An Inside Look at the 2007 London Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp

by Saiichi Sugiyama.

The first edition of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp outside the United States took place in London from 26 May to 29 May, 2007. For a fee of £8,000 (roughly $16,000 USD), 50 or so participants with varying degrees of playing ability, known as “campers,” spent four days divided into seven bands that competed against each other at a camp battle of the bands on the last night. Each camper band was assigned to a tutor - well-known, rock-star-level musicians referred to as “counselors” - who produced the band’s music. The groups were also tasked with making a studio recording. Other activities included top-name visiting guest speakers with whom each camper band got to play.

On a fundamental level, the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp was not vastly different from many US-style summer camps, primarily a team-bonding exercise. What got the British tabloids excited about this mostly middle-aged, businessmen-on-vacation group of attendees were the usual elements tabloids obsess over – celebrity and wealth. The press is in its element when the guest speakers are household names such as Bill Wyman and Jack Bruce and the fee for the camp is what the Daily Mail described as the a price of a car. It is quite British to mock what the tabloids portrayed as a Disney camp for millionaire baby-boomers in mid-life crisis, and I admit that I was not entirely free of cynicism when I got the assignment to be a fly on the wall.

Day 1 - Jack Bruce

On the first day of the camp, which had started at a wholesome 10 a.m., I arrived at the rehearsal studio complex in North London in the afternoon to walk into the middle of the Jack Bruce experience. Jack, the the first day's guest speaker, was making his rounds and was just about to arrive at the room where a newly-formed six-piece band under the tutelage of US guitarist, Bruce Kulick, a veteran of a later incarnation of the '70s rock band KISS, had started practicing. An air of anticipation permeated the room in which several Cream albums and marker pens were spotted. Jack walked in led by David Fishof, the former manager of Ringo Starr’s All Stars, and the founder of the camp, followed by an entourage of video crew and Jack Bruce's guitar tech.

Bruce Kulick introduced Jack Bruce and made no secret of the fact that he's a long-standing Cream fan. Everyone laughed at Jack’s self-mocking jokes as the guitar tech readied a Gibson EB-1 bass, the bass that appeared with Jack at the legendary Cream reunion concerts in 2005. “I start it on a count of five. Will that be okay?” and the members of the just-formed band nervously nod. Jack leads them into "White Room." It’s a not bad version, despite the drummer missing the cue for the guitar solo section, and Jack's playing for real. A camper appears simultaneously nervous and ecstatic as he looks up from his guitar to take an incredulous glimpse at Jack as the video crew vigorously works the room. There will be a DVD and CD of this performance for the band members to take home at the end of their stay.

The five-minute song comes to an end. Beaming and flushed, members of the camper band gather around the man and thrust in his hands Cream albums and pens. After a group photo full of smiles, the Cream bass player tells the band, “You played well. I am proud of you. Keep up the good work,” and moves on to the next studio followed by the video crew. “Not bad for the first afternoon,” one of the guitar players comments. Apparently, this was his third camp.

After Jack completed his visit to each rehearsal room, everyone was called up to attend a Q&A session with Jack who provided witty answers to reverential questions from the floor. This was followed by a short unrehearsed performance by a power trio consisting of Jack (bass), Simon Kirke (drums) and Bruce Kulick (guitar). They played positively electrifying versions of "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love." Supported by the unmistakably solid and in-the-pocket groove of Simon, Jack’s spontaneous rendition of the Cream numbers was a pure treat. Jack freely moved around in the space in a way tastefully different from when he is with Cream. Immediately after the mini-show, the campers returned to work.

