Rock Chicago Magazine

Interview with Famed Lyricist Don Black

Q: What was it like for you to be honored into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?

DB: Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to win quite a few glittering  prizes but  being inducted to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame would have  to be the big one for me. To be included on a list with the likes of Johnny  Mercer and Irving Berlin was beyond my imagination.

Q: What was it like for you working with John Barry, and how did his death affect you?

DB: John Barry was more than a collaborator, we were friends for more than  fifty years. I could probably write a book about John so it’s hard to sum him up  in a sentence or two. I miss his passion for melody and film and his musical  integrity. I guess most of all, although it sounds a little silly, I miss those  long lunches. John would always salivate when ordering and yet he ate like a  ballerina. He was always skinny and I remember Michael Caine presenting him with  an award and saying ” This is the first time the award has been heavier than the  recipient.”

Q: Who were your influences for writing, and what made you decide to be a lyricist?

DB: My influences have always been the giants of the American Song   Book: Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin. I could go on  but you get the idea. I’ve always been a lover of words. I think I was first  bowled over by the simple yet truthful ‘ Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, I  gotta love one man till I die’ from Showboat. I could give you a hundred  examples of great lyric writing but there isn’t time or space! I became a lyric  writer because I was working for a music publisher and they were always looking  for lyricists. There was a great demand and very few to choose from. I wrote  quite a few songs before having any success. My first hit song was called Walk  Away and was a hit for the British singer Matt Monro.

Q: I noticed that you originally wanted to become a stand-up comedian. What stopped you from pursuing that?

DB: My brother was a comedy impressionist and I thought I’d try  it. I’ve always felt that there is a strong similarity between comedy and lyric  writing. It’s easy to spoil a gag if you add too many words and lyric writing is  all about compression as well. I tell people that I wrote my first song while  waiting for a laugh in Manchester!

Q: What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

DB: My favourite project was probably the musical of Sunset Boulevard  because I was raised watching movies and Sunset was one Billy Wilder’s best.  Great story about something the world can relate to; growing older and the  terrifying prospect of being completely forgotten.

Q: What is the difference for you writing for musical theatre compared to film work?

DB: When you write for the theater it’s all about illuminating the character  you’re writing for. Also, you have to move the story forward so that the  audience is a little  wiser after the song has finished. Pop songwriting  isn’t really about clarity, it’s more about getting a catchy hook going and some  fresh sounds. When I first started writing songs for films it was all about  summing up the movie in a three minute distillation. In other words, telling the  audience what kind of movie they were going to see and, hopefully making it  sound irresistible!

Q: What was the most embarrassing thing you’ve done?

DB: I think probably agreeing to write a musical about Romeo and Juliet.  Unlike West Side Story we didn’t set the story in another time and place. We  simply musicalised the original play. It was a huge hit in France and the  producers were convinced that it would work in London. It didn’t. I learned that  you can’t mess with Shakespeare in England.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve worked with or met?

DB: It’s an impossible question but if I had to choose one who continues to  impress me it would be Sir George Martin, the man who produced all those Beatles  records. He has had such enormous success as a record producer but he hasn’t  changed one iota since we met over fifty years ago.

Q: I have to say, you’ve written some of the best songs ever heard. Which one is your favorite, Film and Musical?

DB: My personal favourites are not necessarily the most successful. I’m  particularly fond of On Days Like These from The Italian Job. It was sung by my  closest friend Matt Monro and the music was by Quincy Jones – a true life force!  As far as musicals, I would say Billy. This was my first hit show and the music  was by the irreplaceable John Barry and starred Michael Crawford. It played for  three years at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. There can be no better feeling  than to have a hit show in the West End.

Q: What can your fans look forward to from you going on into the future?

I am working on a couple of musical ideas but the next one I think will  be with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Christopher Hampton again. It’s a little early  to go into details but should be announced pretty soon.

Interview with Damian Darlington from Brit Floyd

Q: How did Brit Floyd form?

DD: Brit Floyd is entirely made up of former members of the Australian Pink Floyd Show (TAPFS). In 2005 I was called upon to tour North America with TAPFS because the Australian bass player wanted to spend more time at home. The following year the Australian guitar player did the same. By 2008, TAPFS was touring North America with none of the original 3 Australians. In late 2010, the 3 Aussies decided to hire new management. The group of musicians that had been touring the US, including 17 year TAPFS veteran, and musical director Damian Darlington decided to remain with manager Chas Cole and take on the name Brit Floyd.

