Iron Maiden guitarist was interviewed by Alexander Milas for issue #126 of the Iron Maiden Fan Club Magazine to talk about the upcoming album from Smith and guitarist Richie Kotzen with Smith/Kotzen’s Black Light/White Noise.
An excerpt of the interview:
Adrian, what a pleasure to see you again! The last time i saw you was a surprise encore at Richie’s gig in London!
“Yeah, that was a very different vibe! It was a typical jam situation – we got up there and nothing worked and I was playing someone else’s guitar! But it worked out! We were actually doing a photo session that afternoon, and Richie said, ‘You want to jump up and play with us?'”
It does seem like you two have a very natural rapport.
“Yeah, well it was my missus, Nathalie, who put us together, who’d really encouraged us – she was a fan of Richie’s music – she said we should get together. Richie’s amazing – he sings, and plays, we had a jam, and things worked out because we have a lot of things in common, musically too. He’s a bit younger than me but has a very good knowledge of music from the 60s and 70s, Bad Company, Free… stuff I grew up with.”
Is common ground important?
“Yeah. I had Rob [Trujillo] from Metallica over to jam at my house… Taylor [Hawkins] too. We got Richie over and he was doing Bad Company and Stevie Ray Vaughn. I’ve always sung, always heard melodies, and had this sort of passion for singing, but I’ve always wanted to work with someone who was a singer. Richie is an excellent singer, and I could work around him – he’s got range.
“I grew up singing until I joined Maiden, so from 17-23 I fronted a band. I’ve tried doing things on my own, and it’s very difficult – you need feedback and someone to push against. Richie’s great with lyrics, too.”
Which came first: Adrian the singer or Adrian the guitarist?
“That goes back to when I was probably 15, the age when you’re looking for some sort of direction. I wasn’t particularly academic.
“I loved sports, but I wasn’t an athlete. Then I met Dave [Murray, Iron Maiden guitarist], and he could play guitar quite well – he could play all the Chuck Berry licks and Hendrix. I was just like, ‘Wow!’ We were the only kids in our neighborhood with long hair. I’d started listening to Deep Purple, Free, and Sabbath, so we gravitated towards each other. I thought, ‘T’ve got to get in with this guy.’ I said, ‘Yeah I’m a singer, I’ve never sang before but I kinda fancy doing it.’ I got my parents to buy me a microphone for Christmas and I went around Dave’s house and plugged my mic into his amp: one of those ones with three inputs – it sounded horrendous but it was exciting! I think the first thing we did was ‘Silver Machine’ by Hawkwind. He started it off, and I thought, ‘It’s now or never!'”
So when did the guitar playing begin?
“Dave had a spare guitar, I think from Woolworths, and my Dad fixed it. Dave and I soon became best mates and he taught me – I learned from him as I went along, but I was singing and playing at the same time.”
Fast-forward to the second Smith/Kotzen record. Does it tap into that pre-Maiden era for you? It’s a modern record but the classic nods are unmistakeable…
“Well, that’s what makes the music world go ’round. You take influences, they go through you and come out slightly different. I’d never deny my influences.
“It’s like when I was a kid, I’d copy Michael Schenker or Ritchie Blackmore, but I’d stumble across [my own style] in the process of trying to emulate them – that becomes your own standpoint. That’s the writing process – if you try to come up with something that’s truly unique in the universe you’re never going to do anything, so you take inspiration and then spin it to make something new.”
To access the full interview, join the Iron Maiden Fan Club. Details at fanclub.ironmaiden.com.