I went back to the rehearsal room where I saw Jack Bruce perform earlier and caught Bruce Kulick teaching three different guitar parts of "Day Tripper" to the guitarists in his group. He has the original Beatle recording on his MacBook Pro and leaves nothing to chance. He counts the bars and figures out the overdubbed guitar parts and how they were fingered. He simplifies some parts to suit the player’s ability and keeps drilling the parts until they are right while playing a Gibson EB-3 bass himself. Apparently, the bass player of the band, the only Brit and a writer for Classic Rock magazine, walked out of the rehearsal room saying he needed to learn the bass part before he could play. Bruce is concerned and enquires after him, “Is he still freaked out or has he calmed down?” to which the camper replied that he would work out the part by tomorrow and would rejoin the rehearsals. Bruce did not mince his words as he kept playing the original recording again and again to work out the guitar lines. It was apparent that this counselor required nothing short of a professional standard from the campers. It demonstrated the musical intelligence and dedication of the younger generation US rock musicians who take the rock business seriously.

As I walked out into the corridor feeling quite exhausted just from watching the Kulick group’s rehearsal, my ears caught the sound of an energetically played "I Saw Her Standing There." Following the sound, I walked into a rehearsal room of the group led by Mick Ralphs, the songwriter and guitarist for Bad Company. Featuring a seated vocalist and two excellent guitar players, the atmosphere in this room was tangibly more laid back. The group of six is rehearsing the Beatle number under the watchful eye of Mick. “Not bad at all. Not bad,” he declares. As the number is signed off, the campers start jamming. The harder-playing guitarist of the two, John Gaechter, a fourth-time-serial camper, keeps throwing Bad Company numbers at the band. Mick finally gives in, picks up his trusted 1957 Fender Esquire and joins in on his old band’s hit song and a classic rock anthem, “Feel Like Making Love.” I spot a momentary grin on Gaechter’s poker face. The young bass player, Mark Stroud, appears to be having a problem with his fingers. The 18 year old from North London is the sole British camper in the band and a young piano-playing singer-songwriter who won a karaoke competition on Virgin Radio to get here. He has never played in a band and never played a bass guitar until today. Nor has he ever heard of any of the rock stars on hand other than Bruce Kuclik of KISS. His fingers are very sore and he doesn't know many of the songs, but he seems to enjoy the new experience.

In the next studio, a crew of four guitarists and a keyboard player that serve as the rhythm section, are going through an arrangement of the 1967 hit "Gimme Some Lovin’" with Spencer Davis, the man who wrote the classic song. Spencer, with a blue-sparkle Les Paul Standard in his hands, explains how certain notes are not played but implied in the arrangement. Putting that advice into practice, the band’s performance suddenly starts taking on an added sense of authenticity. This is no ordinary cover-band performance. Great stuff.

Later, at a congenial dinner, Spencer Davis talks to the campers about the early days of British rock – about Long John Baldry’s 12-string Zemaitis guitar; how Davis, a native of a Welsh town, met the Winwood brothers while playing in Birmingham and what a small world the underground British blues circuit was in those days; and, how he toured with the late great Graham Bond and supported Cream’s first-ever public appearance when Cream stood in after another band’s cancellation in Manchester on the eve of Cream's scheduled debut performance.

Day 2 - Bill Wyman

On the following morning, I return to Bruce Kulick’s studio. The bass player from Classic Rock magazine is back in the fold and receiving personal instructions from Bruce. Their act, featuring a 14-year-old guitarist/singer, sounds incredibly polished.

Then, the sound of open-tuning guitars and solid drumming in the corridor leads me to another studio. I open the door to find Simon Kirke, the drummer with Free and Bad Company, showing a drum part to camper David Butcher who took up drumming after his retirement 12 months ago. It’s another three-guitar band with a keyboard player. They are working up the arrangement of an original song written at the camp by camper Eric Herbst from Connecticut called "Too Early to Rock ’n’ Roll.” I am sure it is a heartfelt sentiment for some of the counselors who would otherwise lead a more nocturnal life. The bass player, David Stoltz (one of the few professional-musician campers if not the only one) is suffering badly from jet lag. Upon closer inspection, however, it turns out that this band has a high UK content with David Butcher from London, Tony Snook (interview below) from West Sussex, Adrian Hextall from Kent, and Brian Bennett from Belfast, although the band also boasted Barry Rosenbaum from California, for whom this is the seventh camp – the arch-camper.

