Ta informacja powinna znaleźć się raczej w newsach ale nie chciałam nowego topika zakładać - kto znajdzie dziś (1.01.) czas niech przełączy fale radiowe na 100,9 MHz (dla Poznania). W Radio Merkury po 18-stej będzie pogadanka/wywiad z Rayem.

jakby ktoś potrzebował, oto link do Radio Merkury online:
http://www.radiomerkury.pl/index.php?art=19184

a i dorzucę coś od siebie

Interview with Ray Wilson
Ray Wilson "I still got the DVD from Spodek"
Autor: Łukasz Błaszczyk

Ray Wilson, the former singer of the legendary rock group Genesis and the leader of Stiltskin, talks about his career, moving to Poland, eroding family values and future plans.

Łukasz Błaszczyk: I’ve been wondering how to avoid boring you to death with questions that you’ve probably been answering over and over again for the last couple of months...

Ray Wilson: Just bore me, it’s ok. Ask what you want.

ŁB: Well then the first question’s gotta be about you moving to Poland. When did you move?

RW: Technically, the middle of September. That’s when I got an apartment here in Poznań. But really, I guess it’s the end of September as I was touring back and forward. So I got the feel and I feel for it.

ŁB: And what’s your experience so far?

RW: It’s good, I mean, I’ve always liked Poland anyway. I’ve spent some time in Poznań, because my promotor is from Poznań and he always wanted me to play gigs in the city. So you know, I just feel comfortable here, I always have. I feel comfortable in other places too, you know, it’s not only Poland. But when it comes to performing gigs, it’s always been best here.

ŁB: Yeah, you’ve got quite a cult following here in Poland.

RW: Yeah, the people are just great. The band love coming here, I love coming here. From all the places that we’ve played this is just special. I don’t know why, it just is.

ŁB: How is living in Poland different to living in Scotland?

RW: It’s a good question, I mean, Scotland’s been home all my life. I’m forty years old now so it’s quite a long time (laughs). Living in Poland is kind of exciting, I have to say. I’m just being a normal every-day citizen, who speaks really, really bad Polish (laughs). But I’m gonna learn. It’s very hard but I’m gonna do it, I am determined to do it. It’s just this different attitude you get in different countries. You know the way the German people are, they’re cultured and very efficient, the Italians are very laid back, wonderful at serving you in restaurants and shops, very passionate at these things and the Polish...My only experience so far regarding the Polish people was the audience. And now I’m experiencing people in bars and restaurants and shops. Sometimes I kinda wish people had more desire to serve you when you’re in restaurants and shops. It’s very strange that they almost don’t care if you buy something. And little things like that I find a little bit strange but it’s just detail. Maybe they get shit wages and just don’t want to I guess.

ŁB: Yeah, it’s probably that, it’s mostly students...

RW: Yeah, it’s the same in Britain. To be honest it’s shit in Scotland as well. But there’s also great determination and pride that people have in Poland and I like that. And you’ve got good family values. It’s eroding a little bit. I think it’s since you joined the EU that the family values started to change. It’s really unfortunate, because it’s such a strength of this country. Where I am from, in Scotland, it’s just eroded. When I was a boy, I knew all my neighbours and everyone and now it’s all gone. Younger generations are just fucked up now. And it’s sad. Well they would probably think I’m just an old moaning fart (laughs). It would be a shame to see Poland ending up just like Britain.

ŁB: Yeah, let Poland be Poland and Britain be Britain.

RW: Exactly. I agree totally. Britain has some great qualities but it’s not one of them. We’ve always been good with rock and roll and shit at making cars (laughs).

ŁB: Did you hesitate before moving to Poland?

RW: No. Because I entered a relationship that really matters to me I had two choices. I could’ve lived here or tried to keep the relationship going from the distance and just travel here. And at the beginning I was traveling back and forward and staying in a hotel in the Old Square in Poznań. It was kind of romantic for a little while but then it was like, oh Jesus...(laughs). And Gosia is a dancer so she can’t leave Poznań and come and live in Scotland. And to be honest I wouldn’t want her to anyway. If I move somewhere with her I would rather move to Berlin. I’ve always been a huge fan of East Berlin. I love the east not the west. And not only Berlin, the east in general. But it depends on Gosia. I go where she goes.

ŁB: The whole interview thing here is quite a nostalgic trip for me because when I was 15 years old my first mindblowing gig was the Genesis gig you played in Katowice and back then I would have never imagined interviewing you 9 years after. But I’m not gonna dwell on Genesis as it’s all said and done now and there is nothing more to ask about...

RW: Yeah, there’s nothing new (laughs).

ŁB: Exactly (laughs). But do you generally feel comfortable talking about the Genesis period of your career?

RW: Yeah, I mean, it never bothers me at all. I like the music and I still play a few songs every now and then. Genesis is a very important part of my life. If it wasn’t for Genesis I wouldn’t be here right now. It defined me in Poland, that’s for sure. That concert in Spodek was a big thing. So many people went to see that show and it was also broadcast live. And basically that gig is the reason that I have a career here in Poland. Obviously there’s a little bit of a Stiltskin thing but the Genesis thing was much, much bigger. And that seems to be the thing that people here talk to me about. Like when you saw me talking to that those two people over there. Both of these people were in Spodek.

ŁB: Does that not irritate you?

RW: No, it’s great. It doesn’t bother me at all. It was a good gig and I still got it on DVD. The audience were amazing, it was fucking freezing (laughs). It was my one and only time in Katowice which is unfortunate.

ŁB: It’s no shame. It’s a disgusting city.

RW: Yeah but it’s good passion. The thing is, when you go to working class cities, they got the best gigs. Like Glasgow, Birmingham, Dortmund...And people buy more merchandise and stuff in the working areas, people with less money. And then you go to Stuttgart with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche and they’re not gonna buy anything. It’s the same all over the world. People who have money never spend it. And people who don’t, appreciate things they’re passionate about. For instance now I wanted to play gigs in smaller towns, I got one in Łomża, which was completely sold out in about 5 minutes, which is really nice and flattering when that happens. Traveling around the country is great and it’s challenging. I can do what I want right now and I like that.

ŁB: Are you on any label at the moment?

RW: No. I own all my records I own all my publishing. It is freedom. Well you don’t have this big machine behind you, but if that’s the sacrifice I’m pretty happy to make it. I don’t need it.

ŁB: Yeah, now you can do everything via the internet, publishing and all.

RW: As long as people come to shows. If they stop coming to gigs, then I’ll have a decision to make. But at the moment I’m getting more and more concerts and getting busyier. As long as that continues, to be honest, the record companies I don’t really see what you need them for. The money goes straight to the artists, the musicians. And as long as you have a little bit of money, you can get something out of it, you don’t need a fortune. The record companies try and impose the points system on you, giving you percentage. And say you get 2 points out of the income and what the fuck is 2 points? And then you realize it’s like half a percent or something...So I’m glad these times are changing, I have to say.

ŁB: What is your relationship with Stiltskin? That was your band before Genesis and then you disbanded...

RW: Well, the original lineup I don’t have any contact with.

ŁB: Oh, so is that the new band?

RW: Yeah, it’s just the name. To be honest the reason why I did it was because I wanted to do another rock album. I’ve been doing acoustic ones like “Change” and wanted to have a dividing line from that. I wanted to give an identity to that, so Stiltskin was the logical thing to use because I own the rights to the name. Some people remember Stiltskin and some people don’t. To be honest, most people don’t, if so maybe for one record...

ŁB: Or one single...

RW: Yeah. I think that Peter, who played the guitar, is in advertising business now and has made a fortune out of Coca-Cola adverts and stuff, is no longer in the music business at all. James is a teacher, Ross is still drumming for various bands in Scotland but we were never really close at the beginning...

ŁB: And what about Cut?

RW: It was just a project after Genesis. It was a great album but it was maybe not right for the time, I don’t know. I got caught with the backlash and the record company turned their back on me because of the Genesis thing and there was a lot of politics going on that I didn’t know about. Should’ve been released before I joined Genesis because it was written before. That’s just showbiz.

ŁB: You got an album coming out...

RW: Yeah, it’s released. I haven’t put it to retail shops. I just sell it to people who buy it at gigs or from my website. So I’m not sure if I will release it in shops at all.

