MTTV Episode Thirty: Ricky Warwick

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    MTTV Episode Thirty: Ricky Warwick
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    MetalTalk TV recently caught up with Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy and former frontman of The Almighty Ricky Warwick, whose sublime sixth solo album ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ was released recently to great acclaim.

    Interview: Robert Adams

    In the first of a two part interview, Ricky discuses the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how he has coped with it, his new solo album ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ and future plans for Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy.

    The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

    “Suddenly the rug was pulled from under our feet.

    “Something we did take for granted, going to a gig, then suddenly BOOM it’s gone. One thing I have learnt with age is to try and find the positive in any situation and not to dwell on the negatives.

    “Our crew has been decimated. Without going down that road, the arts are just so unappreciated and underfunded. Where would we have been this last year without the arts.”

    Meeting ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ producer and co-writer Keith Nelson

    “It was all down to Damon Johnson leaving Black Star Riders. It was a bizarre situation. I asked my friend Richard Fortus from Guns ‘N’ Roses, who played with me in Thin Lizzy for a while, if he knew anyone.

    “He told me that Keith Nelson had just left Buckcherry. I called him up and we had a brief chat and I asked him if it was something he would be interested in.

    “He said ‘yes’. We met up at 10 in the morning at Barney’s Beanery and the first thing he did was look me straight in the eye and said ‘I’m not your guy’. I’ve got my own studio now and that’s what I am concentrating on now.

    “The next day I went over and I had most of the song ‘Fighting Heart’ written. We finished and recorded a demo of ‘Fighting Heart’ and it sounded great.

    Waiting so long for ‘When Life Was Hard And Fat’ being released (completed April 2019)

    “It was good that knowing you had an album in the can and it was good and done, as the stress of writing and recording it was gone.

    “If i was to go and record ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ now, it would be a completely different album as my head is not in the same place as it was two years ago.”

    Black Star Riders

    “We are looking at going into the studio at the end of summer.

    “Geographically Black Star Riders are all over the place, so as soon as it is safe for everyone to fly and meet up, we will.

    “We have already agreed the album will be recorded in LA with Jay Rushton, who did ‘Another State Of Grace’. There are fifteen songs all ready to go.”

    Reissue of The Almighty’s ‘Powertrippin’’ and the ‘Welcome To Defiance’ box set

    “The Almighty had different management and record labels and it was a mess. My management company ‘Siren’, who I have been with for ten years now, took this on to get everything in the same place.

    “There are plans for a second box set from 1989 to 1993.

    “It is criminal that this stuff has not been available for so long. It pissed me off so much.

    “We lost some of the master tapes in the Universal warehouse fire a few years back.”

    Coming Soon – Part Two

    In the upcoming Part Two, we will discuss the reissue of The Almighty’s ‘Powertrippin’’ album and the forthcoming ‘Welcome To Defiance’ box set, as well as his time with New Model Army and much more.

    Also, why he will never be as Rock ‘N’ Roll’ as his late father.

    When Life Was Hard And Fast

    MetalTalk described ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ is quite sublime. If there is any justice in this world, this album will be huge. Ricky Warwick deserves it. He has had more than his fair share of knocks throughout his career, but he is still here and still writing top drawer songs.

    For that alone he deserves praise. The fact that he is probably in the form of his life also helps. Especially in these times, sometimes all you need is a top quality Rock album to make you smile.

    ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ is just that very album. 

    You can read the review of the ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ here.