August 22, 2024 • 9 mins
Tracey caught up with The Police guitarist Andy Summers ahead of next month's NZ tour
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Bold Asides podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello, Hello, I am calling to speak to mister Andy Summers.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Please yeah and get him. Hello Andy speaking.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I had a feeling it was you, Andy. It's true.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I did get many chances of that, so I took it.
I'm the kind of a boring person picks up his
own cane.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Why not, Andy, you are so far from boring. I
am so excited to speak to you today. But first
I want to start with the plug the new album
Verdnus Canyons. It is out today or probably tomorrow la time.
But new song into the Blue, I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Congratulations, Well, thank you very much. That's sorry, Conyen, that's
You're the first person to mention it to me. I
did this for a photography book, and as it's finishing
up in production, the nice lady there said, would you
do some music for the boma? Almost like doing music
for a movie. So it was an unusual gig if
you like. So it's a little different than what I
normally do because it's more kind of ambient. Anyway, thanks
(01:06):
for telling me that. That's good news. I'll check all
that out place wrong.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm pleased to be an informer of course. I mean
you're coming to New Zealand for three shows later this
year crack Leans and missing String. I assume the missing
string comes from that first guitar your uncle gave you
you were about twelve. You'd really only played go Pano
to that point.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yes, you're absolutely right. I started with a one string.
I tried once to find that little guitar. I think
a cousin of mine had it, and she's very snotty
about it, so I don't know. Somebody else took it
and I never got it back. I did actually pursue
it as a first guitar I ever had, but now
I have about two hundred round.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Honestly, the stories from your pre police days, from that
sixties era London before you'd gone to LA the people
you were kicking around with, Chas Chandler, Hendrix Clapp and
the stories are hilarious. I hope we hear it some
of those on the night.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, i'd be. I'm happy to talk about anything like that,
and I do tell some stories on stage. It's part
of the whole performance. I really got an into it. Actually.
It's the multi media shows, so we've got big screens
and I've got these various sequences of photography match guitar
sounds to whichever sequence is running. Some solo guitar to
a Brazilian section which is very poignant and meant something
(02:19):
to me. And of course I do about five police songs,
which sort of takes it over the top of the end. No,
it's gone very well. People really love it.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Well, of course I loving it. I mean, you are
such a good storyteller. I mean I was genuinely laughing
out loud a couple of stories that you were telling.
I was watching on YouTube. One in particular, Eric Clipton
trying to get you or Liz Paul off you after
he got stolen hilarious. But also another story when you
dropped it after him at the studio. Unknown to Clipton,
his private conversation was being broadcast over the speakers and
(02:48):
you could hear everything he was saying about you.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
You're dead right. Yeah, Well, we were knocking around together
in those days, you know, it was the early days.
It was sort of the beginning of everything, if you like,
when people start writing their own songs. That Les Paul emerged.
Then we started being able to buy Fender Strata casters
and then them which you could never get before, so
I feel very lucky that I was starting then at
that point. It's amazing looking back on it now it's
(03:12):
sort of at the other end. But you know, I'm
not going to say I've got a big math, but
I'm pretty sharp person, and I've always been able to
retell anecdotes about the life I've lived, because you know,
some pretty crazy stuff goes on when you're playing all
over the world, which I have done and about to
do again. I'm not lacking in confidence. So before I
start playing anything on guitar, I do about five minutes
(03:34):
with the audience and get a few laughs because it
really makes people feel at easy to go, oh god,
he's not a monk. He's all right. I think we can,
you know, and so you know it's really true. You know,
so anybody comes out, you've got to possess the stage,
you've got to possess the audience, and you've got to
make that connection pretty quick. So then I can go
and play some pretty weird shit on the guitar and
they go, oh, it's all I don't understand it, but
(03:55):
it's all right. You know, I'm very serious about the
music and playing. But you create a way for people
to enter into it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, let's just talk about the music quickly. Obviously, this
incredibly interesting life before you found fame with the police.
But then you meet Sting and Stuart completely independent of
each other. You had no idea they even knew each other.
Months later comes a chance to play with these couple
of guys. You turn up at the flat and it's
these two guys that you'd meet previously. That's serendipity, isn't
it complete?
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Seren Deputy And briefly I played with the Symperony Orchestra
in Newcastle, where Sting was living and his band was
the support group. When I was the star, I walked off,
they played and I didn't take a lot of notice.
A few weeks after that, I was playing with a
guy called Kevin Ina As we ended up in a
hotel and Newcastle were all lying around on the floor
in someone's room smoking what was then illegal substances but
(04:42):
are not anymore. So that was a guy who had
a lot to say. Was Stuart Copeland. Two months past,
I'm in London and this other guy. He wanted to
do this gig in Paris and he wanted to put
a band together that was just to do this one show.