ŁB: Yeah, if it sells, there’s no point really.

RW: Exactly.

ŁB: Is the single “Bless You” what the album’s like? It’s got this oriental feel to it...

RW: Yeah, there’s a couple of songs like that on “Propaganda Man”. But the single, we do a different version live. We play six songs tonight from the new album.

ŁB: Well then have a great gig. Thanks for the interview.

RW: Cheers.

link: http://www.mmwroclaw.pl/2360/2008/11/26 ... spodek?cat

Ray Wilson: Genesis to przeszłość
Płyta "Change" pokazuje prawdę o mnie samym
Rozmowa z Rayem Wilsonem
Autor: Adam Dobrzyński / 21 maja 2003

Miałem przyjemność prowadzić niezwykle miłą konwersację z przesympatycznym człowiekiem, o którym świat usłyszał w 1997 roku, gdy z Mikem Rutherfordem i Tonym Banksem pod szyldem Genesis stworzyli ostatni - jak dotąd - album tej legendarnej formacji.Gdy wszedłem do malutkiego pokoiku mieszczącego się na pierwszym piętrze gmachu budynku, w którym mieści się Program 3 Polskiego Radia, Ray Wilson przygrywał sobie na gitarze. Spojrzał na mnie, przywitał się serdecznie i zanim zdążyłem zająć przewidziane dla mnie miejsce, zanucił skromnie słowa "take your time, hurry up". Bynajmniej najbliższe pół godziny upłynęło w niezwykle szczerej i serdecznej atmosferze.

ADAM DOBRZYŃSKI: Od współpracy z Genesis przy płycie "Calling All Stations" (moja poprawka, album nie nazywał się "Calling On Stations ) minęło już sześć lat. Jak wspominasz tamten okres?
RAY WILSON: To dobre pytanie. To był bardzo udany moment w moim życiu. Jak sobie to przypomnę...(wow!). Najpierw Genesis, później w 1999 roku grupa Cut, wszystko układało się wspaniale. Ale nagle po tym wszystkim mój świat legł w gruzach. Przez dwa lata leżałem na kanapie w głębokiej depresji. Później ktoś mi powiedział, "weź się w garść", więc wstałem i teraz mam to już za sobą. O tym po części jest mój nowy album, on jest też gwarancją tego o czym powiedziałem. To mój cały sekret.


Przypomnij, jak doszło do tego, że Genesis przerwało swoją działalność.
- Wszystko przez Amerykę...(śmiech). Naprawdę. Amerykanie kupili za mało naszych płyt, bo gdy zwykle LP Genesis rozchodziły się w nakładach sięgających od 5 do 6 milionów, tym razem skończyło się na ilości chyba pół miliona płyt. Tak, w rzeczywistości to niezły wynik, prawda? Ale Genesis wymagało dużo więcej. To jest powód rozpadu zespołu.

Czy jest szansa na wspólny comeback?
- Nie widzę celu naszej reaktywacji, czy w tym czy też innym składzie. Ja tego nie chcę i myślę, że pozostali członkowie też tego by nie chcieli. Nie byłoby to dobre. Wszyscy już jesteśmy za starzy, starzy mentalnie, a nie fizycznie, bo weźmy chociażby The Rolling Stones - są starsi - a robią to lepiej niż niejeden młodszy duchem band. Kiedy musisz robić coś takiego, jak płyta Genesis czy światowe turnée, musisz mieć dla tego faktu wielką wewnętrzną potrzebę, inaczej to wszystko nie ma sensu. Osobiście chciałbym zobaczyć turnée Genesis ze wszystkimi podstawowymi członkami, to byłoby świetne doświadczenie, gdyby obok siebie na scenie stanęli Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett czy Phil Collins. W takie przedsięwzięcie chętnie bym się zaangażował, z tym że myślę, że wówczas oni wszyscy nie zechcieliby mnie obok siebie. W moim przekonaniu Genesis jest już tylko moją przeszłością.

Najpierw współtworzyłeś Stilskin, później Genesis, założyłeś Cut, z którym nagrałeś świetny album "Millionerhead", w ubiegłym roku wydałeś album unplugged z coverami Genesis, przyszła kolej na prawdziwy solowy debiut. Czemu dopiero teraz?
- Zrobiłem album live z piosenkami Genesis, głównie pióra Petera Gabriela i Phila Collinsa. Pojawiło się też siedem moich piosenek. To był dla mnie bardzo dziwny czas, ponieważ muzycznie wróciłem do korzeni. Słuchałem tego typu muzyki, co Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, tego typu ludzi. To była jednocześnie ulubiona sfera muzycznego świata mojego ojca. Kiedy byłem młodszy, często taki repertuar grałem w pubach. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" i tym podobne…Tym koncertowym albumem wróciłem do korzeni, chciałem też sprawdzić, czy uda mi się powtórnie odkurzyć moją miłość do muzyki. Teraz jest czas na solową karierę, ponieważ odnalazłem siebie duchowo i muzycznie.

Ale za Genesis chyba tęsknisz? Sporo podobieństwa do ostatniej płyty grupy odnajdujemy na twoim LP zatytułowanym "Change". Na przykład "She Fades Away" czy "Along The Way" (mój faworyt) nie wspominając o pięknym zakończeniu krążka "Another Day" przechodzącym w "The Last Horizon". Z czego to wynika?
- Nie wydaje mi się, że są aż takie podobieństwa, ale jeśli tak właśnie jest i to słyszysz, jest to znak, że Genesis w odpowiedni sposób na mnie wpłynęło. Nie mogę sobie wyobrazić piosenki "She Fades Away" jako utworu Genesis, nawet nie ja ją napisałem, tylko mój brat. On także napisał "Along The Way", więc to nie są moje piosenki, choć przyznaję, ja je wyprodukowałem. "Another Day" i "The Last Horizon"- tak to moje piosenki, ale napisałem je jeszcze przed występami z Genesis. Ludzie słyszą Genesis w tym, bo tam śpiewałem, tak samo jest z płytami Phila Collinsa. Kiedy słucha się jego albumów z lat '80 i '90 trudno jest rozpoznać, czy to sam Collins, czy Genesis. Ja w ogóle nie sądziłem, że "Invisible Touch" to piosenka Phila, bo brzmiała jak Genesis, tak samo rzecz tyczy się "Mama" czy "In The Air Tonight". Zresztą może się mylę.

W kilku kompozycjach na twoim najnowszym krążku słychać damski głos niejakiej Amandy Lyon. Kim ona jest i jak doszło do waszej współpracy?
- To piosenkarka z Aberdeen, tak samo jak Annie Lennox. Zacząłem z nią pracować, ponieważ mój brat - Steve, który gra na basie, grał z nią. Amanda 3 - 4 noce w tygodniu wraz z nim śpiewała w wielu barach, zarabiając w ten sposób na życie. To samo było ze mną. Byłem w potężnych długach, ale jak ze Stilskin nagrałem "Inside" wszystko uległo zmianie. Słuchaj, nawet ten numer dotarł do pierwszego miejsca (brytyjskiej listy przebojów - przyp. red). Powód, dla którego zacząłem współpracę z Amandą był taki, że gdybym zaczął występować ze Stevem, ona straciłaby pracę. Pomyślałem, że mógłbym wykorzystać jej głos, bo jest świetną wokalistką. Co prawda na początku do swojej muzyki, którą robię, chciałem kobiety z soulowym głosem, to byłoby niezłe. Ale potem powiedziałem "pieprzyć to, zrobimy to inaczej". I trafiłem, bo na koncertach ludzie są nią zachwyceni, uważają, że ma piękny głos, zapierający dech. Chociaż starym fanom Genesis, pewnie by się nie spodobał, lubię z nią współpracować, jest naprawdę dobra i ma duży potencjał.

