Exclusive interview with Paul Gray!
Part 2

Questions are from members of the Damned's Official Messageboard.

Do you still practice? If so, what do you practice? Do you spend timerunning through scales and such or practicing old songs?

Nope. Never practiced solo, only played along to tracks. Best way to learn if you ask me. Never played a bass scale in my life, I couldn’t think of anything more tedious! I knew how they sounded tho’ from playing the piano - major, minor and pentatonic that is. The rest were frankly irrelevant to me. The thing about scales is that teachers and the more anal musos say “you can’t play that note, it’s not in the scale!”. Well bog off to the lot of ‘em - if it sounds good play it, that’s always been my motto. This ain’t bloody Genesis.

Since you have started working with the Musician's Union have you learned anything about the business end of things that you wish you had known while you were with the Hot Rods, Damned, or UFO?

Ha! Yes, plenty, you can never stop learning that stuff. There’s even more scams flying about now with unscrupulous companies and individuals ready to fleece anyone with a myspace page. None of the bands I was in made anything like the money they should have for the vast majority of the musicians for a variety of reasons, some more obvious than others. I now know how to phrase a letter in legal terms that usually guarantees a response, and often provides an answer that eventually translates into financial benefit. Before, if I wrote, it was more “oi, wheres me bleedin’ royalties?” I deal with that stuff everyday now. The MU has a lot of power that I take full advantage of!

I remember reading some time back that you were teaching bass. Are you still doing that? Is it something you enjoy?

I’m no longer doing it and I didn’t really enjoy it to be frank. You can’t teach people if they lack imagination and have a duff pair of ears, which is what too many had. Possibly a controversial thing to say, but I think you’ve either got it or you ain’t. Hear it > hum it > work out where it is on the fingerboard > knock out the rhythm. Then improvise around it. Simple as that!

Why the name change from "Mischief" to "Wicked Gravity" for your musical project with Alan Lee Shaw? Will you and Alan work together again?

It was a record company thing. Voiceprint reckoned we ‘d sold thousands in the US (cue hollow laughter) and wanted a name change. I liked working with Alan - never say never!

Have you seen the recent posting on YouTube of The Damned live at the Berlin Metropole, the show where Vanians drink was spiked with acid? Dave looks absolutely terrified of the audience, so Captain takes over on vocals. What are your memories of that show? Also.. any idea when the show took place (1981 ? 1982 perhaps ?)

Yeah, ain’t it mad! Think it was 81. Watched the last few clips the other night, kinda sums up a very mad period in a way! I have very good recall of that night and the ones that preceeded it, we had a sort of residency there for about a week. It was a wierd place, had a very weird vibe to it, the SS used to hold rallies in the hall above. In the dressing room there was some sculpture thing with a loaded gun that apparently could go off at any time. There was a fair bit of the old beakfood flying about as I recall. Rat’s dad was there with us on a lig, he dropped some acid that night too. But the main reason I remember it was because I’d hooked up with this goddess bird in ripped fishnets called CC who used tinned peaches in a way that bring back happy memories to this day!

Who wrote the music and lyrics for There Aint No Sanity Clause & also was this track recorded at the same time as the Black Album sessions?

Captain wrote the music. He nicked it from the Buzzcocks “Shot by both sides”, but that was cool cos I loved that song too. Lyrics - pass. When did we record it? Hmm, not sure - could well have been in the Rockfield sessions tho’. Yep, I’m sure it was.

Do you keep in touch with either Roman Jugg or Bryn Merrick, and if so,what are they up to these days?

No. Don’t know, don’t care.

Did you ever get to see 'Dave Vanian & The Phantom Chords', and if so,what did you think?

No. Passed me by I’m afraid.

Two of my altime favourites are Generals and Pleasure & The Pain. Rumour has it that your demo versions were very different to what ended up on Strawberries..This is a cheeky question I know.. but as the saying goes, "if you dont ask, you dont get!", so here goes.. any chance you uploading your demos for these two classic songs on your webpage? Please?!!

How kind I’m sure! Actually, the demos weren’t much different at all, the spirit was kept very much the same, except the guitar was played by someone who could really play guitar, the drums weren’t a Dr rhythm drum machine and the vocals had rather more accuracy to them. The band’s version, that is ;)

As to the last request - maybe one day!