So he brought me up to Swiss Cottage in London.
I came with my guitar and my little lamp and
it was two guys. He's based playing this drummer. So
(05:04):
you know, we've come of got into it and started
playing away and then this one guy comes up to
me the bass process. I saw the Pluvia Newcastle. I
was in that band Lark Exit. My name is Stan
oh right, yeah, I remember you. Yeah. And the other
guy yeah, man, you know we met, you know, we
would lie on the floyd Wow, oh god. Yeah, and
(05:25):
so the three of us were connected like that, and
then we played together for three weeks and it was like,
actually we're a band now, so you're absolutely right about everything.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
So you do this gig in Paris and nobody who
was in the crowd that night knew they were witnessing
the Police's first show. That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Wow, we were unknown. So we rehearsed a lot, and
as we rehearsed, we really got into the police style.
You know, we started to find it. We felt encouraged,
but you know it wasn't overnight. You know, we still
want absolutely nowhere and it really started for us in
the US because we were nowhere in London, and we
did a little three week tour of US East Coast
(06:03):
and we started at CBGB's, which was the famous punk
underground club New York City. There weren't that many people there,
but now they loved it, and we did two sets.
We left it at about four o'clock in the morning,
and we did a little three week tour and we
knew we were on the way. Then. A lot of fun, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Of course it was. I mean, we don't need to
talk too much. I guess about the police because the
story is so well known. Now you guys got so
massive so quickly, it's only expected. I guess that you'll
handle in teams fame so differently, and that cause it's
going to cause a bit of issues in the band.
But like you say, all good art comes from tension
and friction, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, it does, and everybody else said that that produces
that thing in the music. It's got this tight spine
that makes it exciting. That's what makes it exciting.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And what is your relationship with the guys these days?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Well, you know, we are of course bound together forever.
You know, there's no way any of us are getting
out of the boat. I mean, right now is an
interesting moment because Synchronosity is being released forty years later
and I think it's going to be number one, so
much interest, So it's sort of amazing. So Ya, Stuart
lives close to me, Sting, I don't know where. I
(07:10):
think he's got a house here in LA and he's
got ours everywhere because he's mega. You know, mostly we
communicate through our flight this. We're going to re release
a few things we need to do, so we're always
sorting out history. Basically.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's funny because you say it's history, but I mean,
my god, we still play Police on the radio all
day every day. Any radio station.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Whether it's more rock, is very present.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
It is. I mean, your music has literally never gone
away ever.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
No, that's very pleasing. That doesn't happen to most people.
But we are always around here. Well I'll be bring
in a little bit of that spirit to New Zealand,
I hope. So.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I saw one line on your current show where You Go.
I don't know whether singer and drummer didn't tune up tonight.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I thought that was brilliant.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
He Stewart or stinging to the show.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Sorry about that, but yeah, why not?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Hey, well look correct, Lean's obviously the other part of
the show. Your photography another incredible talent of your You've
had exhibitions, presentations, You've published books, as recently as last
year's series of Glances. I mean, the travel you do
on tour must just give you endless content.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, it's great. I'm in hotels, I've got cameras, and
there's downtime and I go out and find things to photographed,
and I really enjoy it. And I'm pretty organized. I
got a lot of help with that. I've got a
completely organized catalog. You know, all these shows I've been
in museums. I've got three shows up at the moment,
two in Japan, one in the Netherlands. So you know,
it's active and going. You know, I have a very
(08:35):
good relationship with like Her, So it's a sort of
sub career for me. I'm a musician first and foremost.
But it's been a marvelous accompaniment all that. I feel
very lucky about it.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And I believe your merchandise, your t shirts which you
sell at the gigs, those are your photos on the shirts.
I mean, that is collectable.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just arrange a new one today
which I think is really cool. Actually find out they're
going to get all the stuff to New Zealand and Australia.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, get them on the boat.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
It's amazing actually because the merchandise, it's a bit of
a surprise to me. I thought, oh no, that's good stuff.
They set it out every night. So I'm really looking
forward to this, this tour down. You know, it's been
a while, but always a nice feeling. Always have a
good time there.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Oh brilliant. Well, I mean it's been two thousand and
eight since you were here with the police, Andy, Summers
and evening with you. Three dates in New Zealand September nineteenth,
twentieth and then you're off to Australia back for Auckland
October third. The new album Verdanus Canyon It is out today.
Thank you so much for talking to your fans here
in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Lovely great look forward to seeing you and be happy
to be there. Thanks Andy, all right, cheers, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Gold Asides podcast. The story is behind Just Great Rock.
