![]() ![]() During this time, Johnson recorded and released an acclaimed album, Going Back Home, with Roger Daltrey. However, if you’re not familiar with his music, the name will ring a bell following the terminal cancer diagnosis he received in 2012, and subsequent recovery. You might recognise his distinctive choppy guitar style, in which he simultaneously plays the lead and rhythm sections. Listen to She Does It Right the riff, the simplicity, the drive – it’s three and a half minutes of proto-punk heaven. The fast-paced songs he created in the 1970’s with Dr Feelgood, along with his guitar playing style, energy, attitude and stage persona, undeniably influenced the punk movement. I’m sitting across from someone who unexpectedly changed the course of music. Image by Quercusrobur1 We caught up with a songwriting legend, one whose influence began over 40 years ago and is still felt today I’ve always been a miserable so-and-so, so becoming gloomy again is a good sign of my returning health.Wilko Johnson is one of the most influential songwriters to pick up a guitar, and feature in the sign of a bar. Then as I slowly regained my physical strength I realised that I was no longer living with the euphoric consciousness of imminent death, and I started to get depressed. Was coming to terms with living a difficult process?Īfter the operation it took a long time to recover. But now that I’m back in the world and the future’s indefinite again, I’ve regained a normal consciousness and fear death the same as everyone else. As time passed I came to accept the universe and, if it hadn’t proved painful and extended, then it would have been a perfect death. The way I handled it was to live in the minute and to absolutely accept that I was going to die. That extraordinary year of facing death is fading like a dream. Have you ever felt that your recovery cheated you out of the perfect death? Feelgood, influencing and becoming part of the story of rock’n’roll, I’m quite proud of that. He’d been watching us on stage and sussed me out as a speed freak. You don’t know it yet, but you are,” and pulled out a huge bag of whizz. After the first show, Lemmy came up to me and said: “You’re really pleased to see me. Feelgood signed to United Artists they gave us some gigs supporting Hawkwind. Over the last three decades I’ve got more disillusioned with politicians generally. Back in those days I thought of myself as an anarchist. When I was at university I was left-wing. He’s got these soliloquies where he’s just so bitter, railing against mankind. He’s partying down with everyone, they’re all spending his money and then he runs out of cash and freaks. To which Shakespearean role would you be best suited? It’s an expensive one, but I can’t be bothered with it. So we got it home, and I can’t even make the propellers go round. But on the way I got a bit pissed, went into Maplins and I come walking out with one of those drones. ![]() ![]() Just last week I was hunting around and the mission was to get a reel of gaffer tape. Then I’d barge into him and he’d send me off on a silly-walk solo. Look at pictures of Feelgood and I’m always looking across at him. Feelgood stage dynamic centred on me responding to Lee’s ferocity. ![]() Who’s the fiercest: Roger Daltrey or Lee Brilleaux? I had this technique of blowing over my tongue while drinking. I used to be able to drink a cup of hot coffee quicker than anyone I’ve met. If I was ever going to rejoin I should have rejoined the proper Dr. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if that hadn’t occurred. I sometimes think I regret the bust up with Dr. What are the best and worst drugs you’ve taken? ![]()
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