RICKY WARWICK OF THIN LIZZY CHATS TO BN1

Thin Lizzy, one of the most iconic names in rock, were in Brighton at the beginning February for a show at The Dome.  Before they took to the stage, Gary Marlowe caught up with lead singer Ricky Warwick, a man so committed to the cause that he even has the cover of ‘Killer On The Loose’ tattooed on his chest and the first verse of ‘Do Anything You Want To’ on his leg!

Did you ever see the original line-up with Phil Lynott?

No, I was a little bit too young! But I did see Phil front Grand Slam shortly before he passed away, so I did see him on stage. Coming from Belfast, the fact that Thin Lizzy were Irish had a huge impact on me as a kid.  So to end up singing with them is like winning the lottery. I have a lot to be thankful for.  It’s very surreal and it never stops being surreal.  Every night, every day. It’s the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning: ‘Jesus, I’m in Thin Lizzy, this is fantastic!’ I get nervous every night because I want to do the best I can.  Not everyone gets the chance to be in Thin Lizzy!

Did you consciously work on imitating Phil Lynott’s phrasing and delivery?

Yes. Otherwise it wouldn’t sound like the songs we know and love. And as a fan, I would hate that. I thought long and hard about how I was going to approach it, but it was sing-a-long-with-Phil. I’d put the albums on, set the microphone stands up in front of the mirror like I was fifteen and go through it for six hours a day. The genius of Phil is most people write a first verse, then a similar second verse. Phil didn’t do that, he just had an unusual take on songwriting and that’s what made his songs stand out. It was no easy task, but I wanted to get the balance between everything being in the right place and sung in the right register, but it’s me singing them.

Does the constant comparison to Phil in terms of vocals and stage presence get easier over time or is it still irksome?

I get it every day. It’s always going to happen. And there’s always going to be the ‘no Phil, no Lizzy’ people out there and that’s fine. If they don’t want to see the band any other way who am I to criticise? They don’t have to come to our shows.

What do you think it is about Thin Lizzy songs that make them so endearing, almost timeless?

It’s uniqueness. Phil’s lyrics. His sense of melody. The dual guitar thing. Nobody plays drums like Brian Downey. All those ingredients make it unique. That’s why it’s stood the test of time. Plus the songs. There’s so many hooks in them, they’re so well written, so well crafted.

Is the band ever tempted to make changes to any of the songs, different versions perhaps?

No. Not obvious ones. Although I’m sure Scott and Damon don’t play every solo note for note the way it is on the records.

What do you think about the current trend for bands to reform years after splitting up?

You know everybody’s got the right to do what they want to do and if it’s good and the bands are doing it with the right intent, passion and feeling then more power to them. I think the key is you need to have most of the original members. The Lizzy thing works because you’ve got Scott and Brian and four guys who are passionate about the music up there kickin’ ass every night.

What about new music?  Are there any new bands you’re particularly liking at the moment?

There’s a fantastic new band from Northern Ireland called Trucker Diablo. They’re really cool although I’m a bit biased because I sang on one of their songs! They played Download last year. They’re worth checking out.

Have you heard any of the 700 ‘unheard’ Lynott songs that recently surfaced?

No. I don’t think Scott and Brian have even started to go through them yet. Of course some of those 700 songs may just be a guitar riff.

What about the current line up re-recording some of those songs for an album?

We will never do that. I would never replace Phil’s vocals.

What do you think about Brighton?

Brighton’s great! I’ve played here many times, so I know it pretty well.

Yes, there are. In fact, Jack, his son, is in the next room and will be up on stage with us tonight.  It will be the first time he’s played with us, so that will be really good.

What’s next for you?  Do you think you’ll be fronting Lizzy for years to come, or do you have other plans?

Lizzy comes first and foremost. We have a full schedule of touring this year, we’re off to Europe next week, then we go to the States and Japan. We’re probably going to be working on some new songs, brand new stuff. We all come up with ideas, but we’re going to get together and start writing. It will have to be classic amazing Thin Lizzy. We’ve got a huge benchmark to reach and to live up to. So it’s a massive challenge and we know it. We’ll take cautious steps and we’ll see how it goes. I write all the time and I’ll probably do some solo stuff when we have a break.

You can follow Ricky on Twitter @rickywarwick

Interview and Photography: Gary Marlowe - Image Out The Ordinary