If you enjoyed this podcast, click to share with family
or friends. For Just Great Rock Listen to gold FM anytime,
anywhere on iHeartRadio
Bold Asides podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello, Hello, I am calling to speak to mister Andy Summers.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Please yeah and get him. Hello Andy speaking.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I had a feeling it was you, Andy. It's true.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I did get many chances of that, so I took it.
I'm the kind of a boring person picks up his
own cane.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Why not, Andy, you are so far from boring. I
am so excited to speak to you today. But first
I want to start with the plug the new album
Verdnus Canyons. It is out today or probably tomorrow la time.
But new song into the Blue, I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Congratulations, Well, thank you very much. That's sorry, Conyen, that's
You're the first person to mention it to me. I
did this for a photography book, and as it's finishing
up in production, the nice lady there said, would you
do some music for the boma? Almost like doing music
for a movie. So it was an unusual gig if
you like. So it's a little different than what I
normally do because it's more kind of ambient. Anyway, thanks
(01:06):
for telling me that. That's good news. I'll check all
that out place wrong.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm pleased to be an informer of course. I mean
you're coming to New Zealand for three shows later this
year crack Leans and missing String. I assume the missing
string comes from that first guitar your uncle gave you
you were about twelve. You'd really only played go Pano
to that point.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yes, you're absolutely right. I started with a one string.
I tried once to find that little guitar. I think
a cousin of mine had it, and she's very snotty
about it, so I don't know. Somebody else took it
and I never got it back. I did actually pursue
it as a first guitar I ever had, but now
I have about two hundred round.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Honestly, the stories from your pre police days, from that
sixties era London before you'd gone to LA the people
you were kicking around with, Chas Chandler, Hendrix Clapp and
the stories are hilarious. I hope we hear it some
of those on the night.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, i'd be. I'm happy to talk about anything like that,
and I do tell some stories on stage. It's part
of the whole performance. I really got an into it. Actually.
It's the multi media shows, so we've got big screens
and I've got these various sequences of photography match guitar
sounds to whichever sequence is running. Some solo guitar to
a Brazilian section which is very poignant and meant something
(02:19):
to me. And of course I do about five police songs,
which sort of takes it over the top of the end. No,
it's gone very well. People really love it.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Well, of course I loving it. I mean, you are
such a good storyteller. I mean I was genuinely laughing
out loud a couple of stories that you were telling.
I was watching on YouTube. One in particular, Eric Clipton
trying to get you or Liz Paul off you after
he got stolen hilarious. But also another story when you
dropped it after him at the studio. Unknown to Clipton,
his private conversation was being broadcast over the speakers and
(02:48):
you could hear everything he was saying about you.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
You're dead right. Yeah, Well, we were knocking around together
in those days, you know, it was the early days.
It was sort of the beginning of everything, if you like,
when people start writing their own songs. That Les Paul emerged.
Then we started being able to buy Fender Strata casters
and then them which you could never get before, so
I feel very lucky that I was starting then at
that point. It's amazing looking back on it now it's
(03:12):
sort of at the other end. But you know, I'm
not going to say I've got a big math, but
I'm pretty sharp person, and I've always been able to
retell anecdotes about the life I've lived, because you know,
some pretty crazy stuff goes on when you're playing all
over the world, which I have done and about to
do again. I'm not lacking in confidence. So before I
start playing anything on guitar, I do about five minutes
(03:34):
with the audience and get a few laughs because it
really makes people feel at easy to go, oh god,
he's not a monk. He's all right. I think we can,
you know, and so you know it's really true. You know,
so anybody comes out, you've got to possess the stage,
you've got to possess the audience, and you've got to
make that connection pretty quick. So then I can go
and play some pretty weird shit on the guitar and
they go, oh, it's all I don't understand it, but
(03:55):
it's all right. You know, I'm very serious about the
music and playing. But you create a way for people
to enter into it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, let's just talk about the music quickly. Obviously, this
incredibly interesting life before you found fame with the police.
But then you meet Sting and Stuart completely independent of
each other. You had no idea they even knew each other.
Months later comes a chance to play with these couple
of guys. You turn up at the flat and it's
these two guys that you'd meet previously. That's serendipity, isn't
it complete?
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Seren Deputy And briefly I played with the Symperony Orchestra
in Newcastle, where Sting was living and his band was
the support group. When I was the star, I walked off,
they played and I didn't take a lot of notice.
A few weeks after that, I was playing with a
guy called Kevin Ina As we ended up in a
hotel and Newcastle were all lying around on the floor
in someone's room smoking what was then illegal substances but
(04:42):
are not anymore. So that was a guy who had
a lot to say. Was Stuart Copeland. Two months past,
I'm in London and this other guy. He wanted to
do this gig in Paris and he wanted to put
a band together that was just to do this one show.