Q: What makes Brit Floyd different from the other Pink Floyd tribute bands?

DD: We endeavor to provide the complete Floyd experience with 9 musicians on stage, a full on lighting rig, and widescreen video projection. While we don’t try to personally look like the actual members of Pink Floyd, we provide the visual experience as well as a note for note musical reproduction. You won’t have to close your eyes to feel like you’re at a Floyd concert – that’s our goal anyway.

Q: How important is the visual aspect to your act?

DD: We are constantly refining our lighting and video projection. Bryan Kolupski our very talented 3D animation artist who is always looking to improve the show with new concepts to accompany the music. The crew works like mad from 9am until showtime to ensure every element is in place and ready to go for the show.

Q: Do you find that some Pink Floyd songs are harder to recreate than others?

DD: Without a doubt. Some songs are straight ahead rockers like Money or Have a Cigar, while others have many moving parts and are more epic in scale like Echoes, Pigs, and many tracks from the Wall that require smooth transitions with sound effects and theatrics.

Q: How often to you mix up your set list or add new material to your repertoire?

DD: For any given tour we usually settle on a single set list, but we have other songs we pull out when we play multiple nights in one venue. We revamp the show every year so we bring something new when we return. It helps keep it fresh for us as well.

Q: How has Pink Floyd been an influence to you in the long run?

DD: Pink Floyd’s commitment to excellence and unwillingness to compromise are what I admire the most. It also never ceases to amaze me when I see absolute joy on the faces in the crowd when they hear the music of Floyd. I think their music is so enduring not only for the quality of the overall production but for the emotional depth of the songs.

Q: What makes Brit Floyd unique?

DD: Apart from the exceptional musicianship which is the core of the band, there is a visual feast in the background. Los Angeles based Bryan Kolupski is the man behind the magic, and a master at everything from animation, and graphic design to video and film production.   Being a true Floyd fan, Bryan’s visuals which support each song are in a word- breathtaking! Alongside having created his own take on the characters which go with the songs themselves, it also stays true to Pink Floyd.   As well as 2D visuals, there is also a 3D experience of the huge inflatable Pig and the infamous Teacher, of which hover above the crowd during the show at various points!   The lighting is state of the art, and is certainly more than the icing on the cake for the average punter. The light show was designed by renowned lighting man Dave Hill, who has worked for 30 years with the biggest names in the music industry, including the Rolling Stones, The Eagles and Led Zeppelin! A conflagration of colours creates the highs and the lows of each song, and thus provides an experience for everyone- ranging from die hard Floyd fans, to first timers…….something which is truly unique!

Here also is a link to a 3 minute concert highlights video from our ‘Live in Liverpool – 2011′ concert which is taken from the DVD- this will give you a first hand look into the show- it’s worth a watch!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlIVRqU_T3I

If you need further info then go onto the website- www.britfloyd.com

Rock Chicago’s Kevin Pollack interviews Actor Kevin Pollak

Q: What made you go into acting?

Pollak: Well, I guess it was a number of things. From a very early age, I was quite taken by what I saw on the silver screen. My mom would take me to a movie when I was 5 or 6 years old, and it seemed like an amazing imaginary world. One that I found out that was actually going to be a job that one could do, I guess I became interested. Then I started performing for strangers, lip-synching Bill Cosby’s first album when I was about 10 years old. I did that til I was about 16. And all through those years, I guess I was formulating a fantasy of sunbathing in movies as an actor. I think I suffered from “Hey-look-at-me” disease from an extremely early age.

Q: What inspired you to do impressions?

Pollak: It was just a natural sort of gift, like, I don’t really remember there being a day or one moment when the situation where it was a lightning bolt revelation. I would mock my teachers and whatnot in school, and my friends would laugh, and next thing I knew, I was getting great response from doing the head football coach. I didn’t play football, but he was kind of a mean guy to make fun of. You know, I was in high school, and I was in the quad, the gathering area for my schoolmates and I on campus, and one day I was hanging there with them, and they had this strange look on their faces as they were looking behind me, and before I knew it, I was in a headlock from someone standing behind me. Then, I heard the football coach’s voice in my ear saying, “I heard about it, and I don’t think it’s funny.” And I thought, as I was passing out, I could probably do Marlon Brando. He wouldn’t find me. That’s kind of how it began.

