Exclusive Interview - Gerry Cott

I'm really privileged to say the 'legendary' and super cool Boomtown Rats guitarist Gerry Cott, agreed to do an exclusive interview with me for this site.

On behalf of all Gerry's fans, I'd like to publicly thank Gerry, not just for the interview, but for all the fantastic music he has helped to create.

Gerry is a busy bloke, and we are all very grateful to him, for taking the time to do this !

Gerry holds true that bands should work as a team - as anyone who has ever been in a band will tell you - Gerry is absolutely right !!!

Chris: You were already an accomplished musician before The Rats. Did you have any lessons ?

Gerry: I started playing flamenco guitar when I was 11 years of age - taught by a spanish student (Carmen) studying English in Dublin - fingerstyle guitar.

Chris: What were your influences to start playing guitar ?

Gerry: Folk-blues artists like 'Mississippi John Hurt', John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan - I saw Bob Dylan in concert in Dublin in 1966. I was thirteen years of age - he was an atomic bomb!

Chris: It is known that you were the one who pushed The Rats from the obscurity of the kitchen to the limelight of the stage. Could you see the potential at that early stage ?

Gerry: I had dreamed of being in a successful band every day from the age of fourteen. Looking back it is like I manifested it, by sheer fixation on an outcome. My dream was to be in a band that operated like a team - creating a unique sound.

Chris: Was it a difficult decision to move from Ireland with the band to England - so The Rats could seek a record deal ?

Gerry: I was the only guy in the band who was married (still married to the same woman after 26 years!). Before leaving Ireland, Cathy and I had a pretty cool house, car, money etc.

However, my dream was being in a band - it was exciting to live out my dream - it was an easy decision to leave Ireland! In comparison to me, the other guys in the band were leaving nothing behind.

Chris: What was it like to have the whole band living in the same house in London ?

Gerry: Living together was funny for a while then it got annoying!

Chris: What's it like to be at No.1 in the charts ?

Gerry: Being at number 1 is brilliant - the first time is the best time - Rat Trap - Mutt Lange did a good job on that track.

Chris: You played some fantastically melodic guitar solos, how much was down to you, or the producer ?

Gerry: I was a finger style acoustic guitar player masquerading as an electric guitar player. Accordingly, I didn't have all the standard riffs down like most electric guitar players in bands.

I think I came up with my solos - only because I wouldn't have been able to play anything Mutt Lange (producer) might suggest!

Mutt Lange, without doubt, is by far the best musician (musical ideas / creativity) I have ever met.

Chris: What are your fondest memories of being a Boomtown Rat?

Gerry: Hard to say, one that still sticks out is arriving in LA in 1979 for the first time - Hollywood!

I remember sitting by the pool at the Sunset Marquis hotel one morning when Bruce Springstein walked past while a voice over the paging system announced "Would Mr Jacko Pastorius (superstar bass player from Weather Report) please come to reception" - we had arrived!

Chris: You wrote the excellent Rats song 'Man at the Top'. Did you write/record any Rats songs that were never released ?

Gerry: Bob did not welcome other songwriters in the band - no "Man at the Top" was the only one - dedicated to Bob!

Chris: You wore some great clothes, and looked very cool in your shades. Did you create the look ?

Gerry: I found this little crazy shop in Kingston Upon Thames which designed it's own clothes, which I liked. Everybody else in the band (like every other
band of the time) shopped in the Kings Road. Yes, so I guess in a way I did
create my own look!!!

Chris: Why did you leave The Rats ?

Gerry: A few reasons ...

(i) My dream remember was to be in a band like a team - The Rats had become a one man band, totally dependent on Bob to come up with the creative goods - I realized that if Bob was not prepared to open up the songwriting, the band would wither and die - that was not part of my dream.