Dzisiaj dasz jedyny koncert w Polsce, w programie 3 Polskiego Radia. To będzie unplugged, ty i twoja gitara. Czy lubisz takie występy? (wywiad przeprowadzono 18 maja 2003 - red.)
- Lubię, ale mam wrażenie, że jestem nimi nieco znużony. Teraz je lubię, ale nie jest to stałe uczucie. Po prostu czasem zamiast samemu stać na scenie, lepiej być w towarzystwie kilku innych muzyków. Wtedy można osiągnąć znacznie większą ekspresję. Jeżeli grasz koncert unplugged w odpowiednim pomieszczeniu, jeżeli atmosfera jest właściwa, to jest on bardzo energetyzujący, ale jeżeli jest grany w złym miejscu, brzmi jak gówno. Lokalizacja jest bardzo istotna. Ta sala, na której dzisiaj wystąpię, jest odpowiednia (studio im. Agnieszki Osieckiej - przyp. red) i za to dziękuję Bogu. Wielkie dzięki za taką salę. Miałem kilka złych doświadczeń, na przykład we Włoszech. Wszedłem do sali, a ona była cholernie dziwna, duża i nieprzyjemna. Jak można zrobić w takim miejscu intymny koncert? Czy można zagrać "bez prądu" w katedrze? Właściwe miejsce musi być wsparte jego ogólną atmosferą. Gdyby dzisiaj ze mną byli Amanda i Steve, dodaliby mi trochę energii, ale bez nich też będzie dobrze.

Co chciałbyś powiedzieć polskim fanom twojej twórczości o nowej płycie?
- O rany. Nie wiem, co mógłbym powiedzieć komukolwiek. Mam nadzieję, że jeżeli ją kupią, nie będą zawiedzeni. To pierwszy album, na którym naprawdę jestem sobą. Trudno mi o tym mówić, ale płyta "Change" pokazuje prawdę o mnie samym. To taki rodzaj zwierzenia.

link: http://muzyka.onet.pl/10174,1329009,0,2,wywiady.html

Interviews: Ray Wilson: 'I find George Bush quite frightening and capable of scary things.'
by Michael Popke

data publikacji: 25.10.2004

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ray Wilson doesn't seem like much of a rock star or a political commentator. But after hearing "These Are the Changes," the first song on Wilson's latest album The Next Best Thing, Sea of Tranquility senior editor Michael Popke thinks he may be both.

During that song, Wilson - whose name may sound familiar, thanks to a short-lived stint as Phil Collins' replacement in Genesis for 1997's Calling All Stations - intersperses the repetitive, hypnotic refrain of "These are the changes the day brings us" with sound bites from President George W. Bush referring to September 11, 2001; Sen. Edward Kennedy eulogizing his brother, President John F. Kennedy, in 1968; President Richard Nixon agreeing to end the Vietnam War in 1973; and President Ronald Reagan addressing the American people regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1987.

Originally, the song wasn't political at all, Wilson, 36, says on the telephone from his native Scotland. But that doesn't prevent the track from being any less thought-provoking. "Since 9/11 and the war in Iraq, the news has been all about George Bush," Wilson says. "In Europe, George Bush is probably the most disliked president in American history. He comes across as a dumbass. I find him quite frightening and capable of scary things. I think he's bad for America's image, even though some Americans don't care what Europeans think."

But Wilson travels a lot, watching news networks around the world that help form his political statements, and he's eager to share what he thinks. He stresses that "These Are the Changes" is a song that's more about war than Bush. "We go from war to war to war, and it's like a never-ending circle," he says. "The terrorist threat dominates our world, and I, like many others, am frustrated at how we have managed to let our world get into such a state of hatred that people ... are willing to blow themselves and others to pieces for their beliefs. There can be no justification for this, but we have to ask ourselves why this happens. Should we question the British and American government's approach to world peace? 'These Are the Changes' bears out my frustration that we never seem to learn from our mistakes. We are the people responsible for voting in our politicians, but we are also responsible for making sure they run our world the way we want it. … I feel that now is the time to be vocal about peace, as talking can go a long way to help resolve this issue."

Interestingly enough, the rest of The Next Best Thing leaves politics alone. Rather, it plays more like simply a collection of songs about Wilson's observations of the world around him. That's a far cry from 2003's Change, which was incredibly autobiographical. While the new album contains some personal perspectives and is just as melancholy in places as Change, Wilson cannot tell a lie. "I prefer Change, I really do," he says. "Maybe that's just because it's more personal. Change sounds like an album and this one doesn't. I listen to Change, and every song fits - except the bonus track. That's why I hate bonus tracks."

The Next Best Thing (with no bonus tracks, by the way) is punctuated with Wilson's smoky Peter Gabriel-meets-Don Henley-via-Bryan Adams voice. "How High," with its anxious acoustic guitar and off-kilter arrangement, is a reference to someone who doesn't fear death, and the storming rocker "Inside," which borders on alternative metal, is a portrait of a character who keeps his emotions bottled within himself. Meanwhile, the piano-and-strings ballad "Adolescent Breakdown" explores the emotional dichotomy that comes with being part of a successful rock band and the crazy politics that go with it (Wilson's pre-Genesis band, Stiltskin, was quite popular in Europe), and "The Actor" captures the insecurity Wilson experienced after the demise of Stiltskin and his failed stint in Genesis. "I felt like an actor who had lost his audience," he says. "I wanted to believe it was still there but I knew it wasn't. Imagine the actor walking out to an almost empty theatre, which his adoring audience once filled. Imagine … having to face up to the failure and start again."

The whole album was written in about six months.

Change, on the other hand, took two years to write. Each of that album's 13 mostly-acoustic tracks presents a musical vignette - a memorable, melodic and sometimes painful slice of Wilson's life that he's willing to share with the listener, friend to friend. Nearly every song on Change sounds as if it could anchor the soundtrack of a dramatic film. On both Change and The Next Best Thing, Wilson leaves listeners yearning for more, wanting to share a beer with the man in a Scottish pub or hang out on the front porch with him long after dark.

Wilson says he wrote the songs on Change after completing an acoustic tour, which resulted in 2002's stunning Live and Acoustic CD, recorded during a string of 13 (yes, 13) sold-out shows at Scotland's 2001 Edinburgh International Festival. On that album, Wilson performed songs from Calling All Stations, as well old-school Genesis, latter-period Genesis and ex-Genesis members' solo material. In contrast to Change, The Next Best Thing evolved after a tour with his band, which resulted in a not-so-subtle musical and lyrical change of direction. "People seem to like this one, though, so maybe I've done something right," Wilson says.

It's easy to forgive the man if he seems a bit self-conscious. There for awhile, Wilson was blamed for the apparent demise of Genesis, one of the world's most beloved progressive-rock bands. "I was fucked whichever way I turned," is how Wilson sums up his Genesis experience today.

Handpicked by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks from Stiltskin, which had scored a No. 1 European single but crumbled under internal dissension, Wilson was widely considered an obscure choice among fans in the rest of the world to replace Collins -- who officially departed Genesis in 1996, 20 years after he took over lead singing duties in the wake of Gabriel's defection. Prior to the announcement about Wilson, replacement rumors ran wild, with speculation falling on everyone from Paul Carrack (Mike + The Mechanics) to Fish (ex-Marillion) to even the return of Gabriel.

When asked what he remembers most about the Genesis audition, Wilson responds quickly: It was Collins singing the "oh, oh, oh" background vocals in his headphones while performing "Land of Confusion." "To be in the studio, with all the guys looking at me, and Phil singing background vocals in my ears - that's quite strange," Wilson says, although he wasn't intimidated. "God gave me the gift of a voice, so I always felt comfortable singing. Genesis needed someone like that to step into the role, and I was very much like that. I was worried about fans liking my voice, but I know full well that I performed Genesis songs as well as anyone could have. My position is unshakable on that."

After the release of Calling All Stations -- despite the tepid response to the album (the official Genesis web site reports that sales didn't top 110,000 copies in the United States) -- Genesis launched a European tour in late 1997, but the response from fans was significantly less than that of previous tours. A tour of the States was even scrapped. Shortly after the conclusion of the European shows, Banks and Rutherford notified Wilson that they didn't intend to record another album. "There was such a backlash in America that Tony and Mike lost their confidence," Wilson claims. "If they put out another album, they feared nobody would buy it. I'd never sold any records in America, so it didn't make any difference to me."

