TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO INTERVIEW CLICK ON THE ARROW ABOVE
By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa Correspondent
Rock At Night loves to cover blues and rock artists so it was our pleasure to speak with guitarist extraordinaire Gary Hoey about his upcoming 20th album (yes, 20th ) called Dust & Bones. The album will be released on July 29th and even features a beautiful duet with the fabulous Lita Ford. Recently, I listened to the album which Hoey pays homage to his heroes like Steve Ray Vaughan (“Dust and Bones”), Robin Trower (“This Time Tomorrow”), Johnny Winter (“Steamroller”) and Led Zeppelin (“Boxcar Blues”). There are even songs written in the vein of ZZ Top (“Born to Love You”), Brian Setzer (“Who’s Your Daddy”) and Dick Dale (“Soul Surfer”)—something for everybody, without deviating from the blues-rock theme. Look for a full review in Rock At Night before the release date!
Gary Hoey came to fame in the 1980s when he started doing covers of instrumentals like “Hocus Pocus” by Dutch rock band Focus. Anybody who grew up in the mid-70s knows this song and probably used to sing along with its nonsensical lyrics before going into a dance frenzy. If you look on YouTube, you will see a ton of Hoey’s extremely cool metal versions of class retro songs like “Linus and Lucy” and “Misirlou”. As Hoey said during RAN’s interview, “I like to take old songs and rock them out.” He enjoys “twisting the classics” and putting his own imprint on quirky tunes like “Frankenstein”.
Some of you may have stumbled across Gary Hoey’s Ho! Ho! Hoey! series of Christmas music. If you have not listened, please do because his renditions of the songs, as I told him, may be the “only Christmas music I can tolerate.” Honestly, the music is brilliant and will be a new tradition in my household—as it should be in yours.
Gary Hoey is also a renowned guitar instructor so it only seemed appropriate to ask him a few questions for our burgeoning rock musician readers and iTunes listeners. Here, Hoey gives a lot of tips for what equipment to purchase and how “rock Gods in the making” can hone in their skills.
In summary, Gary Hoey discussed guitar playing tips for the novice; his career and love for twisting the classics into metal versions; and analysis of each song on the upcoming album Dust and Bones, which includes a duet with Lita Ford. This interview is a must listen for all blues-rock fans!
OR LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ON iTUNES HERE
Confirmed appearances include:
6/03 St. Charles, MO Family Arena (w/ Boston & Blue Oyster Cult)
6/17 Hermosa Beach, CA Saint Rocke
6/18 Romona, CA Romana Mainstage
6/20 San Diego, CA Guitar Workshop Plus
6/25 Lowell, MA Lowell Summer Music Series
6/30 San Francisco, CA Biscuit & Blues
7/01 Seattle, WA WAMU Theater (w/ Boston)
7/02 Reno, NV RockBar Theater
7/22 Auburn Hills, MI Callahan’s Music Hall
7/23 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theater
7/24 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
8/04 Los Angeles, CA Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp – Vol. 2
8/19 New Hope, PA Havana
8/20 Teaneck, NJ Mexicali Live
8/21 Westford, MA Blues N Brews Festival
Look for more dates to be added!
Dust & Bones
Rock At Night’s theme song is “Get On Down If You Feel Up To It” by Texan blues musician Billy “Bass” Alford
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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