(ii) In 1981 I watched U2 play to 20 people in a San Francisco bar - they were fucking amazing - like they were playing in a stadium in front of 100,000 people - they were then and still are, a band in the true sense of the word - like REM they opened up the songwriting and music publishing, thus ensuring their creative success and commercial longevity. the
realization at that early U2 gig hit hard! Three months later I left the band.

(iii) For a long time before the U2 gig, I thought (and sometimes said to Bob and the others) that the band was way off beam - music was always most
important to me - the Bob and Paula thing in the early eighties killed it -
you didn't see The Police courting the tabloids with girlfriends, they were
too busy conquering the world with a unique sound.

Every band that breaks worldwide has a unique sound, think about it - by creatively dominating the band, Bob jumped from sound to sound - style to style, thus ensuring it's ultimate demise.

Bob and the others didn't like to hear stuff like this from me (what the hell did I know!) - accordingly, my exit from the band was partially orchestrated by Bob and the others who were convinced I didn't know what I was talking about and anyway, had become a real pain in the ass.

A while back Fingers and Simon apologized to me for how I was treated - no
apologies were necessary - we were all big boys - you can bring a horse to water, but then it's up to the horse!

Chris: The Rats were a lot less successful without you. What did you think of the music post - GC ?

Gerry: I didn't much hear The Rats music after I left, it didn't seem to get
played on the radio much. I didn't buy any of the subsequent albums so I
didn't know the music. In any event I figured it was only a matter of time
before it would fall apart - Band Aid / Live Aid rather than the music gave
the band a temporary reprieve!

Chris: You released some good solo singles, and an EP in the early 80's. Tell us more...

Gerry: When I did my own stuff I was doing everything myself - managing, writing, playing, singing. I eventually realized this stuff's hard, that's why you need a band to do it. Bob understood this.

Long term, I realized I was not going to do it by myself. I got the opportunity to enjoy myself musically for a while, for which I was very grateful to CBS and Current.

Chris: Have you played in any bands, played any gigs, or written / recorded any songs since then ?

Gerry: No, I have never played in any other band, have never played live again. Yes, I have recorded at various times over the years, most recently some 18th Century Irish music. I compose and play music like someone else paints - it's good for the soul!

I have a solo guitar CD called "Guitar ohm" I want to record. It's not an expensive project to accomplish so it's just putting the time aside to get it done. It's not mainstream so the marketing and scale of it is very doable.

Chris: What are your hobbies ?

Gerry: I have two boys - 5 & 13 years. I love my wife and family - that's my main hobby.

I'm lucky enough to own 33 acres in the Surrey hills which I maintain as a private nature reserve. I love my work filming with animals, we own a new age/ left field kind of shop, I have a share in a small TV commercials production company.

There's not a lot of time for music. I love my Taylor acoustic guitar. Sometimes it's nice to play old irish music on it in my timber bard up on the land.

Chris: What guitars do you currently use ?

Gerry: The only guitars I play now is my Taylor and a custom built half scale classical guitar - no electrics, although I still have my blue electric guitars.

Chris: Do you still have any memorabilia (photos/articles/disk awards etc) ?

Gerry: Yes in the attic!

Chris: Do you have any musical plans for the future ? Can we expect a new album soon ?

Gerry: The Guitar ohm CD - my little project!

Chris: Do you still wear sunglasses ?

Gerry: Yes, most days. Since childhood I have been fascinated with shades and watches. My Mother in Ireland in the fifties wore Ray Bans, which now I think was pretty hip.

Chris: Would you ever consider getting back on stage, should The Rats ever re-form ?

Gerry: The music was always the most important thing to me. I can't conceive of a situation that The Rats in 2002 could be relevant, not like U2 is still totally relevant, even after 22 years - amazing!

Chris: On behalf of all your fans, Gerry - many, many thanks for taking the time to do this interview, it's very much appreciated.

Gerry: I hope I have answered your questions honestly - no one ever asked before. Many thanks for your kind words and interest. I'm glad to know you liked the music.

Gerry Cott

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