His last gig with Genesis was at a festival in Germany, during which Wilson says he felt the band was finally starting to click. "I thought we would keep going," he admits. "But I suppose deep down somewhere in my soul, I knew it was going to end. When you're used to a certain standard of success, it's very difficult to take a step down, and I can understand why Tony and Mike got cold feet, but I don't agree with their decision. I thought they were chickening out."

Wilson floundered about after Genesis, forming the little-heard outfits Cut with drummer Nir Z (who replaced Collins behind the kit in Genesis) and Millionairehead. Now, six years after Banks and Rutherford sacked Wilson, he says he has little contact with anyone from the Genesis camp.

If given the opportunity to travel back in time to that fateful day when he was offered what at the time seemed like the gig of a lifetime, would Wilson have said "Yes" again? He offers a long, almost uncomfortable pause before answering. "I don't know," he eventually says. "I've spent so long trying to find my peace, and I'm finally enjoying what I do musically now. But I didn't really start creating music properly until after Genesis. Genesis softened my sound, and the Genesis experience helped me grow as a writer."

Indeed, even though Wilson was credited with co-writing "Not About Us," "Small Talk" and "There Must Be Some Other Way" on Calling All Stations, his post-Genesis work proves that his talent runs much deeper than Rutherford and Banks allowed him to demonstrate. On The Next Best Thing, even more so than on Change, Wilson has finally left Genesis behind.

link: http://www.seaoftranquility.org/article ... =0&thold=0

Zostaję

SUKCES | Czwartek, 23 kwietnia 2009
Rozmawiała Zofia Fabjanowska-Micyk
Oficjalne wydanie internetowe http://www.sukcesmagazyn.pl

Najpierw zakochał się w Polce, potem w Polsce. Rozstał się z Genesis, gdzie zastępował Phila Collinsa, i zamieszkał w Poznaniu. Ray Wilson wydaje tutaj swoją płytę. I deklaruje, że chce zostać, bo tu jest najszczęśliwszy.

SUKCES: Zadomowiłeś się chyba w Poznaniu na dobre

Ray Wilson: Mieszkam tu dopiero od połowy września, a już czuję się jak u siebie. Nadal mam dom w Edynburgu. Odkryłem ostatnio, że siedząc w Szkocji, w kraju, w którym spędziłem 40 lat, tęsknię za Polską. Dziwne uczucie. Zresztą już od pierwszej wizyty coś mnie do Polski ciągnęło.

S: Pierwszy raz byłeś w naszym kraju 11 lat temu?

RW: Tak, w ramach trasy koncertowej Genesis. Występowaliśmy wtedy w katowickim Spodku. Nigdy nie zapomnę tego wyjazdu. Przeżycie raczej z gatunku tych ekstremalnych.

S: To znaczy?

RW: Myślałem, że wylądowaliśmy na innej planecie. Po pierwsze, sam Spodek, który wyglądał jak statek kosmiczny. Do tego krajobraz wokół. Zupełnie jak z Księżyca. Był koniec stycznia, musiało być jakieś minus 10, minus 12 stopni. Ulice zamarznięte, wszędzie hałdy śniegu. Nigdy wcześniej nie byłem w tej części Europy, nie wiedziałem, że w ogóle może być tak zimno. I jeszcze pokoje hotelowe: obskurne, ze strasznie wąskimi, małymi łóżkami. Jak dla dzieci. Pomyślałem sobie: „Taki właśnie jest ten mityczny Wschód”. To mi się jakoś tam nakładało z filmami. No wiesz, takie wyobrażenie jeszcze z czasów zimnej wojny. I na tym Wschodzie, w tym dziwnym mroźnym kraju wyszliśmy na scenę i publiczność przywitała nas tak, jak nigdzie. W ludziach był jakiś niesamowity entuzjazm. Dla mnie szokujący, bo byłem przyzwyczajony do innej publiczności.

S: Innej, czyli jakiej?

RW: Takiej, która przychodzi na koncert z nastawieniem: „Udowodnij, że jesteś wart pieniędzy, które zapłaciłem za bilet”. Drugi koncert w Polsce, który dałem dopiero pięć lat później i w zupełnie innych okolicznościach, bo nie grałem już z Genesis, tylko utwierdził mnie w przekonaniu, że polska publiczność jest wyjątkowa.

S: Co innego dawać tu koncert, a co innego przeprowadzić się na stałe. Nie miałeś żadnych wątpliwości?

RW: Na pewno było jakieś wahanie, ale nie zastanawiałem się zbyt długo. Wiedziałem, że muszę to zrobić.

S: Musisz?

RW: Jeśli chcę być z Gosią. A dość szybko doszedłem do wniosku, że właśnie na tym najbardziej mi zależy.

S: Jak się poznaliście?

RW: Przy okazji koncertu w Poznaniu.

S: Była jedną z twoich fanek?

RW: Nic z tych rzeczy. W ogóle nie słyszała o kimś takim, jak Ray Wilson. (śmiech) Tamtego wieczoru do klubu, w którym grałem, trafiła przypadkiem. Przyszła już po koncercie, kiedy wszyscy się zbierali. Ani przez chwilę nie widziała mnie na scenie. Weszła i natychmiast przyciągnęła moją uwagę. Pomyślałem, że jest zjawiskowo piękna. Trochę pokręciłem się przy jej stoliku, aż w końcu udało mi się nawiązać rozmowę. Z klubu zabrałem ją na przyjęcie i tam przegadaliśmy już kilka godzin. Jak starzy, dobrzy przyjaciele, a przecież widzieliśmy się po raz pierwszy w życiu. Potem Gosia miała występ w Warszawie, na który przyjechałem z Edynburga. Widziałem ją też w Poznaniu, na scenie Teatru Wielkiego. Szybko zorientowałem się, że łączy nas coś wyjątkowego. Aż w końcu doszliśmy do etapu, kiedy było już jasne, że takie wyrwane z naszych grafików spotkania to dla nas za mało. Zacząłem szukać mieszkania w Poznaniu.

S: Nie myśleliście o przeprowadzce do Edynburga?

RW: Taka opcja odpadła. W Edynburgu nie ma teatru tańca, w którym Gosia mogłaby występować.

S: Polska tancerka po szkole baletowej i doświadczony rockman ze Szkocji. Ciekawa z was para.

RW: Rockman może tak, ale żeby nie było nieporozumień: nie jestem typem macho, który czaruje fanki na lewo i prawo. Nie zalewam się po koncertach, wolę wino do kolacji. Gosia nie lubi palaczy, więc od razu rzuciłem palenie. W naszym przypadku dużym plusem jest to, że oboje pracujemy w sumie w dość podobnej branży. Żyjemy w podobnym rytmie. Ja gram wieczorami, Gosia ma próby od 10 do 14, a na przedstawienia wychodzi o 18 i kończy je o 22. Możemy spędzać ze sobą całe popołudnia.

S: A różnica wieku?

RW: Wcześniej nie przyszło mi do głowy, że mogę się związać z kimś o 20 lat młodszym. Myślę, że ten układ sprawdza się dlatego, ponieważ Gosia jest jak na swój wiek bardzo dojrzała. Ta dziewczyna ma głowę na karku. Z kolei we mnie nadal siedzi nastolatek. Od kiedy skończyłem 14 lat, prowadzę rockandrollowy tryb życia. Trudno w takich warunkach być poważnym, statecznym facetem.

S: Nigdy nie myślałeś, żeby zająć się czymś innym niż granie?

RW: Robiłem w życiu różne rzeczy. Ale granie zawsze było najważniejsze. U mnie w domu wszyscy śpiewali, grali na jakimś instrumencie albo i jedno, i drugie. Słuchaliśmy też mnóstwa płyt. Dużo klasyki rocka, ale także popu. Kiedy pomyślę sobie o moim dzieciństwie, widzę ojca. Siedzi przy stole z twarzą ukrytą za „Sunday Timesem”, zajada „scotch pie” (szkocki placek nadziewany mięsem – przyp. red.), a w tle słychać na cały regulator Boba Dylana lub Neila Younga. Mój ojciec był typem rockandrollowca.

S: Pamiętasz swój pierwszy publiczny występ?