Simon Kirke, who has just been on tour in the UK, demonstrates his multi-faceted talent by conducting the band while lending a hand with vocals, showing Brian an open tuning, and discussing a keyboard chord inversion with Barry. Simon points out that someone is still playing Bb on the outro and the offender raises his hand. There is a momentary tension between Barry and Eric over how precise the outro of Eric’s original number should be. Barry wants it to be precise and Eric wants to leave it loose. Simon, always the diplomat, defuses the situation - a reminder that musical differences occurs at all levels but that a true pro knows how to deal with it.

Gibson UK, who are sponsoring the camp, brought a large quantity of their loan stock to the rehearsal studio for the counselors and campers. Many of the participants traveled from the US and did not bring their instruments due to air travel restrictions or from fear of having their instruments damaged. Gibson also provided a resident luthier to the camp, Sam Walker, who was constantly available to set-up and trouble shoot. Eric is playing some of the songs in an open tuning and borrowed an extra guitar for his open-G songs. It is a good-looking Gibson Custom Shop three-pickup Peter Frampton Les Paul Custom model. There is an intonation problem but all he has to do is go see Sam - a first-class service.

The band is still trying to decide on the material for the end-of-camp gig and the recording session. Someone suggests "You Can’t Always Get What You Want" and the band starts playing it, but the guitar part is not sounding right. Simon picks up his loaned Gibson J-200, tunes it to open E, puts a capo on it and hands it to Brian. He shows Brian the fingering of the chords and it sounds very good indeed. All are very impressed by this. The band goes on to play “Shooting Star,” a Bad Company number with Simon on vocals. Simon says to David Butcher, “I know I paused there on the record, but I want you to play straight through it. I think that is better.” Well, fair enough. If anyone’s got a right to change the drum part on that song, it would be Kirke.

In the next studio, Spike Edney, Queen’s keyboard player, is working on a Beatles medley with a band featuring a female rhythm section. He is trying to segue "Sergeant Pepper's" into "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" into "Oh, Darling." He plays along on his Gibson Blues King and sings while dictating keyboard, drums, bass and guitar parts to everyone. Being a fly on the wall in this room is educational – watching a master at work in putting together by trial and error an extremely slick and polished medley. It is intriguing to note how, only two days into the camp, the music personality of each counselor is reflected in the tutored band’s performance.

The guest on the second day is no less than former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. In Simon’s group, David on the bass is excited as he is a Stones fan. The band chose "Honky Tonk Woman" to jam with Bill and after a few run throughs, they're ready. Since the bass doesn’t come in until the chorus, I begin to wonder what it's going to be like to have Bill Wyman standing there playing nothing for half the song.

After what seemed to be a long wait, David Fishof walks in announcing the appearance of Bill Wyman. After greeting Simon and the band, Bill says he would like to hear them play first. This takes the group by surprise. A slightly nervous-looking band led by Simon on vocals and cowbell launches into the song. Bill declares that it was not bad and discusses the difference between the live and studio versions. Then he explains that he had to re-learn the song for today because he no longer plays with a plectrum. After he left the Stones, he changed over from using a pick to playing with the fingers of his right hand. His guitar tech was getting the bass ready for Bill while he was talking to the campers. His headless bass is identical to the one that camper David was playing – down to the black colour. The band embarks on the song for a second time with...yes, Bill Wyman in their midst with nothing to do until the chorus. Still, the excitement of the band is quite visible. After the performance, Bill takes time to talk to each camper individually.

Meanwhile, in the next studio, Mick Ralphs’ group gets ready to receive Bill. They have been going through "Brown Sugar," complete with John’s killer slide solo and Mick occasionally joining in on the piano. Mick reminds the drummer of the bass drum pattern that he taught him earlier. It drives the band. “Yeah, that’s better. More funky,” declares Mick. Pleased with the praise, the drummer takes a break and sets his digital recorder up in the back of the room to capture his performance with the legendary Bill Wyman. Finally, David walks in with Bill and the film crew. Again, Bill requests that the band perform in front of him. Then there is a moment of panic with a furious whispering among the staff, “It’s not on the list.” Apparently, "Brown Sugar" was not on the list of songs that Bill was prepared to play. Still, Bill was impressed by the performance and declares, “Very good indeed”. Wyman then joins in and a great time is had by the band.

