interview with Gerry Joe Weise
What is the name of your band? Gerry Joe Weise
What does the name "Gerry Joe Weise" stand for? My personal artist name.
What made you call the band "Gerry Joe Weise"? Many people thought my artist name sounded good.
How was the band formed? After being a musician for other bands, I decided to lead my own band, under my own name.
What made you form the band? It was necessary, to exploit the numerous original compositions I wrote.
Can you briefly introduce your band and who you are? I play guitar, sing, write songs, and tour regularly. Using several different formations from 3 piece to 7 members.
Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band? We use different rhythm sections, bass and drums for different countries, mainly local musicians. When a formation is more than just a trio situation, we will add an extra rhythm guitarist or a keyboardist. Other times I may add a percussionist like Juma Sultan (ex Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock 1969), or the Australian aboriginal Tim Tjungurrayi on didgeridoo and percussion. Sometimes we even add a horn section.
What were the ambitions of the band when you started? To make albums with a Record Company, and tour as many different countries as possible.
Could you explain your music to someone that hasn't heard you? Blues rock guitar, with some jazz, some country and some surf music mixed in.
Where was your first gig? My first professional gig was in 1976 when I was sixteen years old in Sydney, Australia.
Where were the latest gigs? Some of the countries we toured recently were France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
Who writes your songs? I write all my own songs and lyrics.
Who has the best sense of humor in the band? Probably my amplifier when it isn't working properly.
What's good/bad with the band?/What genre do you feel you are? What's good about it, is that it is pure Blues Rock. What's bad about it, is that it isn't Pop music, but then that is something positive.
Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about? Well we express ourselves best in the Blues vein. Our songs are about "Australiana", Australian themes of people and place names. Example, Broken Hill is an Australian town in the Outback: Broken Hill Blues (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/CwUx7Wtl4IA
What is the balance between your own material and covers? Our repertoire consists of about 80% original material, with about 20% covers. Some of the covers are from Jimi Hendrix :
Voodoo Chile (Jimi Hendrix) http://youtu.be/j1ihsCCtGXw
Red House (Jimi Hendrix) http://youtu.be/ExbfvGj241s
What albums have you made?
We have released 7 albums, but our main ones are
2012: Live And Proud (Blues Breaking Records USA)
2009: Blues Down Under (Blues Breaking Records)
1999: Bushman Boogie Deluxe (Blues Breaking Records)
2005: Sydney Paris Blues (limited edition, only on CD)
Do you have any DVDs on YouTube?
Yes we have the 2012 DVD : Blues Gone Wild
How old are you?/What got you started in music? I am 54 years old now, and it was the Australian Pop band, the Easybeats that got me started in music.
At what age did you start playing? At the age of 4 years old.
How old were you when you first stood on stage? At the age of 15 years old.
What year was the band formed? The band officially formed in 1991.
How old were you the first time you saw a live band play? My first stadium concert, was in 1972 when I was 12 years old and saw Led Zeppelin play in Sydney, Australia.
What places will you be playing in the immediate future? We will be touring Australia, Europe and the USA in 2014.
Where have you played from the past till now? Australia, USA, Europe, Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Polynesia, the Azores Isles, Scandinavia, Russia and New Zealand.
What songs are in your live sets?
Dreamtime Shuffle (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/q1vYt_WzCK0
Down Chicago Way (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/bVpBgZfMvj4
Steamroller (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/qucH1a3-O-M
Aussie Boogie (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/xrpIXLK-PXw
Funky Train Jam (Gerry Joe Weise) http://youtu.be/af1rsUwSaE8
Is it always the same set live? No we are always changing songs around, and trying out some new ones.
What has been the best most promising gig so far? They all have been good in their own special way.
Have you had any bigger tours from start till now? We have been on 9 World Tours.
How big a crowd do you usually play for? It varies from 300 people to 7,000.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? We will be embarking on the Sony Xmas Blues Tour in December, going to Spain, Italy, Austria and Denmark.
Where do you usually play? Mainly in Europe, the USA and the Pacific Ocean.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? Don't have to, I'm always psyched up, it comes naturally.
What are your goals with your music? I think I have already achieved them with the World tours and our albums by our great Record Company. I mainly just want to keep on evolving in music.
When did you decide to go all in for the music? I think that may have been when I was 8 years old.
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? From both, and I would even add, from ancient music as well.
What are your sources of inspiration? Jimi Hendrix, surf, and Art.
What's the first step when making a new song? No rules, no regulations, I only use what sounds best, and try my best with a lot of hard work.
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? Our album sales today are basically : 50% physical CDs and 50% downloading. The same goes for our profits and royalties, approximately 50% each. So I really can't complain, that's the best of both worlds.