Q: How did you know you wanted to be a comedian?

Pollak: Again, you know, suffering from the “Hey-look-at-me” disease and whatnot, but really, my mom brought home Bill Cosby’s first album. She put it on the Stereo Hi-Fi, this giant six foot wide, wooden piece of furniture, in the living room. Let’s compare that to the Nano, shall we? So she put the album on, and sat down with my dad, and Bill Cosby started talking from the Stereo Hi-Fi, from the album, and I saw my parents laughing uncontrollably. They had laughed so hard, instantly and unnerving, as if they were openly weeping. I mean, to even laugh that hard at this strange voice telling stories, it immediately captured my interest in, “Wow, wouldn’t it be amazing I can make mom and dad do that.” If I can do that, wouldn’t that be great. So, when no one was around, I put the album on, and then slowly memorized it. Then stood in front of the stereo, pretending I was the guy telling the story. Then, I think my mom pointed out Bill Cosby on television, so I can see him. Then, I was lip-synching the album in the living room when nobody was around. Again, I don’t really think I invented lip-synching. I didn’t know what lip-synching was. I was just reenacting this comedian. Then, my mom caught me, and I really was horrified. It wasn’t as if I wanted her to see me doing this. At that point, it has become a sort-of private thing, over many many months of enjoyment. Then, she said, “That’s hilarious. You have to do that for the family at Passover.” It didn’t take too much encouragement from her. Then I thought that would be great. Then, I did it in front of the fireplace at the Zuckers at Passover, amongst cousins, and that was it. I had the bug, and never looked back.

Q: With a movie career going at the same time, why did you decide to do stand-up?

Pollak: Well, I’ve done so many films now, that I really came to appreciate how much more fun it was. I mean, doing movies is an absolute fantasy beyond my wildest dreams, how well things have gone. After a while, it slowly became clear that the actual “doing” of the film, you know actors work 12 hour days. But 11 out of those 12 hours, you’re sitting on your ass, and accumulatively, over the course of 12 hours, you might peak an actual hour of work that you were in front of the cameras, and that hour is magic beyond description. But the other 11 hours is sheer fucking boredom, and then times three months, 5 days a week, times 60 movies, and now you start to realize, “Oh, this doesn’t even come close to standing on stage, live in front of an audience, taking them for a ride of my choosing for an hour.” There’s no comparison. I would never want to give up one or the other. Then, once I started to get touring again in 2001, well I thought, “The magic here is to find the balance between the two.” So, around this time in October, my stand up agent and I will book the next year, and we’ll book probably two dozen dates, and then I’ll reschedule them throughout the year; postponing or canceling, depending if work comes up. I just did two more films this summer, so I had to reschedule some dates. I have a movie coming out this weekend called The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. I am in Kevin Smith’s Red State, where I have been touring the world with him, which is now on video and On-Demand. Then, the two movies I did this summer was a Rob Reiner film with Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen. Then, a little independent film, a dark comedy, called Cheer Up, Charlie.

Q: What is your favorite role that you’ve played?

Pollak: I don’t really have a favorite, I mean Avalon was huge, an incredibly important first sort-of dramatic film, Barry Levinson’s masterpiece. It’s a great beautiful film. Ridiculously fortunate for me to work with such incredible actors coming from being just a stand-up comedian, with no real training to speak of. To be an actor, with all those hundreds that auditioned. So, this was the first real step up to the plate sort-of thing. Then, A Few Good Men was being brought up to the majors, and being able to swing with some of the best players in the games, and a legendary hold of my own. That movie came out in 1992, and I crossed the threshold that every actor fantasizes and dreams about, which is going from auditioning to getting offers. Then, of course, The Usual Suspects was almost on its own level of insanity, getting prized, and international credit along with street credit in the independent film world. Playing a sociopath, something I had never contemplated or been allowed to do. That was extraordinary on 17 different levels. It’s difficult for me to really choose a favorite. In Casino, you know, Scorsese, it doesn’t get much better than that. Grumpy Old Men with Matthau and Lemmon. I can go on, unfortunately, for hours.

Q: Who’s been your favorite actor to work with?