I then went to spy on Spencer’s group waiting for Bill and noticed that one of the guitar players had a veritable shop of Rolling Stones LPs and memorabilia neatly laid out ready for a serious autograph session.

Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to interview Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Spencer Davis, which will be published on Modern Guitars separately. Mid-interview with Spencer, Bill Wyman walks by and Spencer and Bill have a relaxed, friendly banter - a first-hand illustration that yes, these British blues musicians from the '60s really do know each other - it's like belonging to an exclusive club.

And here's a small excerpt from my interview with Simon Kirke:

Saiichi: Tell me about Rock’n’roll Fantasy Camp. I believe you have done this a few times.

Simon: This is my fifth camp.

Saiichi: How did you first get involved?

Simon: It’s run by David Fishof who promoted Ringo Starr. He did several All Star Band tours and I was recruited in 1996. Eventually, I did four tours with Ringo and David was involved with all of them. When he split from Ringo several years ago, he called me up and said he had started doing this Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, but he was not a musician and he needed some advice on how to handle musicians, what musicians would want. So, I am an advisor and I am on the (camp's) Board and I like teaching. I like seeing these guys come in and at the end of five days, the way they have improved. The look on their faces is almost reward enough - real teaching.

Day 3 - Abbey Road Studios

Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp rented Studios 2 and 3 at Abbey Road for the entire period of the London Camp. Each day, two of the camper bands were sent to Abbey Road to record tracks. So, on Saturday, instead of going back to the rehearsal rooms, I braved the picture-taking road-crossing tourists to visit the recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios.

In Studio 2, the Beatles' favourite studio, Spike Edney’s group was getting ready to record. The band was on the floor in the oft-photographed positions and apparently breathing in Beatle spirit. I overhear an excited conversation about a piano being the very same piano on which McCartney played some Beatle track. The ghost of the Beatles is quite overpowering in there.

I hastily made my way to Studio 3, the “smaller” studio (still huge by ordinary standards) where Mick’s group is recording. They are in the middle of doing the basic track for their version of "Taxman," complete with a guitar solo break featuring John’s improvisation that includes the melody of "Within Without You" played with a slide. I peep through the control room glass to see that they are surrounded by mouth-wateringly exquisite tube microphones – U67s are everywhere. I turn around to see a bank of tube mic preamps and Fairchild compressors - although it was clearly a sign of the times that everything was going directly into Pro Tools. I personally find these large corporate studios, such as Abbey Road and Olympic, quite cold and uninspiring – the realm of white-coated engineers - and there is just too much history at Abbey Road to be creating something new and original – too many ghosts. However, the campers are here to pay homage.

I asked the tape-op what he thought of the unusual non-corporate session this week. He tells me that at Abbey Road they get “rich people hiring the studio for private sessions” from time to time, so they are not strangers to non-professionals on their pilgrimage to Mecca (or was it Macca?). There is nothing like an under-the-magnifying–glass analysis of a studio performance to make young bands play better, and this band was no exception. The session appeared as if it would carry on till late at night.

Day 4 - Jon Lord

On the following day, I return to the rehearsal rooms to find all the bands getting geared up for the "battle of the bands" the next day. It is to take place at the enormous Studio 1 at Abbey Road – it’s the massive studio where full orchestras record. I missed Gary Brooker, the voice of Procol Harum’s "Whiter Shade of Pale," yesterday, but today’s guest is ex-Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord.

Mick’s band, back from a late night session at Abbey Road, is playing tighter than ever. They were observed by Mick’s son, Jim, a teenage songwriter and the lead singer of his band, Tintin Strikes (www.myspace.com/tintinstrikes).

Simon’s band is pretty much ready for the gig. Each band is to play three songs and they settled for "Honky Tonk Woman," "Let It Be," and their original number, “Too Early to Rock ’n’ Roll.” The rhythm section is rock solid and the guitarists sound more than competent. There is a good vibe with this bunch of guys.

