Guthrie Govan calls the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's Zal Cleminson "his Jimmy Page"

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      Last week I interviewed guitarist Guthrie Govan, who—while not nearly as well known as the Satrianis and Vais of the world—is equally monstrous when it comes to technical ability and musical inventiveness.

      He plays in an instrumental rock-fusion trio called the Aristocrats, which makes its debut Vancouver appearance July 12 at the Rickshaw Theatre.

      While chatting about guitarists who’ve most influenced him, I was rather surprised to hear that Govan regarded Scottish guitarist Zal Cleminson—formerly of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band—as “his Jimmy Page”.

      “Pretty much, yeah,” he stressed, “I mean I’m half Scottish. But I grew up in the south east of England, and I grew up hearing a lot of the Alex Harvey Band. The whole thing had a huge impact on me, actually. I guess I kind of got some sense of the theatrical possibilities of rock—which maybe other people would have got from Alice Cooper—and that whole biting guitar-tone thing. Zal had a unique take on that I thought.

      “I always loved that band,” he continued. “It was so eccentric and fearless and vaudeville and genre-defying. I guess the curse of that band was it really was meant to be a live spectacle, and a lot of people only ever encountered it in the recorded format, losing a whole dimension of awesomeness.”

      For more from Govan—including his thoughts on his bandmates in the Aristocrats, and who resides in the middle of their Venn diagram—read the story in this week's issue of the Georgia Straight. Read it on paper for that old-school "Vambo" vibe.
       

      Comments

      4 Comments

      Arachides

      Jul 6, 2015 at 9:10pm

      Growing up in Winnipeg the 'Sensational Alex Harvey Band' was popular for it's theme albums led by ' The Impossible Dream' great music and players. Alex Harvey's biography is available at the VPL. When they came to North America they were billed in WPG as a double header with Rod Stewart who bailed because he knew the SAHB show would blow him away.
      I'd like to thank the GS for digging out the new musicians connections to the past.
      Zal Cleminson jumped on the make-up and outlandish outfits long before KISS but had the chops to back it up. I still have most of their vinyl though somebody stole my copy of 'The Mafia Stole My Guitar' from a houseparty along with my copy of Eric Clapton's 'Just One Night'
      Sadly the SAHB never came back but it's great to hear they still have an influence.

      Michael Forrest @bababiffo

      Jul 7, 2015 at 9:46am

      Great to hear SAHB and Zal still mentioned in glowing terms by quality musicians and performers. As an actor Alex and the boys certainly had a big impact on me and still do.

      Paul Hayward

      Jul 7, 2015 at 4:38pm

      SAHB were one of the most influential 70s bands, they've been sighted from everyone from The Sex Pistols to ACDC. Zal has always been a fave of mine and is was fortunate enough to meet him and the lads when they toured Australia 2007 as SAHBWA.

      steve riley

      Jul 8, 2015 at 10:05pm

      Saw Alex Harvey band once but saw Zal Cleminson first in Tear Gas who went on to be Alex Harvey band,they used tour up and down UK like most bands back in the day when you saw a class band every week at your local venue mine being the Cleethorpes Winter Gardens which unfortunately as been pulled down now,