As vocal as ever - Steve Harley Q&A

He’s probably best known for the group’s hit Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), but has an extensive body of solo work.

His latest offering is Stranger Comes To Town.

Steve is back on the road again in the autumn for a special acoustic tour, with gigs at Sound Control in Manchester and Sale’s Waterside Arts Centre.

We find the vocalist as vocal as ever, as he nears his 60th year.

1/ How does your new CD compare to previous solo work?

Our viewpoint on life and all its vagaries evolves with our aging, so I am looking through different eyes now. I worry about the state of the world. I believe “Call me Tony” were the three most devastating words spoken by a politician in recent history, second perhaps only to “Let’s invade Iraq and police Afghanistan”. The dumbing down in the western world, particularly in Britain, is shocking. We are lead by mediocre politicians and taught by frightened, insecure teachers. Stranger Comes To Town hits on all this and life as a man with grown up kids. I love life but worry about the world.

2/ What motivates you to keep on touring?

Touring is part of the life I say I love. Virginia Woolf advised, “to speak of knowledge is futile; all is experiment and adventure.” I travel a great deal, even when not playing concerts. I need a ticket in my desk, ready to go. So touring brings cities and countries and amazing sights into my life that I otherwise might not have experienced. Then there are the fantastic moments we get on stage. Every night is different. It’s never the same twice. Up there, I experiment, improvise. Playing with virtuoso musicians is another reason to tour. The highs are unspeakably high.

3/ Do acoustic gigs take more out of you, because the music is stripped down to the bare essentials?

Acoustic shows are a songwriter’s Elysium. I find new meanings in the words each time I sing them when accompanied only by a couple of pure, acoustic instruments. There is a great intimacy, a kid of romance about singing in smaller rooms, waiting sometimes to hear that proverbial pin actually drop! Performing takes little out of me, at any level. It invigorates and stimulates me. I have stamina!

4/ Will you be playing Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)?

Make Me Smile owes me nothing. It means a great deal to a lot of people. It would be churlish and would seem spiteful to finish a two-hour set without including it. Besides, it’s also never the same twice. They sing it all, and no two audiences are ever the same.

Yes, I’ll be playing it.

5/ Outline the ways you think the music industry has changed for the better and for the worse?

In my opinion, having the business run almost exclusively by accountants and peak-time TV executives has brought it all down to lowest common denominator level. That’s a pity. But great and talented bands have come through since the 90s: Keane, Coldplay, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys.

6/ You came to prominence in the 70s. Do you have an anecdote - or two - you'd like to share with us?

I save my anecdotes mostly for the autobiography! Are you kidding??

7/ What made you want to become a DJ?

I presented a BBC Radio 2 show for 10 years, but I was never a DJ. The Beeb asked me if…..Johnnie Walker recommended me. I said yes; now Johnnie has the show back again. Funny old world!

8/ Cockney Rebel was a great name for a band. Do you feel there aren't enough rebels around these days?

How can kids rebel when they know their parents did it all? The next generation will be the ones to really kick off: our children’s children. Let’s hope they retain some dignity, a little gravitas which nurtures respect. “Call me Tony” – kiss of death! Someone should have stood their ground and told him, “No, Prime Minister”. They were a gutless lot, and look where it’s taken us. No rebels at that cabinet then!

* Steve Harley - A Closer Look Acoustic Show is at Manchester Sound Control on November 14 and The Waterside Arts Centre in Sale on November 24. Tickets are available from 0161 832 1111 or 0161 912 5616 respectively.