Entrevista con - Neil Brocklebank

What is it like to be a rock guitar player in England right now?
Well, despite the success of the Darkness it isn't easy over here to make any head way as a Rock Guitarist. The Music business in the UK has been undermined by the pursuit of the fast teen buck. The people who ran the Record Industry are so terrified of not getting a return on their investment that the air waves & our T.V screens are full of mediocre people doing cover versions of songs which may or may not have been great in their day, but often have nothing more to offer when served up for the umpteenth time by some average school kid with average talent & zero experience. So in answer to your question i'm getting the fuck out of here before I get famous for shooting some fucker (joke?)

Would you ever consider touring throughout Mexico?
Hey Sanches, stamp my passport, sort me out an ounce of coke & i'm there. By the way, how are the chicks over your way?

What can someone expect at a typical Neil Brocklebank show?
You know I work really hard to makesure it's not just another trawl throught the set list. It's vital to myself & the management that the show is one high energy shit storm. I want people stage diving & throwing underwear on stage & all that crazy stuff. I try to make sure things flow from start to finish, it's imperative that the crowd don't get bored-it's got to be a roller coaster ride of intensity for all concerned, pure adrenaline.

Audio Violence was progressive, how do you imagine your next album?
Actually that's the million dollar question is it not. I like things to evolve naturally. I'm a great believer in fate I think. I can forsee a lot more vocal content on my next album, hell i'm a bullshitter, I've already written loads of stuff & there's a real mixture of material including some pretty progressive works as well as some more conventional songs if you get my meaning, & if you don't you'll just have to wait & see.

How do you start to write a song?
I have no definite route to writing a piece of music. It can begin with a riff on the guitar or it can grow from something which I put down during a writing session on my computer, maybe a vocal idea-there is no one way for me to create. One thing I will say is that each song comes together over a period of time, it may take me weeks to arrive at something I'm happy with. I don't like to be rushed! Each creation has to have a meaning for me, if it's there just for the sake of being a bunch of notes then as an artist you are open to criticism. If the song means something to you, then fuck what anyone else has to say, unless of course they like it!

How important is an image?
Vitally important if you want to become an Icon. If you don't, well it doesn't matter a shit. Ultimately if you want to stand out then one cannot deny the importance of a visual impact. I must say though, I feel it is important to be comfortable with the creation that is 'the product'.

You are well known for your Ibanez guitars, do you play any others?
I also had a couple of guitars built for me by Maverick which is a British Company & Joe White guitars are in the process of building me a very special signature model which should be ready very soon. I can't help being in love with some of the Ibanez RG series stuff, it just transports me back to when I was a kid learning to play the guitar. Somehow, nothing seems to feel quite as playable to me. Fucking love em!

GL - What projects are you currently working on?
FC - I'm working on my second CD called AWAKENING where will feature the italian keyboard player Mistheria and other guitar players as: Brett Garsed, T.D. Clark, Marco Ferrigno, Steve Saluto, Theodore Ziras and the drummer Fabio Colella. It will be totally different from my previous CD Gates of doom. I called this: cybershred cause it is technically shred as much as the shred albums but It sounds heavy and more techno/industrial metal oriented. With few ethnic passages and a bunch of loops and distorted sounds.

If you didn't play guitar what would you be?
Hmmm, that's a tough one. I guess it might be something to do with water, yeah a diver or some shit like that. Oh & I've always liked lying in the sun so a beach bum would be right up there in the top three.

Where does your music sell best?
Sometimes when I sleep I dream of being in Iron Maiden or Bon Jovi, that's where my music sells real good.

What is essential listening for a new Brocklebank fan?
First I think the fan should be forced to listen to the UK charts until he or she pukes or passes out, then a rich smelling salt of Rush, Dream Theater, Vai, Satriani & AC fucking DC be administered to help the said fan take his or her first breath of creative freedom.

How the fuck do you pay your rent each month relying on an industry full of wankers?
I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't be neative about the wonderful people over here who have helped me get this far. Thank you all.

GL - Thanks for your time Neil, we really appreciated it!, we wish you all the best!!.