RW: Oczywiście. Gwiazdka 1976 roku. Śpiewałem „Bohemian Rapsody” Queenów. Publicznością była cała rodzina. Miałem osiem lat i już się przed nimi popisywałem. Natomiast pierwszy występ, za który ktoś mi zapłacił, był jakieś sześć lat później. Występowałem z moim bratem Steve’em i jeszcze jednym chłopakiem w pubie. Graliśmy szlagiery zespołu The Eagles i zarobiliśmy 80 funtów. Dla 14-latka to niewyobrażalne pieniądze.

S: Brałeś udział w wielu muzycznych projektach, grałeś m.in. z popularną grupą Stilskin. Mam jednak wrażenie, że i tak nie pozbędziesz się etykietki: „były wokalista Genesis”. Nie przeszkadza ci to?

RW: Nawet jeśliby mi przeszkadzało, co mam na to poradzić? Tak już jest.

S: Pewnie nie lubisz pytań o Genesis?

RW: Zabawne, większość dziennikarzy zadaje mi to samo pytanie.

S: To chyba zrozumiałe. Finał twojej współpracy z zespołem nie był chyba najprzyjemniejszy

RW: Kontrakt z takim muzycznym gigantem, jak Genesis, to czysty biznes, a w biznesie rzadko kiedy jest przyjemnie. A tak poważnie mówiąc, choć rozstałem się z nimi rzeczywiście w nie do końca dobrej atmosferze, pod względem muzycznym było to fenomenalne doświadczenie. Nie mogłem dostać od życia cenniejszej lekcji.

S: Jak to się stało, że zastąpiłeś Phila Collinsa?

RW: W 1996 roku Collins ogłosił, że rozpoczyna karierę solową. Trzeba było znaleźć nowego wokalistę. Zorganizowano casting. Trzeba było wysłać do wytwórni płytę ze swoim nagraniem.

S: Podobno twoje zrobiło na Genesis tak duże wrażenie, że natychmiast zaprosili cię na przesłuchanie.

RW: Sprawa była bardziej skomplikowana. Rzeczywiście, klawiszowcowi i gitarzyście mój głos się spodobał, ale o wyborze kandydatów decydowali także muzycy niezwiązani z Genesis. Wytwórnia płytowa wykonała serię dziwnych posunięć i poprosiła o konsultację inne muzyczne gwiazdy, które z zespołem nie miały nic wspólnego. Typowe korporacyjne pomysły. Tak, że chyba nikt do końca nie wiedział, według jakich kryteriów oceniać przyszłego następcę Phila Collinsa.

S: Więc dlaczego wybrali ciebie?

RW: Nie wiem, bo prawdę mówiąc, kiedy wychodziłem ze studia nagrań, myślałem sobie, że zgłoszenie się do castingu to był idiotyczny pomysł. Najzabawniejsze jest to, że w czasie przesłuchania miałem kłopot z zaśpiewaniem większości utworów, bo głos Phila Collinsa jest wyższy niż mój i żebym mógł wyciągnąć górne partie, musiałbym obniżyć tonację. Co prawda jeszcze przed przesłuchaniem zapewniano mnie, że będę mógł śpiewać we własnej, niższej skali, ale w studio okazało się, że za akompaniament służą oryginalne nagrania. Po czterech kawałkach powiedziałem: „Słuchajcie, głos mi wysiada, nie mogę śpiewać tak wysoko”. Wyszedłem stamtąd, myśląc, że straciłem tylko czas.

S: Nie straciłeś.

RW: Po miesiącu dowiedziałem się, że chcą mnie w zespole, ale jako jednego z dwóch wokalistów. Ja miałem śpiewać piosenki Petera Gabriela, tamten drugi – Collinsa. Ten system nie zadziałał i zostałem na placu boju sam.

S: Współpracowałeś z Genesis dwa lata. Zaliczyłeś międzynarodowe tournée, napisałeś kilka piosenek, wspólny album okazał się sukcesem. Dlaczego musiałeś odejść?

RW: Oficjalny powód był taki, że „Calling All Stations” nie sprzedała się dobrze w Stanach. Amerykańscy fani, szczególnie starsi, chcieli Phila Collinsa, megagwiazdę, a nie mnie. Kiedy przyszło do nagrywania kolejnego albumu, menedżerowie podziękowali mi za współpracę. Podpisałem kontrakt na dwie płyty, ale nie stać mnie było na proces z ogromną wytwórnią.

S: Byłeś rozczarowany?

RW: Raczej kompletnie zdołowany. Najgorsze było dla mnie to, że z muzykami Genesis dobrze się rozumieliśmy. To, że nie nagraliśmy razem drugiej płyty, to była przypadkowa decyzja kogoś z managementu wytwórni. Z dnia na dzień zostałem bez pieniędzy, bez celu i planów na przyszłość. Bez niczego. Straciłem dwa lata, zastanawiając się, co ze sobą zrobić. Upadek z wysokiego konia boli. Straciłem dom. Byłem totalnie zbity z tropu. Aż któregoś dnia mój kumpel ze szkoły, zapytał, czybym czegoś nie zaśpiewał. Siedzieliśmy w pubie. Wziąłem do ręki gitarę. Ludzie chcieli mnie słuchać. Coś we mnie drgnęło. Uległem czarowi klubowej atmosfery, bezpośredniego kontaktu z publicznością. Odnalazłem dla siebie akustyczne brzmienie. I znowu wziąłem się do roboty.

S: Co uważasz za swoje największe zawodowe osiągnięcie?

RW: To, że się w ogóle utrzymałem w tym interesie. Od 15 lat nadal tu jestem, nie przepadłem. Nie lubię show-biznesu. Uważam, że jest jak fast food. Zaspokaja głód szybko, ale na krótko, w dodatku można się po nim nabawić niestrawności. Dlatego wolę się trzymać na dystans. Jestem zadowolony z mojego najnowszego albumu „Propaganda man”, który nagrałem ze Stilskinami i który zaraz ukaże się w Polsce. Chcę grać tyle, żeby zarabiać na godne życie i gromadzić na koncertach dokładnie tyle ludzi, żeby mój występ miał jakiś sens. Nie liczę na dzikie tłumy. Na koncertach dużo gadam. Dlatego chcę jak najszybciej nauczyć się polskiego.

S: Zostajesz u nas na stałe?

RW: Oczywiście nigdy nie wiadomo, co przyniesie życie, ale na razie z ręką na sercu mogę powiedzieć, że nie planuję powrotu do Szkocji. Chce być w Polsce, bo tutaj jestem szczęśliwy.

link: http://media.wp.pl/kat,1022939,wid,1106 ... omosc.html

Kiedy miałem 19 lat, omal nie zginąłem w wypadku samochodowym. Byłem naprawdę bliski śmierci, straciłem wtedy bardzo dużo krwi. Gdyby nie ludzie, którzy oddali krew dla mnie, nie rozmawiałbym teraz z wami...

W Wielkiej Brytanii wiele osób oddaje krew, to jest powszechne, naprawdę powszechne, ale też jest ciągła potrzeba krwi, także pojawiają się podobne apele, prośby. Oddać krew, uratować dzięki temu czyjeś życie, no to jest wspaniała rzecz, co tu dużo mówić... A to właściwie człowieka nic nie kosztuje, jest proste.

Ja myślę o życiu w ten sposób: nie możesz tylko brać, trzeba szukać równowagi między tym, co bierzesz, i co dajesz. I nie ma tu znaczenia, ile masz pieniędzy, jak bogaty, jak biedny jesteś. Każdy ma jakiś dług wobec życia i zawsze można znaleźć sposób, żeby go oddać. Myślę, że oddanie krwi to jeden z najlepszych sposobów.

Jestem teraz w trasie koncertowej po Europie, w piątek nie będzie mnie w Poznaniu, więc nie zdołam wesprzeć akcji na miejscu. Ale po powrocie zagram koncert charytatywny dla innej chorej 9-letniej dziewczynki z Poznania. Koncert odbędzie się 23 sierpnia w Czarnkowie niedaleko Poznania. Przyjedziecie?