What would be your dreams for the band? To play in Antartica, which actually is possible.
Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? My main inspiration comes from Art and films.
What do you hold most dear? My main guitar.
What would be your greatest fears for the future? I have no fear.
When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? I have never had stage fright before.
What singles and what years were they released?
My most popular song on the Internet, downloaded song, or on the charts, is the 2011 single : Blues For Gary Moore (Blues Breaking Records)
The other 2010 single : Gerry Joe's Houserocker (Blues Breaking Records), is now out of stock, but is featured on the Bushman Boogie Deluxe album
Have you been part of any other projects? In 2000 I wrote the music arrangement for Australian aboriginal rock band Nabarlek's : Ngalgarldilmegen / Two Sisters, which appeared on their 2001 Bininj Manborlh / Blackfella Road album (Skinnyfish Records, Australia), and was nominated Best World Music Album in 2002 at the ARIA Music Awards in Australia (Australian Recording Industry Association). I performed live in concert as guitarist for Nabarlek at the Cite De La Musique in Paris, during the 2010 Terres De Resistance Festival with Tinariwen (Mali) and Blackfire (Navajo), video http://youtu.be/utBEvVzDreA
Have you been in any other bands? Yes many different bands, prior to the formation of my own band in 1991. I have also jammed with B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins and Noel Redding among others. In Australia in the late 1970s we guest opened for AC/DC, Midnight Oil, Angels, Dragon and Rose Tattoo. In 1990s and 2000s we opened for Ray Charles, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, Iggy Pop, John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Albert Collins, Jimmie Vaughan, Luther Allison, Chick Willis, Dave Hole, Deborah Coleman, Matt Guitar Murphy, Luther Houserocker Johnson, Bob Brozman, Jerry McCain, Otis Grand, Maurice McKinnies, Billy Branch, Mark Hummel, and Nine Below Zero. My band has headlined the 2008 Santa Maria Azores Blues Festival, the 2009 Woodstock 40th Anniversary Tribute Festival, and the 2009 Scottsdale ArtFest Festival in Arizona USA, the 2012 Presqu'Ile Blues Festival in Southern France, the 2012 Gardenstock Festival in Dixon Illinois USA, the 2013 Hookrock Blues and Roots Festival in Diepenbeek Belgium, and the 2013 Paris Festival with Juma Sultan (ex Jimi Hendrix) as band member.
What other type of work do you do outside of the band and music? I exhibit my paintings, and Art installations.
What would you do if there was no music? I would do Art.
How important are your fans? They are the most important people on this planet...
What's the funniest most memorable thing a fan has done for you? A girl asked me to sign her breasts, actually several of them have asked me to do that.
How often do you rehearse? I never have to rehearse. I just send a repertoire list with the videos for computer, to each band member of that rhythm section. Each country has a different rhythm section.
Where do you rehearse? Each member rehearses at home in front of heir computer.
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment?
2 of our most popular album songs on the Internet are :
Broken Hill Blues (Gerry Joe Weise)
Funky Train (Gerry Joe Weise)
Would you like to add anything else?
Our albums and single are also available at eMusic
Do you have any webpages?
Official website https://sites.google.com/site/gerryjoeweise
Facebook band http://www.facebook.com/gerry.joe.weise
Facebook personal http://www.facebook.com/gerryjoeweise.guitariste.blues
Any pearls of wisdom for all the other bands out there? Don't count your oysters until they are hatched, otherwise there will be no pearls.
Describe your show, visually and musically? Basically what we do looks like this video http://youtu.be/k3x_TzfmNGE
How do you view the music industry today? I actually like it a lot, because of the possibilities with computers and the Internet. I can mix and master my songs on a laptop, edit film clips, and have international recognition on the Internet, all with digital distribution for my albums. That wasn't possible through the 70s, 80s, 90s, and for the majority of people till 2008.
What advice would you like to give other bands? Learn the basics to good recording.
What are the biggest obstacles for a band? Having good rhythm.
What is best and worst with playing the clubs? Just like playing a big stage, they all have positive and negative aspects.
Tell us about upcoming gigs and why we should be at them? Well we are looking forward to our festivals coming up in 2014 in Australia, Europe and the USA.
How would you describe your sound in one sentence? Bluesy-rocky-jazzy-country-surf...
What is your favorite crappy instrument? A didgeridoo, but I take them seriously.
What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band? Well I am more of the, "forgive and let live" type of person.
What is your pre-show ritual? Making sure my guitar is well tuned.
What do you feel a musician should spend their money on? The best instrument their money can buy.
