Gary Hoey Interview

Gary Hoey Interview

Interview by John Huston- Rock Journalist
Photos by www.photografiti.net reproduction by written consent.

Gary and his rockin’ crew brought their licks to the glorious Brookdale Lodge in Brookdale, California

recently and provided an awesome display of true guitar-laden, heavy Rock-n-Roll.

We had a chance to pick (get it?…guitar pick…ugg)

his brain prior to the show and here’s what we discovered about the dedicated Rock-n-Roller:

John: Before we start the interview

I wanted to ask you something personal off-air

Gary: Ask me anything you want, Bro.

( Editor’s Note: We cannot print what John asked him,..

even thou we're just burning to tell ).

Sorry Folks, here we go with the real stuff…..

Photografiti: Asked by the virgin ears

What type of music do you play? Gary: We play some Metal.

After teasing Ron about not knowing who Ted Nugent is…..

Ahhh (laughing), Exactly, Everybody knows “The Ted”…. the Motor City Madman.

Would like a beer or anything? Uh, you know what I’ll probably have a beer

after the show. I’ll probably have many beers.

Before I get lost in my own questions, is there anything you would like to say

to the folks in the Santa Cruz area?

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Is that thing on? Hi Ma !!!

Yeah, you know I basically I want to stay this… We are excited to be coming to the

Santa Cruz area, because for a band that scored “Endless Summer 2”, you know, and a guy that

has worked with Dick Dale several times, we recorded together, I feel like these are my people.

These are my people. Because the kind of music we play, it’s Surf, it’s Rock, it’s Blues,

ya know we mix a lot of styles together. The show from beginning to end is kinda all over the place.

But, we love doing the Surf thing because it’s part of what we created, you know what I mean?

You are very talented on guitar, do you have problems taking

compliments when people say you are such a great guitarist?

Thanks. You know what, I uh,

I think like any musician you always struggle

to be the best you can be,

and everybody starts out as a nobody. Everybody.

You start out, you are just a kid on the street trying to make a name, so if you

eventually make a name then to me it’s kinda cool. It’s exciting. Like when I was young,

thinking of someone saying “Hey, can I have your autograph” was a fantasy

Now, obviously I sign thousands of autographs, but, it means a lot to me, because if the fans want it,

then you know what it means to them. So to answer your question, I take it humbly,

just got to the point where I had to go “Thank you”, because I was tired of going

“Oh, no I’m not that good, and oh my God”, I just accepted it. So when someone says “Hey man you rock”, I say thanks.

Who is your favorite guitarist? Uh, my favorites are so many. You know I grew up listening to,

obviously, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, all the classics, Zeppelin, Jimmy Page,

Black Sabbath was a big one for me, the Riff Rock. Dick Dale, obviously, the surf influence.

Are you gonna play any Surf music tonight? Yeah, definitely, we’re gonna do some stuff from

Endless Summer tonight. We’re gonna do some of an album I put out called Monster Surf.

Uh last yr we did album that was kind of a tribute to all the old surf classics, called Monster Surf.

So we are going to do some surf stuff, some blues, and some of the new album American Made.

3-Piece tonight? Who are they and how long have you been playing together?

Yep we are a three-piece. I do the singing and the bass player does the back-up. I am playing with two guys from

the east coast (Boston), in a band I put together about two years ago. Matt Scurfield on drums, and Eric Hahns on bass.

There are really good. I tried about 50 musicians to find these two guys.

Have you ever played here in the Santa Cruz area, such as places like The Catalyst? We have actually played

more of the bay area, and San Jose. Where we have played a lot over the last ten years. At Santa Cruz itself,

this is the first time. This is the closest we have played to Santa Cruz. No we have never played at the Catalyst, we’ve talked to them.

Where are you from? I am from northern Boston area, actually I was born Lowell Massachusetts.

You know what is really funny is when I met Dick Dale for the first time I thought Dick Dale was from Southern California.

Because you think of the Beach Boys you think of Dick Dale I just thought Dick Dale was born with one foot on a surf board. T

hen when I met him, I realized, I learned that he was from Massachusetts. When I first met him we were doing

a show together at the House of Blues, I was so nervous and I thought this is Dick Dale and what if I say the wrong thing?

And then he said to his tech “Hey, get my guitah”, and I went get “My guitah”?

What type of guitar (& gear) do you play? I’m playing Fender Strats tonight I have been endorsing

Fender for ten years now.

I love Fenders because all of my heroes plays Fenders. Ya know Jimi, everybody, Stevie Ray Vaughn all of my favorites. So ya know.

use Fender, I am using an amp by Peavy right now.

I started using Peavy amps, and I am endorsing them, we are making a Gary Hoey signature amp.

We have a prototype in the works. I run effects on-stage, I have a little peddle-board, with the Wah-Wah and some things.

I mostly run a delay unit, I plug it into the loop it sounds much better than direct.

Then, on the floor, I just run the typical Wah-Wah, distortion, flanger. I pretty much play fender strats,

I have a les paul, and I have a bunch of acoutics.

On the Les Pauls heavy hard to play live? Gary: Good sound but a back-breaker,

good for recording but I keep mine at home.

Of all of the places you have played at, which one(s) did you like the best? Uh, I don’t know man, there’s so many.

For me there’s like the big gigs, there’s the little gigs. Sometimes the small little club gigs are more

intimate and more fun. And, you know, I’ve played in front of 30,000 people where you are just overwhelmed

that you can’t even believe, you know, past 10,000 people there’s still people, you know.

So, for me, the highlights have definitely been like playing on-stage with Dick Dale,

because he hasn’t had too many people on stage.

He comes out here yearly. Would you be interested in playing with him when he comes back here? I would love to.

Are you kidding me? I would love to, let’s definitely try and set it up.

What’s you favorite song? All Along The WatchTower by Hendrix. That’s one of my favorites.

Well, thanks for letting us speak with you. It’s been a real pleasure. It’s refreshing to learn that even

our hero rock stars can be just like us “regular” people.

Well that’s pretty much it. That’s my whole story. I am regular guy that kicks ass on the guitar. That’s it, right there. Because that’s it, man, you know, you always have to, uh, not forget where you came from. You know what I mean? As far as musicianship, or whatever it is.