So he brought me up to Swiss Cottage in London.
I came with my guitar and my little lamp and
it was two guys. He's based playing this drummer. So
(05:04):
you know, we've come of got into it and started
playing away and then this one guy comes up to
me the bass process. I saw the Pluvia Newcastle. I
was in that band Lark Exit. My name is Stan
oh right, yeah, I remember you. Yeah. And the other
guy yeah, man, you know we met, you know, we
would lie on the floyd Wow, oh god. Yeah, and
(05:25):
so the three of us were connected like that, and
then we played together for three weeks and it was like,
actually we're a band now, so you're absolutely right about everything.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
So you do this gig in Paris and nobody who
was in the crowd that night knew they were witnessing
the Police's first show. That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Wow, we were unknown. So we rehearsed a lot, and
as we rehearsed, we really got into the police style.
You know, we started to find it. We felt encouraged,
but you know it wasn't overnight. You know, we still
want absolutely nowhere and it really started for us in
the US because we were nowhere in London, and we
did a little three week tour of US East Coast
(06:03):
and we started at CBGB's, which was the famous punk
underground club New York City. There weren't that many people there,
but now they loved it, and we did two sets.
We left it at about four o'clock in the morning,
and we did a little three week tour and we
knew we were on the way. Then. A lot of fun, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Of course it was. I mean, we don't need to
talk too much. I guess about the police because the
story is so well known. Now you guys got so
massive so quickly, it's only expected. I guess that you'll
handle in teams fame so differently, and that cause it's
going to cause a bit of issues in the band.
But like you say, all good art comes from tension
and friction, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, it does, and everybody else said that that produces
that thing in the music. It's got this tight spine
that makes it exciting. That's what makes it exciting.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And what is your relationship with the guys these days?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Well, you know, we are of course bound together forever.
You know, there's no way any of us are getting
out of the boat. I mean, right now is an
interesting moment because Synchronosity is being released forty years later
and I think it's going to be number one, so
much interest, So it's sort of amazing. So Ya, Stuart
lives close to me, Sting, I don't know where. I
(07:10):
think he's got a house here in LA and he's
got ours everywhere because he's mega. You know, mostly we
communicate through our flight this. We're going to re release
a few things we need to do, so we're always
sorting out history. Basically.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's funny because you say it's history, but I mean,
my god, we still play Police on the radio all
day every day. Any radio station.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Whether it's more rock, is very present.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
It is. I mean, your music has literally never gone
away ever.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
No, that's very pleasing. That doesn't happen to most people.
But we are always around here. Well I'll be bring
in a little bit of that spirit to New Zealand,
I hope. So.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I saw one line on your current show where You Go.
I don't know whether singer and drummer didn't tune up tonight.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I thought that was brilliant.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
He Stewart or stinging to the show.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Sorry about that, but yeah, why not?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Hey, well look correct, Lean's obviously the other part of
the show. Your photography another incredible talent of your You've
had exhibitions, presentations, You've published books, as recently as last
year's series of Glances. I mean, the travel you do
on tour must just give you endless content.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, it's great. I'm in hotels, I've got cameras, and
there's downtime and I go out and find things to photographed,
and I really enjoy it. And I'm pretty organized. I
got a lot of help with that. I've got a
completely organized catalog. You know, all these shows I've been
in museums. I've got three shows up at the moment,
two in Japan, one in the Netherlands. So you know,
it's active and going. You know, I have a very
(08:35):
good relationship with like Her, So it's a sort of
sub career for me. I'm a musician first and foremost.
But it's been a marvelous accompaniment all that. I feel
very lucky about it.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And I believe your merchandise, your t shirts which you
sell at the gigs, those are your photos on the shirts.
I mean, that is collectable.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just arrange a new one today
which I think is really cool. Actually find out they're
going to get all the stuff to New Zealand and Australia.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, get them on the boat.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
It's amazing actually because the merchandise, it's a bit of
a surprise to me. I thought, oh no, that's good stuff.
They set it out every night. So I'm really looking
forward to this, this tour down. You know, it's been
a while, but always a nice feeling. Always have a
good time there.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Oh brilliant. Well, I mean it's been two thousand and
eight since you were here with the police, Andy, Summers
and evening with you. Three dates in New Zealand September nineteenth,
twentieth and then you're off to Australia back for Auckland
October third. The new album Verdanus Canyon It is out today.
Thank you so much for talking to your fans here
in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Lovely great look forward to seeing you and be happy
to be there. Thanks Andy, all right, cheers, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Gold Asides podcast. The story is behind Just Great Rock.
If you enjoyed this podcast, click to share with family
or friends. For Just Great Rock Listen to gold FM anytime,
anywhere on iHeartRadio
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