Is Ian
Anderson 'Re-organizing' Jethro Tull Once More?
Perhaps it's Just Business as Usual...
Tullworld.com Latest Line interviews Jethro Tull keyboardist,
Andrew Giddings to figure it out.
March 9, 2007
San Jose, CA / England -
The following is a transcription of a March 9th online interview with
Andrew Giddings.
Tullworld.com - Jethro Tull has almost always
been a distinctively Ian Anderson project but he has taken it a bit far
recently... can you let us in on any reasons behind his marked change of
course?
Andrew Giddings
- Whilst Jethro Tull has always been a collection of great,
collaborative and inventive musicians bringing their individual skills
to the band as a whole, it is the prerogative of any one of them to
pursue their own musical interests at any time. I.A. solo albums such as
'Divinities' and 'The Secret Language Of Birds' with which I was heavily
involved in the writing, arranging and recording are a couple of
examples, along with Martin Barre solo projects, 'The Meeting' and
'Stage Left.'
In the last few years I.A. has enjoyed alternative outings under
different titles and so as not to confuse these concerts with Tull shows,
chose to use non-Tull musicians. In the light of ever-increasing touring
costs and decreasing ticket and album sales, these scaled-down
productions presumably made more economical sense if they were to
produce the required profit.
More recently I.A. complained of his frustration with playing the same
repertoire and volume levels on stage during Tull shows, and so embarked
on some orchestral shows playing the same repertoire but quieter, and
using the more economic line up from previous non-Tull tours. I was
involved in one of the orchestral tours of the USA last year and
thoroughly enjoyed it.
The forthcoming Jethro Tull shows are in fact an extension of the
previous orchestral shows, sometimes including Martin Barre and under
the often confusing banners of orchestral/acoustic/Tull-with-guest
shows.
To date, they do not include Doane Perry, myself or Jonathan Noyce.
TW - His written comments have been wishy-washy on
the subject thus far. Has Ian Anderson effectively replaced any of the
members of Jethro Tull of have you or any of the other members distanced
yourself from the group on your own accord?
AG - Since I started the website in the mid to late
nineties and reluctantly relinquished responsibility a few years
later, I'm sorry to say that in my opinion it has become something of a
weary monologue that has not really been addressing the interest of the
fans. As a result I am still receiving emails on a daily basis regarding
the forthcoming shows given the apparent lack of information on the
website.
After completing our last tour of 2006 there was little
communication regarding the future or the new touring format, other than
it was apparent that I.A. was enjoying the intermediate low level shows
and their economic advantages. On being asked the question of whether
Tull shows are really Tull shows without the most recent line-up, I have
to say that the band has featured many line-ups over the years and may
continue to invite different musicians onto the stage. As far as I know
no one has been replaced in favour of another and the possibility of
Doane, Jon and myself playing with Tull in the future remains.
TW - How have these 16 years been for you so far
and how have more recent years treated you?
AG -
The last sixteen years have been amazing in terms of playing music and
meeting the important people: the fans that buy the tickets and pay for
my currys and flying! Over the years however we have lost some excellent
touring personnel due to internal politics or 'cutbacks'. The reality of
touring is one of little sleep, high stress travel and an ongoing
battle to retain quality in light of a continually reduced production,
but it's still the best job in the world and I'm still regularly in
touch with many of the lovely folks I've met along the way.
TW - Is anyone holding out for Anderson to ring
them, or are they screening their calls?
AG -
LOL! I'm holding out for Dave Gilmore or Peter Gabriel to ring me,
otherwise I'm in sole charge of my career. Incontinence and dementia may
beckon but retirement certainly does not!
TW - Have you been in touch with any members of the
band recently?
AG -
We don't really 'hang out' as we live miles away from each other and
share very different interests outside of music. Jon and I recently
joined Martin for has birthday though, and I am in touch with Doane
quite often.
TW - Musically speaking, what have you been up
to recently and what are your plans in the near future?
AG - Since my outing with the orchestra last October I
have been enjoying some down time in the countryside where I live,
either from the air or by road. I am in the process of putting a
collection of tunes together and calling it an album, that's if I get
enough interest to my page at
www.myspace.com/andrewgiddingsmusic LOL!
I am also about to start a challenging orchestral project at my studio
in Oxfordshire. I was approached by a young female flautist earlier this
year and will work on the project through the summer in between holidays
in the sun. Rest assured, you'll read all about it when it's ready for
consumption!
TW - If there is anything else you would like to add, please
do. I really appreciate your time Andrew.
AG -
To sign off, I would just like to say a big thanks to everyone who has
taken the time to come and say hello in person or via email, and for
their continuing support. Have a look at my page and drop me a line.
Whether I revisit your town with Tull or with another band, we'll meet
again, don't know where, don't know when..............
TW -
In closing from my end I would like to thank
Andrew once more for taking part in this interview. As you may well
know, all of the musicians that have been a part of Tull to date are
amazingly talented at what they do, so I would also like to recommend
checking out Andrew's music at his myspace
www.myspace.com/andrewgiddingsmusic.
Great stuff!
To close, we really don't have a clear
picture of Ian's intentions at this point. We know that the next set of
acoustic "Jethro Tull" concerts will not necessarily include Andrew,
Doane or Johnathan but will likely include a group of I.A solo band
members. I personally believe that the I.A. touring band comes up a few
epochs short of a group of foraging cavemen when compared to the most
current (or really any variation) of Tull I have heard. Ian certainly
shines, but then his musicianship and stage presence have always allowed
him to do so, even in the most virtuosic of company.
At least you can be assured to see Martin at the next set of concerts,
but really, these two (Ian and Martin) deserve the most proficient band
that can be had, and the current "Ian Anderson Puppet Show" touring
group ain't it.
Also, Ian has put out a new CD of his acoustic material called "The Best
of Acoustic Jethro Tull". If you are interested, you should be able to
find it at your local mega-cd-warehouse or online at
Amazon.com and
iTunes.
Till next time...
-TW
Ian
Anderson Melds with Orchestra on DVD and CD