JETHRO TULL Mainman Ian Anderson - "Yes, Everyone Was Slightly Surprised" When We Beat METALLICA At The Grammys
May 9, 2008, 16 years ago
Classic rock legends JETHRO TULL are currently on a 40th anniversary tour. Timesonline.co.uk caught up with mainman Ian Anderson recently. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Amid a scrum of sweaty boogie bands heading from the provinces to London in 1967 only one had a man playing flute. On one leg. “It made us stand out,” says Anderson. This delicate instrument didn't stop them playing very loudly on occasion and in 1989 they beat METALLICA to the first Grammy for heavy metal. “Yes, everyone was slightly surprised at that.”
“In 1972 we were one of the first bands to do a production tour with some theatricality. It was really just ALICE COOPER and us. Back then you didn't have huge video screens. That came in '75 and again we were one of the first with a system called Tullivision.” Theatricality included making an entrance in rabbit suits and hiring Pan's People.“I never touched drugs. The guy sitting next to me at art college in Blackpool had needle marks down his arm. I remember saying, ‘Oh, what's that?' I knew there were perils out there from an early age. Around the time of the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 they were dropping like flies - people we shared a stage with - JANIS JOPLIN, JIM MORRISON.
“We did the last night of the festival with Hendrix, almost his last show - the moment he appeared on stage you could tell he was not a happy bunny.”
Read more here.
