Posted in: Rock by John Medd on August 20th, 2008 | 0 Comments
Derwood Andrews played foil to Billy Idol in 70s new wave band Generation X. Now living in the California desert he looks back on the English punk scene of 30 years ago.
‘Mick Jones was a big fan of Mott The Hoople and told Tony James he should be our producer. I left shortly afterwards because I wasn’t allowed to be a useful member of the band’.
A third album had been recorded but Sweet Revenge wouldn’t see the light of day for another 25 years when it formed part of the 3 disc Anthology. Idol and James carried on with one engine under the banner Gen X with new hired hands but soon disbanded when Idol set sail for America.
Derwood and drummer Mark Laff wasted no time in getting a new band together.
‘Although Empire only recorded the one album, Expansive Sound, it had a massive influence on the DC punk scene in the mid-80s. I didn’t believe it until it came out on CD and the royalty cheques started coming in.’
A stint with bubblegum rockers Westworld came next. A couple of Top 10 hits: Sonic Boom Boy and, as any Steve Martin aficionado will tell you, Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo turned up on the soundtrack to Planes Trains and Automobiles.
He then hooked up with fellow Brit Gary Twinn (singer with 20 Flight Rockers) in Speedtwinn, a sort of Johnny Cash meets T Rex combo.
‘Too old to rock and roll but I can country with the best of them. It didn’t work out: I played hundreds off gigs in and around Hollywood but no one ever came. The final straw was watching the singer buy a round of drinks for the whole place and getting change from $10!’
More recently Moondogg have been taken up his time. “It”s my dream band’ he says. With Westworld vocalist Elizabeth Westwood, it’s where drum & bass and slide guitars meet Wild West culture. And it compliments Derwood’s high desert backdrop perfectly.
Chrysalis (Generation X’s old record company) got the band back together in 1993 for a one off reunion at London’s Astoria. I ask Derwood if it could happen again.
‘No. Not with me in it, anyway. Unless there was huge amounts of money placed in my wife’s handbag’.
He’s also publishing his memoirs in the New Year. Loud Guitarist contains words of wisdom for anyone thinking of earning their corn in rock and roll.
‘My book is a duty I have been given due to large amounts of documentation, photos, diaries and stuff that could easily be thrown. Don’t put your daughter on the stage Mrs. Worthington! Being not much more than a loud guitarist has been a fantastic life, but there really is no respectful escape. I must write about it and warn every young soul who has inkling to play guitar for a living. Beware, it’s not easy.’
