Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Interview By Alison Booth

With an amazing musical journey spanning almost fifty years, bass guitarist and vocalist Glenn Hughes is well known for being part of TRAPEZE and DEEP PURPLE in his early career, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and CALIFORNIA BREED more recently, as well as being an established solo artist and far too much more to mention here!

Glenn is back on the road, joined by guitarist Doug Aldrich, (REVOLUTION SAINTS, WHITESNAKE, DIO) and drummer Pontus Engborg, along with special guest Jared James Nichols. I caught up with Glenn for a chat about the tour, but we also covered many interesting subjects during the short time available, including the extension of his tour, a very special forthcoming date and Glenn‘s current situation. You can read some excerpts from our conversation below and listen in full on the audio player.

Glenn was keen to tell me about how he came to be doing this solo tour:

“I’ve got a lovely story to tell you – I’ve been coming from Black Country to California Breed and saying to myself earlier this year with my new management company, okay what do we do now? Do we form another band, do we make a record, do we film a documentary or do we go solo? My manager said ‘I think we should go solo’, then within a week we had so many offers coming in around the globe that we are now (which I haven’t really spoke to anyone about it yet), we’re now extending my tour through all of next year. I mean, I haven’t done a cycle of touring like this since Deep Purple. I think for me, if I had my choice right now to make a record or continue touring, I have to say that the appeal for me at this moment in time in my life, working with the people I’m working  with, behind the scenes and on stage, is the appropriate time for me to sing and play my music live.”

On working as a trio, Glenn revealed:

“I wanted to get back to playing in a trio, simply because the sparseness and emptiness that belongs in a trio is dramatic for me. It enables me to play less or sing more, or sing less and play more – you can’t hide in a trio. There’s a certain element and certain chord structures I like to use in a trio, which I can’t do in a keyboard band and I want to go back to being extremely organic, in a way that I don’t want any impressive sounds and I want it to be like back in the day. I’m not trying to be 1974, because I AM 1974.”

Glenn also announced a forthcoming show this December which will be a very special one for him:

“I haven’t spoken about this so I’ll tell you – December 4th 1975 my bodyguard was killed in Jakarta, Indonesia. It’s a well known fact, they’re making a film about it actually. So on December 4th this year, forty years after the death, I’m going to play in that city again.

To commemorate the loss of my friend and my bodyguard and to go to a place I could never go to. They threw me in jail for murder and they let me out, we had to pay money to get me out, it was a horrible event. I’m going back to do what I do and play a concert and film, so that’s gonna be kind of a special moment for me.  I’ve walked the streets for so long since then, I need to go back and do a little bit of a spiritual thing down there. I think that’s going to help me as a human being if you will, to do what I do.”

We discussed the UK tour and special guest Jared James Nichols:

“He’s such a lovely, lovely man and he’s a really ardent blues player. he’s such a good kid, I could be his Dad, I love to see him play. I’m in love with the UK – I’m a British person who lives in America and travels all over the place, but I’m still wearing my British underpants!”

Check out a little taster of what to expect on tour:

Glenn’s tour hits the UK later this month, check out all the dates and links below:

OCTOBER

Sat 17  Southampton, Engine Rooms                                       BUY TICKETS
Mon 19 Norwich, Waterfront                                                     BUY TICKETS
Tue 20 Newcastle, Tyne Theatre                                               BUY TICKETS
Thu 22 Belfast, Limelight                                                               BUY TICKETS
Fri 23 Glasgow, The Garage                                                         BUY TICKETS
Sun 25 Holmfirth, Picturedrome                                                BUY TICKETS
Mon 26 Bilston, Robin 2                                                                 BUY TICKETS
Wed 28 York, Fibbers                                                                     BUY TICKETS
Thu 29 Manchester – Club Academy                                        BUY TICKETS

NOVEMBER

Sun 01 London, Electric Ballroom                                               BUY TICKETS

For more information on Glenn Hughes and further tour dates, visit his website here and his official Facebook page here.

Solo photos of Glenn by Mike Prior.
Band photo by Gene Kirkland.