In this interview, it's my absolute pleasure to talk to Darren Watson, vocalist and guitar player in his band Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band.Darren's been making great music from his heart and soul for some twenty-five years now and in that time he has established a reputation second-to-none in New Zealand for world class, original rhythm & blues. He has recently won first place in the blues category for his song ‘All Going Wrong’ in the International Song writing competition . . . judges included James Cotton, John Mayall, and Alligator boss Bruce Iglauer.
Darren Watson DW: Yeah, well you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out. I was chuffed enough just to be in the finals…. It’s bloody brilliant, innit?!
ANBTB: You have been nominated six times for NZ Music Awards for a body of recorded work that includes two Top 40 albums and singles with Chicago Smoke Shop, in 2002 the album King Size was nominated for a Tui and 2005's album 'South Pacific Soul' is terrific. Does winning the competition top all of that?
DW: It’s up there, bro. I’m looking forward now though…. It’s nice to win awards but I prefer to concentrate on new things all the time.
ANBTB: What made you decide to enter All Going Wrong into the competition?
DW: Actually I wasn’t such a fan of the song, but then Midge started playing it in his set and I figured if it’s good enough for him? LOL…. So I fired off an entry and thought nothing more of it until I found out I made the finals. I don’t think most songwriters are the best judges of what their best songs are – I feel way too close to most of ‘em. It’s a real love/hate relationship.
ANBTB: I first saw you play with (who I thought were) Chicago Smoke Shop back in the mid-nineties at the Nelson School of Music and you guys were shaking bits off the ceiling. It must have just before the band split. Can you tell me a bit about the band at the time?
DW: Actually that was a post-Smokeshop line-up called The Behemoths. It would’ve been me with Richard Te One on drums, Darrin Hancock on bass, and Bob Smith on Piano/Organ. I remember getting to that gig and I couldn’t believe they only had a vocal PA for a 500 seat theatre?!!
ANBTB: Like Darcy Perry, you didn't start out on guitar did you... wasn't your first instrument trumpet? How did you get from there to playing guitar?
DW: Yeah, I played some trumpet, drums and then bass before I got to guitar. My first gigs were playing bass in a covers band. I was 14 – it was nuts. At 17-18 I took up six string and got on with learning to play blues…
ANBTB: So when you growing up, what music did you listen to and what really go you hooked into the blues and started you playing?
DW: I had a lot of 45s and EPs of Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Rolling Stones to start with… that’s what got me fired up. Plus I kept hearing stories about my cousin Rod Stone who played guitar in a beat group called The Librettos during the 60s… kind of got me interested. Hearing Muddy Waters as a young teenager changed my life. I didn’t know music could be that powerful…
ANBTB: In past you have worked a lot with Midge Marsden. Was he a big influence and did you learn a lot from him?
DW: I love working with Midge. His enthusiasm is totally contagious. He is a great friend and a ‘bluesologist’ extraordinaire!
ANBTB: You've played with Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, Billy Boy Arnold, Doug MacLeod, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dr. John and Keb Mo. Who has been your favourite artist to work with and why?
DW: Koko Taylor and her band were amazing to tour with. We met Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records) and had a total ball.
ANBTB: Can you tell us you least favourite?
DW: Not really, mate. They’ve all been pretty good in one way or another. Jimmy Vaughan wasn’t particularly nice to be around though…
ANBTB: 'South Pacific Soul' has been described as "genre breaking". There are quite obviously blues references, but it also encompasses rhythm and blues and soul. Was that a conscious decision because strict 'blues' audiences are a shrinking market, or is the blending of these different styles just where you are at?
DW: Mate, I’ve always been about blues/soul. I can play almost any blues style you care to name but I LOVE the soulier stuff. Most of the original Smoke Shop tunes were more ‘Stax’ than ‘Chess’, if you get my drift.
Darren Watson and South Pacific SoulANBTB: Specifically on blues and blues-related music, how would you assess the current live music scene in New Zealand at present?
DW: Well, much as I hate to be one of those older guys going on about how good things were ‘back in the day’… I think things were better ‘back in the day’. It seems to me that a lot of people are pretty much working for next to nothing and taking whatever they can get in the way of gigs.
ANBTB: Is it harder to please the venue owners or the audience?
DW: I find if we play well and enjoy ourselves it seems to keep both happy.
ANBTB: Do you think that as fans of the blues genre we value, or are perhaps encouraged to value, the wrong things about blues acts and performances? For example, guitar solos over songs?
DW: This is a pet peeve of mine. I really loathe long, noodly solos. For me it’s always been about the groove and the story. SOME solo work is great but only where it supports telling the story, in my opinion. We don’t play a lot of 15 minute jams in E, bro… Grin*
ANBTB: So, what can we expect from Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band in the next year or so? I think there is a new album on the way isn't there, and any plans to tour? We'd love to see you back in Auckland.
DW: Yep, new album this year hopefully…. I would love to play in Auckland again soon but the guys won’t work for nothing let alone take a loss – which is pretty much what an Auckland excursion would be for us – so we’ll have to wait ‘til someone offers us enough to make it viable. I’m sure I’ll be up there in some capacity this year to support the new album. It’ll be hard to top my last Auckland gig with Midge at the Kings Arms in ’07 though… that just went OFF!
ANBTB: Thanks very much Darren, it was great to talk to you.
For all the latest on Darren and the band check out the offical Darren Watson and the Real Deal Blues Band web site for full details.
