Friend to the stars Andy hits the road solo style

Jun 2 2008 by Daniel Thomson, The Journal

He’s one of the most respected guitarists in the business, not to mention an international tennis pro. Singer-songwriter Andy Fairweather Low talks to Daniel Thomson.

ANDY Fairweather Low is ready to step back into the spotlight. Not that he’s ever really been away.

The world-renowned guitarist, who was a teen idol in the 60s with Amen Corner and a solo star in the 70s, has spent the last 30 years playing with some of music’s most iconic figures.

As a backup guitarist and vocalist, Andy spent 13 years performing alongside Eric Clapton, and 24 years with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, selling out the biggest venues in the world.

He also toured Japan with George Harrison, played with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, and found time to work with The Who, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and BB King to name but a few.

But in some ways it was inevitable that Andy would one day want to get back out on his own and 2008 is that year.

“I can’t wait,” he says. “I did 10 dates in 2006 and 12 dates the following year and enjoyed it so much I knew I wanted to do it full-time again.

“I’m starting at the bottom of the ladder with small, intimate venues, hoping to show people what I can do and hopefully build up a bit of a following.”

The tour will coincide with the release of The Very Best of Andy Fairweather Low, which will feature 14 of his best-known tracks including Wide Eyed and Legless, Reggae Tune, Bend Me Shape Me, (If Paradise) Is Half As Nice, and Natural Sinner, among others.

The CD mixes re-recorded versions of his biggest hits with some of the most in-demand tracks from his live tours.

But while he welcomes a return to solo work, Andy admits it was a hard decision to leave behind the likes of Eric Clapton and Roger Waters.

“Playing with Eric was the best gig I ever had,” he says. “It was an absolute wrench to leave.

“I’ll never get tired of listening to Eric play and sing, but I did want to play more and that wasn’t appropriate. If I was in the audience for one of Eric’s gigs I’d want to see him play, not somebody else, so I was happy to play my part in the background and it was a fantastic learning experience. You never stop learning.”

After completing a gruelling 16-month Dark Side of The Moon tour with Roger Waters last year, Andy decided 2008 would be the year he went back onto the road as a solo artist.

“Roger did ask me to reconsider, but I had to say no,” Andy says. “I felt like it was now or never. I knew 2008 had to be the year I tried to get this thing off the ground.”

Born in Cardiff, Andy first found fame as the vocalist and leader of pop group Amen Corner, which had six UK hits between 1967 and 1969, including the international number one (If Paradise) Is Half As Nice. After the band split he formed the progressive Fair Weather before emerging as a solo artist in the 70s with the hits Wide Eyed and Legless and Reggae Tune.

He also started playing tennis at the relatively late age of 27 and became so good he eventually represented his country. “I took tennis up when things weren’t going too well for me,” he recalls.

“I was available for charity work as they say, but it’s something I really enjoy and it was a real honour to represent Wales.”

Andy says one of the undisputed highlights of his career came in 1991 when he was asked to tour Japan with George Harrison. It was the first time one of the Beatles had played the country as a solo star and the tour marked the beginning of Andy’s relationship with Eric Clapton.

“I knew as soon as I got the call that this was a life-changing moment and it was,” he says.

“After playing with Eric and George in Japan, I went straight into Eric’s band for the Royal Albert Hall concerts, Unplugged, and From The Cradle. It was incredible and I loved working with Eric.”

Andy hopes his 35-date solo tour of the UK, with his band The Low Riders, will allow him to showcase his own songwriting talent and skill with a guitar.

“We’ll see what happens,” he says. “I can’t stop scribbling away on new songs, but we’ll see if the tour is a success first. I had to pay for my last album myself – that’s the luxury of having worked with the kind of people I have – but if I release another one I want to at least make my money back.

“I’ve learned a lot over the years, playing with the likes of Eric, Roger, Bill Wyman and others, and I want to show people what I can do. I’m a better musician for it.

“Some people might remember me for Amen Corner, and that’s great. That’s how I started and I’ll be playing some of those hits on the tour, but it was just three years of my life.

“I see myself as a guitarist, but the new tour will showcase all aspects of my career.

“We’ve got the Amen Corner hits, songs from my solo albums in the 70s and my record from 2006, as well blues, gospel, and skiffle. That’s the music that I love.”