And.. finally, how are your ears nowadays - are they getting any better?

Thanks for asking but no, they’re fucked forever. I’m in the middle of getting divorced and have bought myself a gaff in the countryside just outside Cardiff to get away from all the traffic noise. Trouble is, even the bleedin’ birdsong is painful nowadays!

One off gig with The Damned, you get to choose the songs. What songs would you choose for the set?

Good question! BlimeyÉSanity Clause, Jeckyll, Blackout, Generals, Fan Club, Smash it Up Parts 1 & 2, Love Song, Born to Kill, Gun fury, Plan 9, Just Can’t be Happy, Shit or Piss, History, I Believe the Impossible, Noise, Lively Arts, Stranger on the Town, Dozen Girls, Life Goes On, New Rose, Disco Man, Curtain call. And Burglar for an encore. Sounds good to me!

Did you believe in the curse of the Damned ? And are they/were they never destined to make sackfuls of cash and become tax exiles?

Commercial success always eluded The Damned, at least until after I’d left and the goth phase kicked in, maybe there was some money floating about then, but then again signed to a major label usually just means more money spent on producers and studios, so maybe not! The Pistols, Clash, Stranglers, all had commercially big selling singles pretty early on that gave them a good sales base that despite their popularity the Damned never managed to achieve. Certainly when I was with them in the 80’s money was exceedingly tight. I think the Hotrods had a bigger curse actually! Did anyone make sackfuls of cash out of the Damned? Maybe, but not yours trulyÉ

Dear Paul, I can remember an article from around the early 80's in which you claimed that A) you learned to play bass very quickly B) you used a sharkfin or double sharkfin for a plectrum. The article, I think, was a feature about the three best bass players of their time and also featured JJ Burnell and Steve Severin. My question is can you remember the article and if so what music paper was it in? (this has bugged me for years, it were a good article).

a) true. Took to it like a duck to water.

b) false - well, the quote was true, but I was talking a load of bollox. The journalist thought he’d copped onto something truly innovative so I milked it for all it was worth! Have you ever tried playing with two picks gaffered together? I mean, really!

I can put you out of your misery regarding the article ‘cos I still have it. I’ve just checked and it was in International Musician, February 1982. Jean Jacket was indeed featured too.

Seagulls, Who plays bass on this track, is it yourself (it kind of sounds different to your usual style)? I personally think it's a great track, any stories about this underrated gem?

Yeah, it’s a great track innit! Mr Sensible must take credit for that. A demo from RMS studios near Croydon. All his own work.

Jazz, Miles Davis, Jazz bass players...your thing or not?

Not. Where’s the bloody tune?

How much do you charge to record an album?

As much as possible! Nah, all depends. Major label = major fees. Complete unknown home project - gimme the circumstances, and if I like the songs a deal can be cut I’m sure!

Do you prefer to have the recordings sent to you to record at home, or do you travel to where the band is?

Travel, always travel. Personal touch is everything.

Who was the most difficult member of the damned to get along with and why?

Now now. I’ll let you hazard a wild guess!

I read in the cover notes of The Black Album re-issue someting along the lines of "with Paul on board, we were playing the old songs better than ever". What is it that you think you added to the bass playing? How did you approach playing the Damned songs, and did you add any of your own twists or ways of playing things?

Ooh, must be those sweeping soaring basslines!

Lots of reasons possibly. Fresh input, sympathetic style of playing, a real connection to Rat, Cap and Dave’s musical quirks, inventiveness, a certain musical energy and drive, and an absolute love of the songs and everything The Damned were about all helped I guess. I think I fitted in well at that particular time and place in their career - everything just gelled and it felt like everything was possible. It sounded unique I think. 1980 / 81 were possibly the best 2 years of my musical career, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s a shame it all went tits up later, but nothing is forever eh!

Thank you to Paul for taking the time to answer the questions. For information on his new band, visit Wiked Gravity. For Paul's website which has great stories, bass questions and answers, and a comprehensive gear list visit Paul Gray Bass Website.