Mark McGee is currently the guitarist for
Luvplanet but has also played with Gregg Allman and Vicious
Rumors as well. I met Mark back in his VR days. Besides being
a great guitarist he's a super nice guy! When I didn't have
enough money to get into the VR show he gave me the money out
of his pocket, which happened to be his pay for the night, to
help me get in. How many people do you know that would do that
for you?! Even after the sad end of Vicious Rumors I never
forgot about Mark. After many years I found him again & found
out that he's still out there putting out awesome music. That
makes me very happy & so does this interview! Thanks Mark!
1. Any person (living or dead) that
you would like to meet and why?
Jesus, because I have many unanswered
questions.
2. Who are some of your favorite
musicians?
There are so many. First of all I must list
my Luvplanet, Alameda All Stars, Gregg Allman and Vicious
Rumors bandmates as they are family to me!
Steve Lukather, Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Brian
May, David Gilmour, Paul Stanley, Steven Tyler, Sarah
Brightman, Mike Stern, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Ritchie Blackmore,
Trevor Rabin, Sonny Landreth, Tom Scholz, Gary Moore, Uli Jon
Roth, Miles Davis, Frank Marino, Jean Luc Ponty, Tom Petty,
Steve Morse, Steve Hackett, Ravi Shankar, Peter Frampton,
Peter Gabriel, Sandy Saraya (Blackbird cd), John Waite, Kate
Bush, Chris Cornell, Jimi Hendrix, Robin Zander, Norah Jones,
Dave Grohl, Steve Clark (RIP), Keane, Chantal Kreviazuk, Ian
Thornley(Big Wreck), Jellyfish, Chad Kroger, Rickie Lee Jones,
Alanis Morissette, Lou Gramm, Duncan Shiek, Neil Finn, Amy
Ray, .... this list of individuals could go on for hours and
hours. Some bands: Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss, Zeppelin, Rush,
Queen, The Beatles, Rainbow, UFO w/ Schenker, Yes, Scorpions,
Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, King's X, Heart, Journey, Toto, Foo
Fighters, Saga, Nickelback, The Baby's...Again there are too
many to name here.
3. What's your guilty musical
pleasure?
I have no guilt when it comes to music!
4. Who did you idolize as a child?
Paul, Ace, Gene & Peter
5. Stranded on a deserted island, what
3 cds would you have with you?
This question is impossible to answer but
here goes:
Queen - A Day At The Races
Sarah Brightman - La Luna
Kiss - Alive
6. The difference between today's
music and the music of the 80's?
Hmm...The 80's was extreme but also very
diverse. You had the rise of Metal to the mainstream, but
unfortunately what got pushed was a lot of Metal crap that was
really just an embarrassment to the REAL hardworking Metal
artists out there. And so even though the Metal scene got a
boost, it also made outsiders think it was a big joke. And
then there was modern rock which was not so good other than a
few bands like The Cure or Tears for Fears. Fortunately Jazz,
Blues & Classical music are always of a certain quality and
level so it's only about finding the performance or Artist
that moves you. With Rock, Metal or Pop it can get very
divided between all the different labels and sub-categories
etc.? And then there are the opinions regarding the 80's
extremities like drugs, hairspray, big stages, tons of lights
and the over the top thing. Obviously drugs are a bad idea!!
There are different viewpoints though on the big shows and
long solos, crazy clothes or whatever but I loved the arena
rock shows during the 80's with the giant staging and
theatrics. It was seeing the front cover of Kiss 'Alive in
1976 that made me realize I wanted to be in a band. Why pay
$$$ for a ticket and then go see 5 guys on stage that look
just like everyone else in the crowd? Just because a band
wants to put on a good show and entertain the crowd doesn't
mean that they are not great musicians. And when it comes to
musicianship, in the 80's, everyone I knew was working very
hard to be the best at their craft and it was a cool thing to
be great on your instrument where as nowadays people tend to
get slammed for actually knowing how to play well. Maybe the
company that created Guitar Hero missed the mark and they
should have created a video game that actually taught kids how
to play a real guitar? All in all, I know some people that rag
on the 80's but they were very good to me and I had
waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too much fun!!