Źródło: Gazeta Wyborcza Poznań / 2009-07-13

Wywiad z Drezna, z 21ego sierpnia:

http://www.genesis-news.com/c-Ray-Wilso ... -s414.html

An Interview with Ray Wilson
Dresden, 21st August 2010



In many interviews you have this natural distance between the asking and the answering part. It's different when we have an interview with Ray. In Dresden, Christian Gerhardts from Genesis News Com met once again a relaxed Ray Wilson. They know each other quite well now, and they were both in a good mood. Ray himself has lost weight and with almost 42 he seems to be fitter than he has been for a long time. For nearly an hour, Ray sat down and talked about his life and career in the afternoon before his Genesis Klassik Show in Dresden.


GNC: Last time we met for an interview was in 2006 in Heiligenhaus …

Ray: … I remember that day - it was hot.


GNC: Yes. 36°C. That was four years ago, but we want to talk about the future first. You will release a new album next year. Can you tell us more about that? Will it be more acoustic, more electric or more Stiltskin-like?

Ray: More Stiltskin. To be honest - and it surprised me as well, the new album happens very fast. I hadn't written anything since two months ago. I got in contact again with Uwe Metzler, Peter Hoff and Scott Spence, who wrote She and Taking Time with me. So I told them, I want to write some new stuff, so send me some ideas. I got some ideas and started writing, it feels good, I'm really pleased. At the moment I got nine songs, demos - so good ideas. My intention is to write more and choose the best for the CD. I'm very pleased so far. I'm happier as well - I don't know if that's a good thing. But it is, I'm afraid - the music is a little bit happier.


"One of the reason why we started Genesis Klassik was to do something different"


GNC: Do you have some leftovers from the last Stiltskin session?

Ray: Nothing. I have nothing left over from anything at all. One of the reason why we started Genesis Klassik was to do something different. I've been doing the same thing every year, was touring Propaganda Man for two years and needed to do something else.


GNC: Propaganda Man has a track called Bless Me…

Ray: …that was from the Stiltskin session. It was originally my idea, the guitar thing, and Show Me The Way - these two songs I wrote almost on my own, musically. All the other songs were mainly from Uwe, Peter or Scott.


GNC: Regarding the album Propaganda Man, when did you decide not to do another Stiltskin record?

Ray: I don't think I really decide these things. I think these things decide me. I don't sit down and say 'ok, I'm going to do this kind of record'. The last Stiltskin album was a very good album, I'm very happy with it. But it was so difficult to do that - financially and logistically. I was working with people I have never worked with before. And once I did that and did the tour and all these things, I felt like I have enough, you know? And then I just wanted to go back to my acoustic guitar and sit in the corner of the room - which is my default position as a human being. When things get stressful I want everybody just to fuck off and I want to sit in the corner of the room and tell stories and play songs. So my natural instinct is to go back to this position. So whenever my life is shit - that's where I end up going, somehow. But when I'm feeling better about things and communicating with people better then, other things seems to happen.
Propaganda Man was written during my separation and divorce from Tyla. That obviously brings in some kind of emotion. I was on my own doing it, I wrote most of it, I recorded most of it, just in my own space. I even spend christmas day writing it and drinking Jägermeister - even on christmas day - on my own. So that was a difficult time in my life. But now I'm working with other people and it's better that way. I am better with other people than I am on my own.


GNC: Have you thought about including different musicians on the new album?

Ray: Well, you know, I work with the boys. I've been working with the guys for quite a long time now. Lawrie and Ash [McMillan, the editors] and Ali [Ferguson] play with me for 4-5 years now. Steve [Wilson] is now back again, and Filip [Walcerz] obviously came in for the Genesis thing - but he fits nicely into the band, so I work with these guys for Stiltskin. And Uwe [Metzler] of course is a very good, very creative guitarist, so I get him to play some bits as well, but I don't really intend to work with other people, unless there is a feature, that maybe I need an unusual voice or someone to play a specific instrument. It's a little bit too early to tell. At the moment I am writing the demos, and then I am going to start recording in January or February. I will not do any concerts for … once in my life …


GNC: … for two months.

Ray: (laughs) yes, I get two months off in my life. So I will be in the studio for two months and we'll see what happens. I really don't know. I am always interested in working with people, but I am not a very sociable person, you know? You probably know that (laughing). If I am in the wrong frame of mind, I just don't want anybody near me. But as I said at the moment I feel quite good and I am open to ideas.


"I think doing something with Steve Hackett makes total sense at some stage."

GNC: The question about working with other people came from some comments in our forum. I remember someone saying, Steve Hackett's new album is quite nice, but it lacks some kind of Ray Wilson voice…

Ray: Steve's stuff? Well, he's the guitarist that I am not, and I am the singer he is not. I think that's a fair assessment.


GNC: So could you imagine doing something with him in the future?

Ray: Not on the Stiltskin album, but I would quite happily work with him, yes. He's a great guitarist and musician. Well, actually I thought with Genesis Klassik I would like Steve doing something. Because it makes sense for that. He's a member of Genesis, so am I … or we both were, should I say… I think that would be a good idea for him to do that. And the other thing you've got to remember is not only you need to create something, you need to promote it. You need to sell it - it's an unfortunate fact of life.

I think doing something with Steve makes total sense at some stage. I know he seems to be interested in the idea, I certainly am, so why not? Although I've only met him once, I do not really know the many very much.


GNC: Are you interested in doing completely different projects, such as soundtracks. Or are you too young for that right now?

Ray: (laughs) I'm not dead yet … Again, these types of things find you. Something happens and it will put you in this space. Like Peter Hoff, he's doing some kind of chill out ambient type thing at the moment that he wanted me to write some ideas for, which I have - I did one or two and it's a completely different side of my character. When I sing, I try not to sound like me. I don't think that project will go anywhere necessarily, but I am always open to the idea of doing things like that. I also work with DJs, which is almost a crime in some countries to do that but I like to try different things. First of all, I am a singer and it makes sense to put the voice in different styles of music.


"I don't like the idea of being signed to a record company"


GNC: Do you miss the support of a record label or to say it the other way - would you prefer to have another major hit or do you prefer to have a career on a solid level?

Ray: Good question! I think there is obviously a certain advantage to signing to a record label that I don't have. And there are disadvantages being without a label that I do have. But then, I can do anything I want any time I want and I don't have to ask anybody other than the audience. My boss is them. If they don't come anymore…

But I think I don't like the idea of being signed to a record company, I have to say. It just does not sit with my character to be controlled. So the better way is to do what I do, to have distribution and do the marketing independently. I know that does not give me the opportunity to be very successful - but do I need that anyway? No, I don't need that …

There's nothing wrong with my career - I am very happy - people come to the shows, they're getting busier and busier. It seems to me there's nothing a record company could give me that I can't give myself other than have the opportunity to be heard on SWR3 on daytime. But they play my music anyway - it's just they play it at night. (laughing)


GNC: One of the strange things recently is that Pete has done an album with covers with an orchestra, Phil has done a cover album and you cover quite a lot songs during our shows, such as material from Leonard Cohen or Chris Rea. Did you ever consider recording a cover album with your favorite tracks from David Bowie and all these people?

Ray: I don't think so. As I said before I am singer, first and foremost. And I know that. I love great songs and singers. That's what I am interested. Artists like Leonard Cohen - I've seen him two days ago…


GNC: … I saw you were interviewed on TV

Ray: … oh you saw it? ok. You know what I watched that I thought 'wow, the man is amazing'


GNC: he's almost double your age

Ray: yeah - but what a guy, my god. 76 years old and and he creates such a magic, I've never seen anybody create such a magic. It was absolutely amazing. I think for me I like to write new songs and new material. And sometimes I don't like writing and I don't do it. But it's also important to be inspired. Especially lyrically, I want to say something. Rather than just defaulting to the boy-girl stuff. It's very difficult when you break out of these stereotype topics for writing songs to write something else. You need to have experience of life to have something to write about.


GNC: … like boy-boy stuff for example

Ray: yeah, boy-boy stuff (laughs) - why not? But you know, relationship-stuff actually is what I mean. But actually, besides playing some other songs during the shows and doing the Genesis Klassik shows, that's enough, I don't need to cover anybody else's career on record. People do understand why I do what I do although not everybody agrees with it, I know.

GNC: ok, I'll ask the question again in 10 years…

Ray: ... ok, when I've just done a David Bowie cover album. (laughs)


GNC: Some people, who are not familiar with your music, often ask for a best of or some kind of introduction to Ray Wilson album. Have you ever thought about some kind of Greatest Hits album?

