of taking a French class in high school, that I chose to take German. Our instructor was great, and she encouraged the class to bring in any music by German artists. So, for the majority of the class (1982) that could only name Nena, I subjected them to the Tokyo Tapes. Two of us in the class enjoyed it. Uli thought this anecdote was quite amusing. He then told me how that album came out just after he had left the band. I expressed how looking back, I could hear the dichotomy between styles and it made sense as Uli was clearly going a different musical direction. He agreed completely.
We talked about musical influences and Uli expressed how he really didn’t listen to other artists. We agreed that the teens to early twenties seems to be formative for most people and discussed the Hendrix connection to Vancouver. It is clear Uli is as much influenced by Hendrix’s innovation in general as to the material itself.
This lead to talking about his guitars, and how initially the fret modifications he was making to his Fenders made the transition to making and refining the instrument he really needed to play as he wished, and not be held back. He spoke about how it was necessary to him that these instruments be as much works of art and pleasing to his eye and that he was happy they could be sold directly from his website now “they are just simply too expensive and limited to be in a store”. Somewhere I’m sure he has a notebook full of designs that would be amazing to look at.
This is the beginning of a world tour with a ton of dates with very few days off between shows, but Uli seems to like it. “We are quite like gypsies in that way” going on about how he truly enjoys performing on stage. He tries to bring something different each time, so every show is unique. As for his time off, he loves to spend it in his garden. And a lot of his conversation with me made it clear he drew from very organic inspirations such as nature in all it’s forms. Throughout the conversation he explained a lot of his connection with nature and spirituality; these are a constant theme in his works.
As far as his touring band mates, he stated that several he had worked with for quite some time, and they play very well together. The current lineup hasn’t changed much in several years.
When asked about the state of rock music, he chuckled. “I don’t really listen to it” he said, but was aware of the influence of electronic dance music on the youth of today. His love is clearly that fusion of bluesy rock and classical compositions which is reflected in his unique style that itself has shaped the careers of other guitar virtuosos.
I asked him about longevity in the music industry and what it’s like to see many of his peers passing away for various reasons. He mused about the rock and roll lifestyle and that it was sad, but that he focused on his own way of living.
I could have easily talked to Uli for hours, but he had to get going and get ready for his show that night in Las Vegas. I was truly honoured he so readily shared his thoughts and feelings with someone who was (at that time) just a teenager who didn’t realize that a simple live album would come full circle 40 years later. Uli is humble yet sure of his opinions, and very generous with those who share his time. He has more than earned his spot as a guitar legend and musical innovator.
Hendrix would be proud.
You can catch Uli Jon Roth in Vancouver on April 1 and find all tour dates on his website HERE
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written by Scotty Evil