7. Favorite place to perform?
In front of people! The bigger venue the
better and the more relaxed I am. The small gigs are the hard
ones.
8. What makes a good song?
A great vocalist singing an amazing melody
to a lyric that means something important. Preferably with a
positive or hopeful message. Add to that a killer groove and
memorable guitar hook and I'm in!
9. What are your hobbies?
Long drives. Nature. Spending quality time
with the most amazing and loved human on the planet , Nicole
Sutton. Writing songs. A good movie or music show.
10. Favorite food to eat on the road?
Indian or Thai. Healthy choices. Good Red
Wine or top shelf Vodka (Hmmm is that food)?
11. The first concert you ever went
to?
Bill Graham Presents "A Day On The Green" (
Monsters of Rock)
Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Pat Travers Band (w/Pat Thrall)
& Van Halen (first tour)
12. Who's the best person you've met
on the road?
I have so many great stories. I've actually
considered writing a book about my journey so far. The first
time I met Jeff Beck was unbelievable. He was so gracious and
down to earth as we talked for about 30 minutes about guitars,
amps and our mutual friend Mr. Jimmy Hall. Also standing with
my arms around Ann and Nancy Wilson wasn't a bad day at the
office either.
13. So you also do sessions with
artists such as Stu Hamm, Mickey Thomas & Brad Gillis. How did
these come about?
Firstly, I love doing sessions for people
I've never met on music I've never heard before. It is so
fresh and unknown. I first met Stu in March of 1999. Stu and I
were both invited (at different times) to become part of this
project with vocalist/songwriter Nicole Sutton which would be
the beginnings of Luvplanet. Stu invited me to play solos on
the song 'Remember' for his 2000 release 'Outbound'. This was
a great time! Stu and I have done a few gigs, creating some
really really funny memories, and played on a variety of
sessions some of which have not yet been released. Stu then
had me come in and play some slide solos on his version of
Zeppelin's 'Going To California' on his 'Just Outside Of
Normal' release in 2010. I look forward to more music with Stu
in the future. He's outstanding!!
The Mickey Thomas cd 'Marauder' session was gifted to me
thanks to the talented Jeff Tamalier (guitarist, producer,
engineer, Tower of Power, Track Shack Studios). Jeff called me
for some slide work on Mickey's record and I was thrilled.
Mickey is so amazing! Marauder is an album of covers and I
play on 4 tracks. Maybe I'm Amazed, Money Talks, Delta Lady &
Gimme Shelter. Big fun!
And Mr Gillis, Brad and I first met when I was about 14 or 15
although I doubt he remembers that. We both grew up in
Alameda, Ca he started the Alameda All Stars years ago and
that lil city was a very tight knit community and their were
many musicians in the 70's and eighties comin out of there.
Brad is great! I was living next door to his studio at the
time and we were hanging out a lot. We wrote the song Chain
Gang for his 'Alligator' cd and I also played guitars and sang
on a song called 'Monché LáRoughe' (Japanese Release only).
Brad is very energetic and a kind soul. In 2007 he invited me
to join Night Ranger so I went and played with Jack and Kelly
and everything was great and then I got a phone call from
Gregg Allman while I was playing with the guys. I hoped to do
both but then the tour dates clashed and I was left with a
decision to make and in the end I went back with GA. I am
forever appreciative to Brad and the band for offering me such
an incredible opportunity. Thanks guys!
14. Any current projects?
I am always open to doing session work with random
artists if the music is something I want to be connected to.
At this point it is the same as it has been. LUVPLANET
LUVPLANET LUVPLANET!! Eventually I will get m a solo cd
finished and released but all the planets must align I guess
for this to happen. For fans of my time in the Metal scene
with VR or those of you that were introduced to me as lead
guitarist for Gregg Allman, all I can say is if you really
like my guitar work then you should check out the Luvplanet
cds as it is my best guitar playing and production!
Rock on Ariann!!! MM
VISIT MARK:
http://www.markmcgee.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-McGee/306002570700
VISIT LUVPLANET:
http://www.luvplanet.net
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/luvplanet/id148181082
https://www.facebook.com/pages/LUVPLANET/94324292016
© Ariann Boisvert. All rights reserved.
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