The discussion turns to what to play when Jon Lord comes around. None of the band members is familiar with Deep Purple’s music. Simon suggests "Route 66" and that is what they play when Lord arrives. The connection between Deep Purple and "Route 66" is not an obvious one. Nevertheless, Jon obliges and it turns out that he is a great rock ’n’ roll piano player. The music's vibrant. Once the jam is over, Jon stops to talk to Barry Rosenbaum, the keyboard player of the band who was strumming Simon’s Gibson acoustic during the jam. Barry explains to Jon that his 11-year-old son is trying to play "Smoke on the Water" but it wasn’t quite right, and Barry was trying to figure out how it was played. Jon takes the time to show Barry the keyboard parts, explaining the notes in the chords and showing him exactly how he played it. It really doesn’t get better than that - very impressive stuff indeed.

After Jon completes his round of rehearsal rooms, it is his turn to give a little talk and take questions from the floor. Jon is very candid about his former bandmates, including Ritchie Blackmore and David Coverdale. This is followed by a jam with the resident counselors of the camp - Neil Murray and Simon as the rhythm section joined by Mick Ralphs on the guitar. At Simon’s suggestion, the band plays Booker T’s "Green Onions." The Leslie acts up a little, but Jon’s Hammond playing is impeccable. The they play a rock ’n’ roll number with Jon showing off his boogie woogie style. This is a side of Jon Lord that you never knew existed. He almost got away without having to play the mandatory “Smoke on the Water” as no one could sing the song, but David Fishof turned to the campers and asked if anyone in the audience could sing it and John Gaechter, from Mick Ralph’s group, volunteers. He straps on a guitar as well and has the time of his life – the Fantasy Camp is in full swing.

After the Jon Lord experience, Simon’s group is feeling loose and the proceedings turn into a jam session. Simon joins the jam and then, gradually, others float in - Katie Locke, a singer working for the camp organization, and Natascha, Jack Bruce’s daughter, jammed with the group and were later joined by Bruce Kulick.

Day 5 - The Gig

The following night, Abbey Road Studio 1 was the venue for the climactic battle of the bands. The imposing stage in the massive studio with a full lighting rig looked like serious business as guests and celebrity judges mingled with campers to form a decent-sized crowd.

Video crews were ready to capture the event for posterity and a very professional team of technicians were on stand-by - a setting worthy of a high-echelon touring act or, to use the vernacular, rock stars. The proceedings kicked off with Simon’s group. After only four days and nights, all seven camper groups and their counselors appear to have bonded to become bands. It was also interesting that the bands seemed to have taken on the musical persona of the counselors: straight, driving-rock music from Simon and Mick’s groups; the infectious enthusiasm from the camper band led by Spencer Davis; punkish contemporary edge with Jamie Moses’ group; slick production from Spike Edney’s, the event's first place finisher; solid rock with attention to the details from Bruce Kulick’s group; and, a metal outburst from Neil Murray’s. The campers, to a greater or lesser degree, had developed their personalities as performers over the relatively short span of the camp. Some took their rock ’n’ roll fantasy literally and lived their moments of glory to the full. Well, that’s what they paid for.

While the camper bands performed, guitars signed by the celebrity musicians involved in the camp were auctioned off for a children’s charity. When the band performances ended, an all-star group took the stage featuring the counselors. They jammed on songs from the Beatles, culminating with a Joe Cocker version of "With a Little Help From My Friends." After the rousing ending, the celebrity judges gave out the prizes and that was the last I saw of the happy bunch. The camp moved on to Liverpool for an afternoon of Beatles sightseeing and a gig at the Cavern Club.

Some Observations

So, after five days with the campers as a fly on the wall, what did I make of the Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp? Without being there, it would have been easy to dismiss the event with the cynicism typical of the British press that had run articles containing subtle, underlying sarcasm. However, having been almost a part of what went on, I could see that, when stripped to the bare bones, the adventure was a unique and incredible musical experience for the campers. Undeniably, the rock star-fan dynamic is what attracts the punters in the first place, but once the campers meet the stars and their infatuations are satisfied, they get down to work. Their task at the camp was to bond into a team that had not met before, make music, record in a studio, and play before the public.