Ray: I thought about it, but I can't really do a Greatest Hits, because I didn't have that may hits, but a 'best of' would do it. But you know when you record a song and you play it live it takes a new life. Propaganda Man is a good example. The live version is better than the recording and I know that. So it would be nice to rerecord it with the live version and use that for a 'best of'. So I would like to do it like that. And obviously I've never done a DVD and people keep asking me what and when and I keep saying I am not interested.


GNC: … that's the next question. So what about the Live-DVD. I heared rumours you may be filming tonight.

Ray: Only with one camera. We actually asked if we could film it but they wouldn't let us. And obviously you need to do multitrack.
Generally, I just feel I never had the reason for doing that yet. I never really got what I wanted - I never got it right. I don't feel I've ever got it right. I do feel now, however, I'm getting it right. It's coming … and that's when you want a document - your best of or your live dvd. But I actually think the Genesis Klassik Show is something that could be filmed now. It's finished. I'm not going to make any changes to it this year. We have 40 or 50 shows - so it could be filmed. And musically I'm happy with it as well. There's no part that I want to change or I feel isn't right. With regard to the Stiltskin thing, that's not really ready yet. I think I'd like to do the new album and continue performing. We only had 2 gigs this year and we've spend most of the time trying to remember the songs. So that's not a time to film it. So realistically, nothing will happen before the autumn next year, if at all. I'm not in any rush to record things, to be honest. Come to the gigs… that's my view. The negative thing about a DVD is - as we talked about Cohen and I bought his DVD and 2CD - you go to the gig and you know what to expect. And that takes some of the magic out of the gig for me. I wish I haven't listened to it before. I didn't want to know what he was gonna say or sing. And that's the problem with DVDs. I rather have people go to the shows than sitting in an armchair watching a DVD.

With Genesis Klassik, it's kind of different, because I know we can change the show completely in 2 years. Simply because we have a big catalogue of their songs and more songs from Calling All Stationsthat I can do. So I could change the setlist. I do one DVD and then I change it. But with Stiltskin … not yet.
I also wanted to do a "my life" thing, with all the footage from my life and from different shows I've done but I would like to do it properly. I do feel now, however, I'm getting it right. It's coming … and that's when you want a document - your best of or your live dvd. I have lots of video footage and stuff of all my career but I think time will tell me when it's right to do that. It can't be far away. But still I'm only 41, so there's still time to make more mistakes.


GNC: The live set. Few years ago you said it clearly "I hate Congo"

Ray: yes and now I am playing it.


GNC: yes, what's the reason for the change of mind.

Ray: I'm just a liar (laughing). Actually - obviously I live in Poland now. And I'm always being asked for Congo in Poland. The Genesis album did very well there, the show was broadcasted on the main TV station. There are many fans of that song in Poland. And I occasionally I had some requests in Germany as well. But not so much. But Poland - all the time. And I said, ok - let's see if we could do a version of Congo that sounds good. And I think we have a version of Congo that sounds good. I'm very pleased with it now. The first 2-3 times I felt a little bit self conscious. But now I think we've got something in between the Calling All Stations version of the song and the Klassik way we do it. We seem to have something working now. So I am actually really enjoying the song. I like it more live than I ever did on the record.


"Genesis Klassik is the best gig I've ever done in my life"


GNC: The other tracks, like One Man's Fool, The Dividing Line, Small Talk or There Must Be Some Other Way - you don't play that live anymore. Is there a chance to hear these songs again?

Ray: I think there is now, actually whenever I played a Genesis song it had to be different. I wasn't interested to do it the same way it was. Whenever I tried to do it like they did, it sounded wrong, like a cover band. So I did acoustic versions of Carpet Crawlers and stuff and always felt quite good about that. Now with the full band - basically, we have taken Tony's keyboard parts and put them into a string arrangement. So there is a new unique element to it whereas when the band plays it, it's pretty close to how Genesis played it. And it's this thing. The string arrangement instead of Tony's keyboards, the band playing it a bit like Genesis did and my voice instead of Phil's or Peter's. It seems to work - I am enjoying it. This is actually the best gig I've ever done in my life - what we're now doing. We've got it right. That opens the door for doing other songs from Calling All Stations. At the moment we play 4 of them, Calling All Stations, Congo and the usual two [Shipwrecked and Not About Us], but I think There Must Be Some Other Way would be quite nice as well. It also depends on whether or not that kind of Genesis Fan starts to watch my gig. That's the question. That's not really the Genesis Fan who comes to my gig.


GNC: So do you think stuff like The Dividing Line would be too demanding for your audience?

Ray: Well, If I went and played in Italy, I would play The Dividing Line. It may not be the best example, but they like stuff that a little more a reminiscent of the 70ies. When you get into Germany, there is an audience for that early part of Genesis, but it's not my audience. There's maybe one or two - but predominantly I can see people get bored when I play something like that. So from my point of view, I'd rather play Constantly Reminded as a song they've never heard before rather than play Uncertain Weather. I would rather play something I have written. However, if that changes and more people come to my shows who watch The Musical Box, you know, that audience, then yes of course then I have an argument for playing the longer Genesis songs.


GNC: What about a poll about that topic on your website?

Ray: ...but you know what you get is fans go to the website choosing songs, but they do not necessarily come to the concerts. That's the problem. I met many Genesis Fans in my life who like different times of the band and they are quite different obviously, like Phil's time and then the early years with Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel. These fans are different people. I know that Genesis themselves had the same kind of problem. Whenever they do a gig, they think who do we please? the commercial era fans or the early Genesis Fans, which may be the minority. I know that's what they feel because that's what they said.


"Italy is so different to anywhere else for Genesis music"

GNC: Do you think they found a compromise the the 2007 setlist? You saw them in Hannover…

Ray: I think they did actually find a compromise. It's true to say that. Yeah, you're right. But it took them time. I know when they went to places like Italy … Italy sticks out, it's so different to anywhere else for Genesis that I experienced. They were almost booing when you play Invisible Touch, you know - or people were even leaving. Whereas when you get into London they love it. And that was always their problem. But I do believe they got the balance right in 2007, yes.


GNC: I saw one of the pure Stiltskin shows in 2006 in Essen, with Uwe in the band. You didn't even play one Genesis song. Can you imagine to leave that all behind and only play you own stuff in the future?

Ray: To be honest the Stiltskin shows have been like that because I've been able to do that. When I started my career with a mix of acoustic Genesis songs and my own songs like Change, I kind of felt compelled to continue that way, with this kind of hybrid type gig and I've always felt that the show needed it.

I would say now though, like the last proper Stiltskin gig was in the Bluesgarage and I don't think we played anything from Genesis, maybe Follow You Follow Me and Not About Us but I don't mind Not About Us, because it's pretty much my song. But we purposely leave out everything and people were very happy with it. In other places, like festival type environment, you need a bit of that other stuff. When it's my audience like Bluesgarage or Downtown Bluesclub in Hamburg or Worpswede or Berlin, I feel quite comfortable to focus only on my stuff. But I haven't always felt that way and I only felt it probably in the last while that I can do that and it's because I have Genesis Klassik now, which is a Genesis show so people know if they want to listen to me playing Genesis songs, they go to Genesis Klassik. And when you go to a Stiltskin gig, you won't get all the Genesis stuff.


GNC: A lot of fans think the Millionairhead album contains the strongest material you've done so far. Unfortunately you do not play the songs people want to hear from the album, such as No Place For A Loser or the title track. You obviously play Sarah quite often…

Ray: … yeah I'm kind of stuck with certain songs. Actually in Berlin I am playing Hey Hey again and I haven't played that for a while and I love that song, it's Tony Bank's favorite as well, I remember him telling me. And somebody asked for Adolescent Breakdown as well which was from the same session, but only a bonus track on the record. And I get emails from people saying - play this, play that. I think with No Place For A Loser it's certainly … when did we play that? We played it with Nir and that's it? Never again…


"5.1 Mix of Calling All Stations? They never sent it to me"


GNC: It's an "All The Young Dudes" kind of song ...

