AN: Happy new year from AN, how did you spend Hogmanay?
Ricky: Thanks, Hogmanay was brilliant for me, I was doing a solo show opening up for Cheap Trick in LA, it was an amazing way to spend it as they are legends and I'm a big fan of the band.
AN: It's coming up for the 20th Anniversary of The Almighty
Ricky: It's scary
AN: It is quite scary yeah, did you think all those years ago when you had hardly any tattoos that you would still be going at this point?
Ricky: Ahem no, I don't think I could see past the first album, I thought if we got to the first album we would be doing well and I think it was always like that, and if we got to a second album we would be doing even better and the fact that we are heading back down the road 20 years later is pretty incredible, scary and incredible.
AN: Do you have any fond memories of those early days?
Ricky: Yeah, I probably remember the good stuff rather than the bad stuff that went on. All of it was good. All the excitement about the band as it was kicking off. Well you were around us at the time. It was a really good vibe around that time and we thought we were doing something not just for ourselves but for Glasgow and Scotland. Especially when we were going down to the Marquee and getting record company interest.
AN: Things did seem to grow extremely fast from the time the first album was released, for example playing gigs in the Venue (now G2) during the first album days to playing the Barrowlands after the second album was released.
Ricky: It did go really fast from when the first record was out for those 2 or 3 years, it was mental. Some people may think it went a wee bit too fast but I don't think so. I wouldn't have had it any other way you know. We certainly really enjoyed it and made the most of it.
AN: What were your personal highlights of The Almighty's career? I know you will probably say Donnington, but was there anything else?
Ricky: Mainly just getting to play with all the bands I loved when I was growing up like Motorhead and The Ramones. Also the travelling, getting to go all over the world.
AN: So what first inspired you to pick up a guitar?
Ricky: It was 1980, I went to see Jake Burns play in Belfast before I moved to Glasgow and that was it. I never looked back, and I've told him so. I've met him a few times when I've been drunk and said "you're the reason I play guitar".
AN: There has been a lot written in the press about your Punk roots, you ended up playing with New Model Army what is the story behind that?
Ricky: It really started back in Strathaven in a wee band called Rough Charm that Me, Floyd and Stump were in. We ended up getting some interest from New Model Army's management company, we did some shows with them. Justin, the singer from N.M.A., asked if I wanted to play guitar on some tracks live with them after we had done our set and the whole thing spiraled from there. Then I was asked if I wanted to do a world tour as second guitar player, and it was too good an offer to turn down.
AN: So was (sic) a return to your roots?
Ricky: As soon as The Almighty split I was desperate to throw myself into something. I decided I needed a complete lifestyle change, so in order to change everything I moved to Dublin. I met 2 guys over there and I wanted to form the most nasty hardcore band I could. I have a lot of fond memories of (sic). The band was really really good but we had more bad luck than you could believe. It was like we were jinxed. We had loads of deals that fell apart, things like that, but we did shine very brightly for a very short time.
AN: After (sic) folded you went solo.Was it intimidating getting on stage the first time on your own?
Ricky: It still is, the first time I was shittin' myself. It was something I never envisaged myself doing. I had always admired people who could do that. I was always used to getting on stage but there with a stack of amps behind me. I found it really liberating and I love it to bits. It's a huge challenge. I think it has taught me to be a better songwriter, better guitar player and hopefully a better frontman and a better singer, cause you have to be.
AN: I've noticed you have had more success solo in America than you ever had with The Almighty, do you think that is down to the style of your solo material or is it just good timing?
Ricky: I think it's a bit of both. Also getting on the Def Leppard tour helped, it was a huge huge thing for me with the amount of exposure it gave me. The Almighty really never did anything in the States so people don't judge me on being in The Almighty, so they all just know me as a solo artist.
AN: Speaking of Def Leppard, Joe Elliot has helped you out quite a lot recently, how did meet up with him?
Ricky: It was when I moved to Dublin. We were rehearsing with (sic) in a little studio and believe it or not David Bowie was in the next rehearsal room for about 6 months. He invited everyone that worked and rehearsed in the studio to a secret gig he was putting on in the rehearsal rooms to try out some new stuff. I went down that night and there was a free bar and standing at the bar was Joe Elliot, I walked up to get a drink, I had never met Joe before but I knew he had said some nice stuff about The Almighty in the press. As I walked up to the bar he said " Ah Ricky Warwick what are you drinking?" and I thought "God he knows my name", we just started talking and struck up a friendship from there.
AN: Another of your post Almighty projects has been Circus Diablo
Ricky: It started off cause i know Billy Morrison (vocals) and Billy Duffy from The Cult from back in the day in London, and with me moving out to here, we met up for coffee one afternoon and we decided to go round to Billy's house to write a song in his studio for a laugh. We had loads of fun doing it and ended up writing a couple of songs and they turned out really good. The idea was we were going to put them up for download and that would be it. Matt Sorum heard the songs and said we should do an album and he would play drums, the whole thing progressed like that and before we knew it we were in the studio making a full length album.
AN: Was it refreshing not being the frontman for a change?
Ricky: Yes and no. I've got to be honest it's good fun and I enjoy it but I don't think I could give up being a frontman to be a rhythm guitar player, my ego wouldn't let me Barry (laughs)
AN: You have been producing the debut album by Confederacy Of Horsepower. Is this the first time you have sat in the producers chair?
Ricky: I have done an e.p. for a band before but this is the first full length. We are just wrapping it up. The band are from Hollywood, Orange County, Newport Beach, they are really good. We did the album on a very small budget, the band's got really good songs, bags of attitude and this was something I was always interested in doing and they were good enough to give me a shot at it and I'm pretty happy with the way it has turned out.
AN: What do the band sound like?
Ricky: They are pretty cool they sound like Circus Of Power, The Four Horsemen...
AN: So kinda like early Almighty then?
Ricky: Yeah they certainly have that vibe.
AN: There seems to be almost a resurrection of that kind of sound recently with bands like The Crank County Daredevils etc.
Ricky: Yeah we have noticed it, with younger bands mentioning The Almighty. And there seems to be a lot of younger people at the shows recently rather than just all the old die hard fans. I actually get a lot of kids sending me messages on the website saying they have started a band cause their dad or older brothers have played them Almighty albums.
AN: Do you think that's down to the way music always seems to come back round in cycles or is it down to a younger generation raiding their parents/older siblings record collections?
Ricky: I think it's a bit of both, also it could be down to digging into what influenced the bands they are currently listening to and working back.
AN: With the Anniversary gigs coming up will it just be this tour or will we see anything new from The Almighty?
Ricky: I think there will be other stuff going on, I know some of the shows will be filmed for a future DVD release.
AN: During rehearsals for the tours have you been working on anything new or has it all been older tracks you have been working on?
Ricky: At the minute it is old stuff, but there are some ideas that if we got the time I wouldn't mind working on with the guys to see where it goes. I'm very much of the opinion that we could go on and make the best Almighty album ever made, but I'm not sure anyone would buy it because right now people are just diggin' the old stuff. I would rather wait until I feel people actually want new material and then have a look at it.
AN: How is Floyd doing these days?
Ricky: He's doing really good, thanks. He is over three and half years in remission now, when he hits five, he has got the all clear. The last time I saw him he looked really healthy and he's on good form and has been for the last while.
Links:
The Almighty Ricky Warwick Circus Diablo Confederacy Of Horsepower 
Ricky Warwick of the Almighty - Interview 
Barry.