Campers came with all manner of musical abilities and backgrounds. Even for the more experienced campers, and certainly for the counselors, the tasks were challenging. But, they were all equal in one sense: music is only as good as the total sum of the individuals – one rock star can only deliver one-fifth of the instruments while four-fifths must be delivered by the mostly non-professional campers. It was the role of the rock stars to teach the campers. From what I saw, the day-to-day activities at the camp were not about the privileged few who could pay a large sum of money to hobnob with rock heroes of their youth – it was about largely amateur musicians who are passionate about rock music, passionate enough to pay the large sum of money, to learn under the tutelage of musicians with world-class experience. If you can afford it, this is far healthier than obsessively collecting rock memorabilia or following bands around on tour.

David Fishof got the panel of counselors right – the stars involved took genuine delight in teaching and it is that enthusiasm that seems to make this unique experience so appealing that despite the price tag, he gets many repeat attendees.

As the rock music from the classic period of the late '60s - early '70s reaches maturity 40 years on, the time is ripe for those who shared in that communal experience on either side of the stage to meet, get acquainted, enthuse and be enthused.

Interview with Tony Snook, 2007 London Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Participant

Saiichi Sugiyama: Would you like to tell me who you are and why you are here?

Tony Snook: My name is Tony Snook. I am a 60-year-old ex-soldier and diplomat. I retired five years ago and now I am doing consultancy work. I run a Grand Prix racing team and we look for new businesses to invest in. It’s all based in London and I live with my family down in West Sussex and commute for my sins. I am the sort of guy who has been playing the guitar quietly and badly for 40-years-odd. I got my first electric guitar about ten years ago, my Fender, and just play quietly on my own. I never played in a band, ever.

Saiichi: Until now…

Tony: I played the drums at school - a typical public school band. Not very well either. Did not do anything after that at all. Then I saw the Sunday Times article actually of the journalist who went over to the States last year to Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp who wrote a very amusing article. He had done nothing musical and he played a tambourine in the band. I thought “well that’s quite interesting” and I just loved the idea. I love pop music. Like a lot of people of my generation, we got onto other things. I love ballet and classical music and so on, but I have always kept my pop origins. I mean, the generations before ours, in the UK anyway, used to graduate away from silly music and onto serious music, but I think the baby-boomer generation - I was 18 in 1965 - is different. I have always loved music, but to take part in it is something that I have never done.

I had a carpal tunnel operation on my hand quite recently and I was worried that it would not mend in time. It is actually quite frightening coming into an environment like this, particularly as I knew that eventually at the end of these five days I would have to perform in front of an audience. So, I got a little bit serious. I thought I had better do something quite quickly. Also, I have played the guitar with my fingers for 40 years and I have never used a plectrum. So, I got a local guitar teacher out of the parish magazine.

I then wrote in to Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp and asked about the various people, what their songs were and then I was told Simon Kirke was a great guy to go for. I looked at his songs and I really liked them because I knew all of them, not to play but I was very familiar with them and they’re great songs. I love everything from Eagles to Hendrix to Stones and so on. To cut a long story short, he checked me out, I learned to play the five songs and kept writing to Simon Kirke and Katie Locke to find out what the keys (key signatures) were. He told me what to play and I learned to play with a plectrum within ten days. I knew the songs because I listened to pop music all the time. I am quite familiar with how they sound on the record and that was a great help. So, if we do some song and you have got to drive it on, I am happy to drive it on - that’s the difference. I don’t think you can do it if you turn up and you just know the notes. That's hopeless.

I have rediscovered Bad Company. I just bought their records from 32 years ago and they are a great basic rock. I think Mick Ralphs’ writing and music is fantastic and that’s why I enjoyed it. It was a question of just making sure that I didn’t disgrace myself - because it was too much money to make a fool of yourself. By the time I had five lessons with my local guitar teacher, I said “what about it?” He said, “Well, actually, you can do it because you can pick it up so quickly, and if the plectrum works.” I found that I liked a thick plectrum and stuck with it and that was it. I got my guitar set up properly. I got a block on the tremolo which I never use. I had the action lowered and so on, so I can play the darn thing properly. Then I just turned up.

