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Thomas Blug - A Profile
(23 Feb 06)
The Past
EV: How did you get started playing the guitar ?
TB: I got an acoustic guitar as a x-mas present. I bought myself a pickup and built my first amp for it. Then I figured that a real electric guitar was what made more sense. I was exited about the sound thing with the guitar...And it was cool too!!!
EV: How did things develop after you got your first electric guitar ? Was it a steady development, or did you have to get over a lot of plateaus where you were kinda stuck ? How did you get over those ?
TB: I started with a German instructional book, playing chords – then i started my first school band. We did covers and our own songs. And there where always problems to work on. Like the chords in the songbook did not really sound like what i heard on the record. So I listened to the records trying to find out what the guitar really played.
Then I started to copy solos, but my limits were big. So I learned scales and took some lessons. And by that time I gave my first lessons myself, which helped me a lot, since I was watching the game from a different perspective. I could learn from other players´ mistakes too!!
Developing means growing. And I was often a bit frustrated because I wasn´t able to play what I had in my mind or what all the great players played on the records.
But a few months later I figured out some tiny detail, and moved to the next level. And it is still like this. Maybe you think "this guy can play it all", well that´s bullshit! I can play some stuff, but there´s so much more. And there always will be. The guitar is a never ending story. And that is the good thing about it. I can see myself when I´m 70, playing something new and thinking "wow, this is how it goes".
There are so many styles that can influence you. Just think of flamenco guitar, jazz, nuances in phrasings you heared from a singer e.t.c.
EV: Who were some of your early influences back then ?
TB: Richie Blackmore and David Gilmour
EV: And who influenced you later on ? Whom do you listen to if you feel like you need some inspiration ?
TB: Jimi Hendrix, because i can still feel the moment of freshness. And Jeff Beck, because he is such a unique person and player.
EV: How did you get into being a professional ? I mean, how did you get started in the biz ?
TB: I was playing in local bands and built up a good reputation.... So I was asked to play with better and more known bands. Then I met a producer through a friend of mine, who needed some guitar-playing in the studio. After the first gigs more people hired me, since I had a good sound, my timing was good and I always had an idea what to play to make the song sound good.
I am not a good music reader, so I had to be better at other things....
Within the years more people knew about me and they knew that I was was always giving my very best! I did my first tour when I was 22 and was asked to do more touring with the Rainbirds.
You know, you always meet new people, and they might end up playing in another band, but they call you when you did a great job – and you need to be easy-to deal-with person, too!
EV: Any good advice on getting started that you´d like to share with our members ?
TB: I think it is always good to get an overview of how music, productions, sounds, arrangements, business works. When you understand the complete picture, it is easier for you to play what is really needed!
And you can communicate with all people involved to share the same idea. Otherwise there would be a lot of misunderstanding and frustration...
EV: How did the first album come together ? Where the songs on there written over several years, or was it more like "Ok, I wanna do an album soon, so lemme get started on writing ?"
TB: Well, my first album took maybe 4 years! I wrote a couple of songs, then I started to record them – then I didn´t like the arrangements anymore. So I did some new recordings. In the meantime , I wrote even more songs.
Then, in the studio, I freaked out because my guitar sounded like shit, even though I had some experience from session work. But my sound was not "big enough" for my solo record. We bought some tube tech preamps and EQ´s and recorded the guitar again... It was a lot of work! Many steps until I was happy ... Sometimes I can understand people like Eric Johnson! Believe me, I was there too!!
But today I can look back, using my experience and my setup is more defined. I use my SM57 mic, my DTC mic-preamp. And I´m much more relaxed!
EV: You used to play the guitar for the former German rap outfit Tic Tac Toe. How did you get into that, and how was touring with them ?
TB: I was asked to audition by Wolf Simon. He was already in, and we were recording "Electric Gallery" at that time.
There were about 4 guitar-players at that audition. I got the job! It was a lot of fun for me, since Wolf was in the band, and also the other guys were really cool.
I played the biggest audiences with that band like Gelsenkirchen Parkstadion, 50.000 people and Hockenheim with about 90.000 people...
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