Fresh from having just finished the opening show at the second day of High Voltage, exuberant Quireboys guitarist Paul Guerin and dishy drummer Phil Martini join me for a little interview amidst the usual backstage chaos.

Music News:
Hi guys, great to see you again after Jazz Café in April. There’s a bit of a ‘rock family’ reunion going on here today, what’s with UFO and Joe Elliott’s Down N’ Outz. How did all that come about?

Paul Guerin:
Oh yeah, well, Joe phoned me up last September and I’d known Joe slightly because I was playing guitar with a guy called Ricky Warwick, and he and Ricky are good pals. So Joe got up and sang with us in Dublin and so that’s how the connection started. And then he wanted to put this thing together, so he phoned me and said, “Can you put a band together?” and I said “Well, I’ve got one!” Well, it’s a bit more longwinded than that, but it’s briefly what happened.

MN:
Joe Elliott mentioned that Mott The Hoople always was amongst his favourite bands, but what’s Quireboys fascination with Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople and what made you want to get involved with Elliott’s project?

Phil Martini:
Quireboys have a similar musical attitude to rock 'n' roll. Sometimes simple, yet melodic and swinging songs. The people's music.
Down N’ Outz, in it's infancy, was a chance to pay homage to the extended Mott The Hoople family. Since supporting MTH, the Down N’ Outz project has gathered a momentum of it's own.

MN:
The Quireboys show was a very brief one today because you play again later on, with Down N’ Outz. How did you pick the songs for such a short set?

Phil Martini:
It was pretty difficult, because we gonna play a big set again tonight – so that’s our main thing.

Paul Guerin:
We played two hours in Switzerland last night and flew into UK at six o’ clock this morning, then played about forty minutes here, and then we are on stage again for another two hours today. So it goes very quickly.

MN:
If there is another High Voltage festival, will Quireboys participate again – and with a longer set?

Paul Guerin:
Sure, if they ask us!

MN:
Where you’re off to after today?

Paul Guerin:
We got three more acoustic shows next week; then we’re starting to prepare for the next acoustic album because we’re going to do a Vol. 2 of that.

MN:
You guys are constantly touring… It seems fun on one hand as it means the band is doing well, but does it on the other hand increasingly feel like stress and strain, too?

Phil Martini:
No, personally, I've always aspired to perform as often as possible. It's a treat to travel regularly. Meet new people, see new places (admittedly for hours, sometimes), and try local cuisines/beverages. We recently played Italy and Scandinavia. The clipped opportunity of sleep is possibly the greatest hurdle to overcome.

Paul Guerin:
And we’re going to Brazil! So there’s a lot more touring coming up – it’ll take us right up to Christmas, with another UK-tour in December.

MN:
But then you take a well-deserved break, presumably?

Phil Martini:
Oh no, it just carries on. We already got some shows booked for February in Europe.

MN:
So, can your fans expect a new album in the future with completely new songs? I mean, how would you even find the time?

Paul Guerin:
Well that’s why we haven’t done another one yet, because we haven’t got the time. The acoustic album is easy because the songs are already written; they’re just re-workings of the old and the borrowed. But as for completely new material that’s tricky. Because the thing is that our tour dates are booked so far ahead - we’re talking six, seven months ahead – and they keep booking shows. So as soon as we get a break, we will make another record.

MN:
Phil, on the subject of involvement, how did you get to become the drummer for Quireboys?

Phil Martini:
The group I was in at the time (Tokyo Dragons) were the support act for Quireboys 2005 UK tour. I stayed in touch with a couple of the lads. I think they were looking for a rock drummer.

MN:
On the subject of drummer, what made you want to become a drummer in the first place, especially since you have frontman looks?

Phil Martini:
Ha ha! Very flattering. Well, I was counting my years of age, in units, when the urge to drum surfaced! At such a young age, awareness of desires are not yet realized. I think certain talents are just born into our 'make-up', our genes. They'll find their way out, eventually.

MN:
Thanks, and I really look forward to see you rockin’ with Down N’ Outz later on.