We were really lucky because on the first morning we gelled completely. Having got through our five songs the first morning, in the afternoon we recorded, finished two songs at Abbey Road - done and dusted. The following morning we came in and we wrote our own song in two hours. So it was a fantastic group and you know, that is what this is about. Great friendships and we gelled and a lot of the stuff we played today we had never ever played before.

Saiichi: So, was it like you expected?

Tony: Better, I think. I am very lucky I am in a great little band. They are terribly nice. Simon‘s great and all the other guys in the band are very good. We have got two talented lead guitarists, we’ve got a great bass player, a good organist and although he has not been at it very long, we have got a very good drummer. So it’s luck. No, it’s been absolutely thoroughly enjoyable. It’s been absolutely fantastic and it's got a nice English feel about it which I think is quite nice. Spike Edney, on the first morning when he talked, he swore and said “I was supposed to read this bit of paper out and I did not know what the hell I was supposed to be doing”. He debunked it. OK, it is magic but he brought everybody down to earth and that’s fine. The other thing is the counselors have been great but the superstar guests have been fantastic. They feel they are amongst friends. They have opened up. They are not playing the superstars, you know?

Then here we are today. Everybody came and jammed with us and Bruce Kulick came in and jammed with me. You could never repeat that. That’s real magic and (whispers) I might do it again. The problem is that we hit the papers. We were in the Daily Mail, a double-page spread, and unfortunately they put the price in there. So, now all my family knows how much it was.

Saiichi: Oh, was it a secret?

Tony: Well, I wasn’t going to tell them how much it was. My God.

Saiichi: You could say you got a special discount.

Tony: Yes, I did, A lot of other things were affected by it. I got around that, but I am not going to do it that way again, I think. But, it is great. Being a soldier for 37 years, we have always been a part of a team and that matters a lot. This is very democratic.

Saiichi: Music is a great leveler.

Tony: One or two started to be leaders but with sufficient give and take and not too many egos. We manage the egos. The thing that is nice for me, I think, is that first of all, Simon reckons us. He is very pleased, I think and he was very surprised that we did Abbey Road on the first go and got it right. Barry, who has been to seven camps, started off by being very worried, because I think he wants to win. I don’t think this is really what we are on about. We want to take part. I think he has been to seven camps and thinks that maybe this time he thought, “Wonderful. Maybe we are going to win.” So, he was worried about choosing the songs early and so on. But now he has settled in. He has suddenly realised that he is part of a group that can pick up a song just like that. For me, it is a great privilege. We are playing fairly basic chords and so on. I can’t use a bar chord because of my operation. So, I have got to use a capo on one song – but other than that, I don’t find it too difficult. They are a great inspiration and likely I will pick it up very quickly and that's a joy for me - an absolute pure unadulterated joy.

Saiichi: Will you keep up your playing after this?

Tony: Well, I am one of the people who will probably have a wonderful week and it will not happen again as it’s mainly because it’s to do with the group. It’s to do with the people and not to do with the experience. Anyway, I am 60. If I want to go out and play, it’s not easy to find people you like and whose music equates with exactly what you want. That is very hard to find. We have been thrown together and it’s worked and that’s fantastic, but… Let me give you an example. Dave wants to play drums now. It’s not easy. He is going to have to inject himself into the route that people are going through. I mean, he’s 59. It is not easy at all. So for me, “no”, but what might happen to me is that I might do another camp because I know what it is like now and it would be nice. I have done the West Coast before but I have never really done New York and I think it would be quite fun to do.

Related Links
London Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp (enrollment for the 2008 session is now open)
Main Official Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp Website
Saiichi Sugiyama on iTunes and MySpace
Saiichi Sugiyama's Column on Modern Guitars

[Text and photos © Saiichi Sugiyama]

---