The Rob Sas Interview
Hi Rob. It’s a pleasure to pin you down for a chat once again. How are things going?
Pretty good, thanks. I’ve been busy just lately with lots of things… but always a pleasure to sit down for a beer with you.
How has the band been going the last year? You guys reformed back in January 2006.
Yes, that’s right. We are all doing well. We’re happy about the way its going and we’ve even been able to find a few more classic numbers to play. I do feel though, that we should be doing more Rainbow songs because we are so heavily Deep Purple biased. Something different would be a good idea.
But… er…. didn’t Ritchie Blackmore play in both bands?
Yeah… So what?!
So, you are still as blinkered with your musical taste and opinions as ever?
Absolutely!
Some things never change, then.
No, indeed they don’t. As long as I have breath in my body and a hole in my butt, I will always be a Blackmore fan. Having said that, he’s pushing fan loyalty a bit far releasing that gay Christmas carols album a few months ago… that’s just dreadful!
I understand that you don’t actually listen to music. Why is that?
Well, it started many years ago when I was working in recording studios. After 10 to 12 hours of engineering and producing, listening to other people’s musical drivel, the last thing I wanted to do was listen to more!
If I want to listen to a song or a particular album, I’ll do it, otherwise I love the peace and quiet. Also when I am working, I can’t have music playing. It’s too distracting for me. I know what I like, so I listen to that when I’m in the mood. I love playing guitar but I just can’t be bothered with music, otherwise.
So, what do you do for relaxation?
Watch a little TV but not too much. I go to my local, The Crown in Ley Hill for a lemonade or three, especially on music nights and I spend time with my girlfriend Kathy. I also go to Spain whenever I can.
Who do you like musically, at the moment?
A good question. At the top of the list is of course Mr Ricardo Blackers… apart from his pansy Christmas album. He is a stunning guitarist, there’s just no doubt about that. Without him, I wouldn’t have picked up the guitar in the first place.
Then of course, Malmsteen is good for comic value and Hendrix who first turned me on to rock music is just fantastic. My local The Crown, have music nights on a Thursday and there are two acts that stand head and shoulders above the rest.
My mate, Del Bromham from Stray is excellent. What a musician, a brilliant songwriter and guitarist, full of passion. He’s such a genuine and funny guy.
Also, Ika from the Grapevine Blues band and duo. A sensational guitar player and like me, of eastern European origin. He is the only guy I’ve ever seen play guitar with a glove on his hand!! Those two acts are my faves at the Crown, without doubt.
2006 saw you having a nightmare time with your gear. What happened?
Oh man, thanks for reminding me! It started off with my 1962 relic Strat that I bought in September 2005. The truss rod snapped after just a few months back in December 2005. The neck had to be sent back to America.
The Fender custom shop finally decided to make me a new neck and eventually I got the guitar back in May last year. That Strat is now my main guitar. It’s superb and plays and sounds like God’s own guitar.
I bought a bigger version of my Line 6 amp during last summer and had nothing but hassle for months! Three times it went back to Line 6 because it wasn’t working properly. Eventually, after they had replaced everything possible in it and I still wasn’t happy, I came to a mutually beneficial arrangement with my mate Warren, who has an identical amp. We did a kind of swap because his amp sounded better than mine!
Ah, then there was the drunken bitch who fell on my midi pedal which resulted in me having to buy a new pedal. I was so angry about that but when you consider that I had jumped on that pedal for fifteen years or so, it’s not so bad. Yes, quite an eventful year, you could say.
Any chance of seeing you play a Gibson in the future?
None whatsoever! Years ago I used to have a couple of Gibson’s that I used when recording… A slim bodied L5S electric and the only Les Paul I’ve ever liked, which is why I bought it. I’ve only ever played a Gibson onstage once. I prefer the sound and feel of a Strat. It’s a man’s guitar. With Gibson’s, everyone mostly sounds pretty much the same which is great if you want to sound like Slash. But with a Strat, you have a chance at attaining your own identity and sound.
So, apart from the Gibson’s’ you mentioned, have you had other guitars?
Oh yes, indeed. The Strat I play now is the 1962 relic. Before that was the Mexican white Strat that I used for about six or seven years, then before that I used my 1976 sunburst Strat that I call the Garden Shed because apart from the body, neck and paintwork, everything else has been changed and it’s got everything in it! I’ve also got a red custom Strat made by my great mate and guitar tech Stuart.
Apart from the two Gibson’s I mentioned earlier, I used to have a wonderful but cheap 12 string electric which was fun, a Fender Jazz bass for recording, and a sunburst 1960’s re-issue Strat which had a lovely tone.
Then on the serious side, up until about 15 ago I had original 1962 pre-CBS Strat’s in white and another one in salmon pink that I used live extensively at the time and then also a wonderful 1958 sunburst Strat which I absolutely loved with a passion and used in the studio all the time. What a sound! Selling that guitar was my biggest musical mistake ever but I needed the money at the time. That guitar remains the best guitar I have ever played in my life.
OK..... Changing the subject. August 2008 sees the band’s fifteenth anniversary. Do you have any special plans for that?
Christ, time flies. We only just did our tenth anniversary bash, didn’t we? We’ve talked about it briefly but there’s a long time to go. I’m sure we’ll do something but we’ll plan that next year.
What plans do you have for the future?
This year I’ll be spending the whole of May at my villa in Spain, which I’m looking forward to very much. I’ll get to do some gigs over there with some friends, Kathy will come over for a while, perhaps my kids too… It’ll be good. I also plan to go and visit my brother and his family in Florida later in September. Other than that, just keep on gigging and working as usual.
What other musical projects have you got these days?
Last year I started working with singer Jonnie Hawkins. We’ve got a nice rock duo happening which is working very nicely and we are playing different and bigger places. Jonnie like a lot of singers is very outgoing. He’s a Welsh nutcase! Then of course there is Back 2 Back. Louise left the duo in February and the highly talented and funny Hayley has come into this musical partnership and it’s working out really well. She has a very strong, powerful voice and people really like her. I’ve worked hard with this duo and as a result we are gigging all the time. I still do the occasional Self Righteous Brothers gig with John. More recently, I’ve been asked to join a Deep Purple tribute/covers band but nothing has happened with that… Probably because I have no weekends free! With all this plus Burn which is my first love, it keeps me pretty busy, I have a full diary and am gigging all the time, so I can’t complain.
Excellent. On that note, I’d like to thank you for your time, Rob
Denada… No problem. Hasta luego.
Yeah…. What ever!
Have you been speaking to my daughter Robyn?
Er… No Rob… honest.
You even look at my daughters and you are dead meat……
Ok mate, no problem! May I buy you another pint please, sir?