Pollak: Oh boy, well, that’s an impossible question. I can’t boil it down to one. I can give you a list, and the list would be: Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Sophia Loren, Sharon Stone, Gabriel Byrne, Benecio Del Toro, etc.

Q: Who are your biggest influences?

Pollak: Well, when I got a chance to work with Matthau and Lemmon, that was especially meaningful, because, as a kid, they accomplished something, that I later in life, came to appreciate, which is being a character actor. Being able to portray a wide variety range of people. So I admire Matthau and Lemmon the most. I think, because they are not typical handsome leading men, and yet they became marquee stars, who were allowed within their singular career, to do the most brawd, silly comedy, to drama. Only character actors get a wide range like that. I mean, there’s been a few exceptions, of course, but not many. They had just extraordinary careers. They probably inspired me.

Q: How did your chat show come about?

Pollak: It actually became one of those “careful what you wish” kid of things, because I just walked into the studio space, and before I knew it, these words were coming out of me, that I hadn’t ever thought of , which was, as I was walking around in the studio space, I just blurted out, “I think I wanna do a Charlie Rose, but “fun” from here.” Then, unfortunately, the guy that owned the studio said, “How soon can you start?” And I was fucked. Next thing you know, I was taking over the show, and it has literally taken over my life. It’s been an extraordinary journey. It’s been 2 1/2 years now. Really, on so many levels, just to be a part of a new medium that grows exponentially every six months in such divert ways. To be considered by some, on the forefront of that, in terms of accomplishment. Then, to be able to spend a couple of hours with the people I have. It’s been extraordinary. We’ve got some great ones coming up, Megan Mullally on Sunday, Glen Howerton from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia next Sunday, Ivan Reitman on the Sunday after that, and Ed O’Neill.

Q: If you could meet 3 people in the last 150 years who you haven’t met yet, who would they be?

Pollak: Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), Buster Keaton, and Billy Wilder.

Kevin Pollak will be playing:

The Jukebox Comedy Club  Peoria, IL 61604

For tickets call 309-673-5853 or visit www.jukeboxcomedy.com/shows

Donnie B’s Comedy Club  Springfield, IL 62707

For tickets call 217-391-JOKE or visit www.funnybonecomedyclub.com

Interview with Movie Actress and Singer-Songwriter Schuyler Fisk

Q: What made you go from acting to songwriting?

Fisk: It was a natural transition. I started writing songs when I was 14 years old. I had always loved singing, but I had this desire to create my own songs to sing. Professionally, my acting career came first, and then I developed a music career almost by mistake. At 16, I was on the set of a film I was acting in, and the director overheard me playing and singing a song I wrote on my guitar. He asked me to record it so they could put it in the end credits of the film. I did, and that was the first time I had every professionally recorded one of my songs, but it hooked me. After that I sort of pursued it a little more and just got lucky that people started to listen.

Q: Who are your influences?

Fisk: I have so many musical influences – Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Aimee Mann, Patsy Cline, Sam Cooke, Tom Petty and a million more.

Q: What was your inspiration for the album Blue Ribbon Winner?

Fisk: After making my debut record (The Good Stuff) that I loved so much, I felt the pressure of the 2nd record and avoiding the “sophomore slump.” In order to almost trick myself so I wouldn’t feel that pressure, I decided to make the second record more about the experience for me and less about over-thinking if I was making the “perfect” album. Basically, I just decided to go back to my home state of Virginia and surround myself with great people, great musicians and gorgeous countryside and animals. I just wanted to relax and see what we came up with. What we ended coming up with was this record “Blue Ribbon Winner” that I couldn’t be more proud of. It turned out that this record was very cathartic for me about letting things and feelings go that I was holding onto. It was a record that I needed to make, things I needed to say. It is genuine and not forced, and that’s why I think I love it so much. For me, it represents truth. So, that’s how this record came to be.

Q: When and how did you write your first song?

Fisk: I was 14, and I had just learned to play 3 chords on the guitar. G, C, and D. I was upset about this boy at school who called me on the phone the night before. We had this incredible chat and then he ignored me at school the next day. So, I wrote a song about it. It was called “On the Phone.” I wish I could remember the lyrics. I’m sure I have a little tape recording of it somewhere.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring songwriters?

Fisk: To let yourself be inspired by other music you love, and don’t be afraid when you are writing to come up with stupid, terrible ideas. That’s part of the process!!