An Interview with Gus G., Guitarist Extraordinaire…and So Much More
Gus G. (left) with Uli Jon Roth (right)
By SethM
If you aren’t familiar with Gus G, you should be ~ or might be and just don’t know it. In a nutshell, he is a world renowned guitarist, chosen as one of the top three in the world in 2003 (BURRN!! Magazine) and asked by Ozzy Osbourne to replace Zakk Wylde in 2009. Since the beginning of his career, he’s made countless guest appearances, had his own band ~ Firewind ~ and now in 2014 has just released his first solo album, I Am The Fire.
At this year’s NAMM (see our full story here), I was asked to do an impromptu photo shoot with Ozzy/Firewind guitarist Gus G, and legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth for their upcoming Greek Tour. The result was a couple of cool tour posters and the opportunity to speak to Gus G and ask a couple of questions about the tour, his influences, the equipment he uses, and more.
SM: Gus, I know you’re busy prepping for the tour with Uli and all the press that goes along with your first solo album so let’s jump right into it. I remember reading somewhere that Frampton Comes Alive, coincidentally recorded in my hometown, was the album that inspired you. Have you ever met Peter and what was that like for you?
Gus: I actually met him once in Burbank, CA. We were rehearsing with the Ozzy band and he was rehearsing next door. He came down to say hello. Of course I freaked out when I heard he was coming in. He was very cool and relaxed and I told him I’m from Greece and his legendary live LP was the reason I picked up the guitar. It was a very special moment for me
SM: You’ve also mentioned legendary guitarist Uli Roth as one of your early influences; when I was doing the photo shoot with the two of you, you seemed to be having a great time together. Are you guys friends outside of being musicians and how did your upcoming tour of Greece come about?
Gus: Yeah, I’ve known Uli for about 8 years. We first met at the Frankfurt Messe. Since then we’ve jammed a couple of times and we’ve talked about the idea of touring together the last couple of years. We also happen to have the same promoter in Greece. It was his idea to put the tour together and I’m very happy that this is happening.
SM: Are there any surprises planned for these shows with Uli? And is there a plan to take the Uli/Gus G show out of Greece and on the road throughout the rest of Europe, the US…or worldwide?
Gus: Well, we’d like to. Hopefully Greece is just the beginning of things to come. We have a few surprises for the set list, but if I tell you now, it won’t be much of a surprise, right?
SM: Will you be touring outside of Greece and when can we expect to see some dates for those of us not heading to Greece next month?
Gus: I’m touring in May all over Europe w/ another legendary guitarist, Marty Friedman. Hopefully I can do some US dates this fall.
SM: Great! So, about the new album I Am The Fire, slated to be released March 18th. Are you the fire? What’s the significance to the title?
Gus: The title and lyric came from the guys in Devour The Day, who are collaborating with me on this track. I think the title comes from passion and determination. That’s what the song is all about.
SM: I believe you play just about every instrument on this album with the exception of drums ~ do you play drums? And do you have any aspirations to play them or any other instruments?
Gus: Not really. I tried playing drums a few times and I suck at it haha! I probably won’t be spending much time practicing that. Regarding other instruments, I don’t have much of a desire for them. I’m more than happy and content with playing guitar.
L-R: Mats Leven, Uli Jon Roth, Elias Aravidis, Gus G.
SM: Having pulled in some amazing talent for the record ~ from Jeff Friedl to Dave Ellefson, Billy Sheehan and even Michael Starr from Steel Panther, just to name a few ~ what was it like working with these and all of the great musicians who participated?
Gus: It was an amazing experience! I really didn’t think these people would be interested to be on my record. Everybody brought in their style and sound and turned the album into something special.
SM: And what about Jeff Scott Soto? As an Yngwie Malmsteen fan, were there flashbacks of seeing “I’ll See The Light Tonight” as a kid, or a burning desire to play it with Jeff?
Gus: Of course! When you hear that voice, you can only think of the early Rising Force records and I’m a huge fan of that! Would be great to jam it with Jeff on stage sometime.