Ray: yeah, you're absolutely right, that's where the inspiration came from. It's got that whole feel about it. I just need to be prompted, reminded or kicked…

GNC:No Place For A Loser was Track of the Week in our forum a couple of weeks ago and some people were asking, why is that not part of the setlist?

Ray:No Place For A Loser … hmm, I should remember that. I just need to be reminded to do things. You do tend to settle in familiarity. I think a lot of artists are guilty in that. And I am also … I always try to do my different things and I forget these things.


GNC: Did you ever hear the 5.1 mix of Calling All Stations?

Ray: They never sent it to me


GNC: ... ah, so you didn't buy the record?

Ray: I didn't buy it, no. It's even not so easy to buy the record. I did expect them to send it to me, I thought that would be a reasonable request to send a copy to me. Nick Davis sent me a CD-R.


GNC: … possibly only the stereo mix.

Ray: yes, true. But then, I wouldn't have anything to play that 5.1 Mix, so … I'm not too interested in that - even DVDs, I watch in stereo.


"For North America, I never get any requests"


GNC: What about live shows in other countries, such as North America, UK, Southern Europe…

Ray: hmm … I think the reality is if I had a pot full of money to lose. Then I am quite happy to do it and can go and play those places. Whenever I go to the UK I lose money, apart from the Edinburgh festival, because I was there I had a house there - which I don't have anymore … but that was the only time when I played in the UK and managed to earn anything. And I kind of lost interest now. It's a shame because I get a lot of mails from the UK saying when are you coming over to play. Unfortunately they're scattered all over the UK, if they were all in the same city…

Even when I played in London last year, the majority of the audience was polish and german. Regarding Spain, I did a charity thing in Valencia recently and I met some guys from the Marillion fanclub there who said they could organize a gig which is great when you know that 200 people are coming and you can at least pay for hotels and flights. I'm quite happy to do it, I don't need to make money from it, I just does not want to lose 1000 Pounds per gig, you know? I have to market my own albums and pay for all my stuff . I would love to go elsewhere. North America I never get any requests. I had one request for Canada at one time…


GNC: … 10th anniversary of Calling All Stations?

Ray: Is that what it was?


GNC: ... you told us last time, if I remember correctly.

Ray: Ok. I had a request for that and it didn't work. And I knew what they would want to listen to and I just didn't play it - so what's the point? I actually never had a Genesis-type gig, that I I felt I could really take anywhere. I mean we took it to South America where they knew me for the Genesis time only and we did it, but it wasn't really very good, to be honest with myself. And I think only know we have something that is really good. So now I would quite happily take it somewhere. Unfortunately there are ten musicians…


GNC: We still have people asking, what happened in Grönmitz - what's the story behind that?

Ray: That was a f**** disaster. I got there and there was nobody there. Something like 8 people. So I got there, I had driven for 8 hours or even longer, which was ridiculous, and I was so angry with my agent, so I just turned around and went away. I've never done that before in my life. I guess I was wrong doing it, to be fair, but I was really pissed off. I had to make a statement to them and I did that. Unfortunately a few people were pissed of with me and you know … what can I say? They were right and I was wrong. But that's why. They've sent me in the middle of nowhere with no promotion, no marketing and just everything there was wrong. So I didn't want to do it.


"One thing Germany has been traditionally good at is creating good rock and roll clubs"


GNC: Is there a favorite city where you prefer playing?

Ray: I've always liked the working class areas. Like Dortmund, Essen, you know - the Ruhr area. I love that. it's the same in Britain, Newcastle, Liverpool or Manchester. These are good locations for music. I'm a big fan of going into that type of environment. I think it's more about clubs, though than necessarily areas. One thing Germany has been traditionally good at is creating good rock and roll clubs. Much better than the UK. Places like Bluesgarage, the Downtown Bluesclub or the Colos-Saal in Aschaffenburg and the Spectrum in Augsburg, Germany has got a good circuit of good clubs. You get there and the guy who owns it looks like he's the rock star. I love that. It's also great for our business, because if it wasn't for those people, I wouldn't have a career at all.


GNC: Do you miss Scotland?

Ray: I miss … the air (laughs). Does that sound stupid? I went to Edinburgh last week. I had five days, Gosia was working in England, so I went to Edinburgh. One thing I've always noticed about Scotland is as soon as you get off the plane it's like (breathes in) wow! The air … it's so rich and green and by the sea. Now I live in the center of Poland. And - ok it's green but there's no sea anywhere. I guess the only time when I get that is when I am in the baltic region like Stralsund and Rostock. I miss the air and the city of course. Edinburgh is for me one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. But I'm also quite happy to leave. Just to spend some time and go.


GNC: Do you feel home in Poland now?

Ray: Well I feel home in my tourbus, that's a simple answer to the question. It doesn't have to be Poland. If I had a choice of where to live I'd live in Berlin, that's my favorite city. I like the polish people very much, I have to say. But my home is the bus. Also, I know so many people in so many places now, predominantly in Germany and Poland. I'm always happy to arrive in Augsburg or Aschaffenburg …


GNC: Last time I asked you what kind of music you were listening to. Back then you said Breaks Co-Op and after that I bought the CD and share your opinion - it's great stuff. So what are you listening to now?

Ray: The last thing I bought was Leonard Cohens Live-Album, which I think is one of the best Live-Albums I've ever heard. Certainly the best thing I've heard in ten years. I was always aware of him as a writer, but I would never say I was a big fan. But then I listened to that and I thought this is just amazing. Musically, how it works - the space, the arrangements. His bass player, I don't know his name, but I know he arranges the stuff, I was absolutely blown away by the whole occasion - his poetry, how he introduces songs, so that's the album that sticks out. Recently I also bought David Gray's latest album but I didn't really have the chance to listen to it. But it seems he did it in a little room in his house somewhere, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I tend to go for singer/songwriters. That's what I'm interested in. It's that comfort thing. When life goes wrong, I want to sit in the corner with my acoustic guitar. And then a band called Archive. I think they are an amazing band. A little bit like Radiohead, but different to that.


GNC: If you had to stop making music tomorrow, are you still eager to do the lawnmower thing in Edinburgh?

Ray: The Lawnmower thing (laughs) - yeah! I haven't had that feeling for a while, like the Forrest Gump moment…


GNC: or do you have a specific hobby now?

Ray: No, I still don't have any hobbies, I'm afraid. I'm still … music, music and more music. Pretty boring guy. I think I would have to do something so extremely different to music. Like fishing or something. But I'm not interested in fishing, I have to say. So it' still riding the lawnmower, listening to I know what I Like through my headphones.


"After years sitting on the fence I feel I can make the right decisions."


GNC: Are you pleased with the development of your live-shows and the number of people who come to see you? Do you feel okay with your album sales?

Ray: Well the numbers are increasing, but to be fair they are increasing because I'm doing a Genesis Klassik show, I'm not stupid… I have to say also, the last Stiltskin show was the best we've ever done. I finally was doing what I should be doing and it felt so good to do, rather than compromising, which I've been guilty of for nine years. I've had good reasons to do that, but I don't feel I have to do it anymore and that's a good feeling. I actually feel I can play what I want to play and it's gonna be ok. And that's because I've given the different gigs a title and a place. And people who like me performing know which gig is which and they are not surprised when they turn up and don't hear a Genesis song because it's a Stiltskin show. So I feel after years sitting on the fence I feel I can make the right decisions.


GNC: Ok, Ray - thank you for this interview, was a pleasure as always. Good luck with your projects.

Ray: Thanks, it's always a pleasure!

Interview & transcription: Christian Gerhardts

Króciutki wywiad Michała Sycha z Radia Konin przeprowadzony z Rayem po koncercie w Koninie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2jdD7ZtYac

Ray Wilson o Genesis, życiu w Polsce oraz o swoim projekcie Genesis Klassik
http://gwiazdy.wp.tv/i,Ray-Wilson-o-zyc ... 64#m691085
&
http://gwiazdy.wp.tv/i,Genesis-Klassik, ... caid=5b565

W grudniowym wydaniu miesięcznika METAL HAMMER (Nr 246)
znajdziemy wywiad z Rayem, w którym jest mowa o nowej płycie Stiltskin,
o jego planach oraz o życiu codziennym muzyka.

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