SM: Was hearing The Winery Dogs album, which is amazing, the thing that made you choose Jay Rutson to mix I Am The Fire? Obviously, the Dogs are amazing musicians, like yourself, and that album has a raw yet full sound; is that how you would describe your mix as well?
Gus: Well, that’s what I liked about Jay’s mixes. That they sound big and well-balanced, they don’t sound edited, yet they’re very modern.
SM: What’s your favorite track on the album and is that the song you look forward to showing off live or is there another track that you feel will be a stronger live track or more of a crowd pleaser?
Gus: Hard to pick a favorite, ‘cause I love them all. I look forward to playing most of the record live, ‘cause this is something new for me. So, I’m excited about the whole project.
SM: Well, I am sure your fans look forward to it as well. Jumping back to touring, I mentioned you brought in some amazing talent for this album where you obviously have more freedom than touring ~ so who will be in the touring band?
Gus: Mats Leven is going to be my touring singer, who also co-wrote with me 5 songs on the album. Regarding rhythm section, I’ll be working with different people on each tour. For example on the Uli tour, I’ll be playing with Uli’s backing band ~ Jamie Little on drums and Ule Rittgen on bass. For the Marty Friedman tour, we’ll also be using the same backing band. That’ll be Firewind’s Jo Nunez on drums and Marty’s bass player, his name is Or.
SM: With so much material to choose from, how do you make a decision about what to play and will you lock in on a set or will you be changing it up a little each night?
Gus: I think we’ll learn a longer set list than what we have to, so we can have the advantage of changing it up a bit, if some songs don’t work out that well on stage.
SM: Let’s talk a bit about your gear. You have a signature ESP guitar and now the Blackfire 200 Gus G, which is Blackstar’s first signature amp head. How did this come about and what makes this amp different or stand out more than all the others you’ve used in the past?
Gus: Well, first of all, the fact that I was involved in the whole process of rebuilding the circuit and the amp cosmetics of course. I wanted to make a heavier “Series One 200,” basically. Not that the original isn’t heavy, but I felt it could be boosted up a bit. That’s what we did. There are lots of great tones in this amp, and of course massive gain and tone.
SM: Will you be playing the new Blackfire 200s on your 2014 tour?
Gus: You bet I will! It’s the only thing I’ve used on stage since we created it.
SM: Well, the amp sounds great so I look forward to that. OK, Last question, I know you have been doing and have done tons of press, so thanks for giving Flashwounds.com some early access this time around. What’s the craziest question that you were ever asked in an interview, did you answer it, and what was the answer?
Gus: The most stupid interview I’ve ever done in my life was for Kerrang! Magazine, where they asked you crazy questions in order to see how much of a “rockstar’ you are on a scale of 0% – 100%. So, it was things like if I’ve ever been arrested, if I’ve been in jail, if I’ve smashed a hotel room or burned a place down and stuff like that. I think I ended up not being a Rockstar enough for them, so they ended up not printing it haha!
SM: Gus, I really appreciate your time today, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers today?
Gus: Thanks a lot for the interview and support! Keep checking back to gusgofficial.com for tour dates and frequent updates!
SM: Once again we thank you for your time and although I received a copy of I Am The Fire I haven’t gotten a chance to listen but heard the single, loved it, plan to give it a full listen and share my thoughts with our readers. It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to seeing you when you hit the states ~ unless of course I figure out a way to end up in Greece next month, and then I’ll be in touch!
Well, there you have it, Flashwounds readers. The one and only Gus G. Check out his I Am The Fire on Itunes or visit the official site (for other package options) ~ and if you get a chance to see him live, you’re in for some amazing surprises!
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Why no mention of Jorn Lande as touring with he and Uli in Greece ? He is on the Tour Posters.
Great interview and pics. I’d never heard of Gus G. before and the Q and A made me want to check out his album! Love the posters, too, who made them? The writer/photographer? Very cool stuff. Thanks for sharing the article with all of us who follow Flashwounds!