It is always interesting to interview someone who is not a leader,
someone who does not stand in the spotlight. Lee Abraham has joined
Galahad only recently and hopefully he will stay there for long because
his bass playing is of exeptional beauty. I’d like to invite you to read
our interview. You’ll find there some information on Lee Abraham and
Galahad’s tour in Poland. Enjoy
After many perturbations „Empires Never Last” got to the shop
shelves. How was this album received?. Are you satisfied with the sales
figures?
It has won the UK Classic Rock Society Album of 2007 so you could say it
has been received very well. All the reviews we’ve seen have been very
positive and the fans have said they like it. As for sales, well you can
always sell more copies!
You’ve joined Galahad only recently, what’s your contribution to this album?
I helped write some of Defiance as it was only half finished when I
joined, that’s all in terms of actual songwriting, but I was there for
just about every studio session and had a lot of my ideas go into the
arrangements and mixing, as we all did. Sidewinder in particular turned
out very different in the end to how it started when it was first
recorded.
Are you guys thinking about a new album?
Yes. Dean, Roy and I already have a few song ideas recorded so plans are
underway to get those moved on further during this year.
What are your memories of the concert in Wyspanski theater in Katowice?
Extremely nervous! That was my first gig with Galahad. It was all over
very quickly I seem to remember! The venue was beautiful, the crowd were
brilliant, the camera crews were very professional – the whole day was
just something special.
You’re going to tour Poland in April this year. What do you intend to play? Do you have any surprises for us?
Well Nothing is Written has just been re-released over in Poland so it
would be nice to do something off that CD, Aquaba maybe – we’ll see.
How is it that you were steering clear of Poland for so long and now we’re gonna see you in three cities in Poland?
Its not intentional I can assure you! Since the DVD shoot we have made
many more friends in Poland and with the new Promoters taking on the
older CD’s and releasing them, it seems like the best time is now to get
out to Poland and thank the fans for their support. It is very
difficult to judge how well received you are going to be in a country
before you actually play there. The reception we got in Katowice was
both surprising and eye-opening!
Do you agree with the statement that prog rock is doing so well that it hasn’t been in a better condition for a long time?
Absolutely. I think bands such as Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree etc are
really helping the genre reach a younger audience and that is fantastic.
It seems that the heavier angle of the genre appeals to the kids which
is fine, just as long as prog gets heard and appreciated I don’t mind
how its done!
Why did you decide to play bass, can you play any other musical instrument?
I started playing bass when I was 15, my parents wouldn’t let me have a
drum kit so I looked for something else to play. I thought guitar would
be too hard so I bought a bass. At the same time I took up guitar and a
bit of piano, as I found bass quite easy. I can also fiddle about a bit
on drums, but I’m most comfortable with either a guitar or a bass.
How did you join Galahad?
I saw an ad on their website looking for a new bass player. I hadn’t
played bass in a band for about 5 years at that point having
concentrated mainly on guitar, but bass was my first love and of course a
chance to play the type of music I love too. I auditioned and played
the song Sleepers and was welcomed into the band straight away!
What do you do except for playing with Galahad? Are you committed to any projects?
I have a studio in my garden at home and I’m always very busy recording
or mixing other peoples projects and music. I also play in a prog covers
band with a few friends (one of the band members is Sean Filkins from
Big Big Train), I am also writing and recording a new solo album which
will be a follow-up to my 2004 release View from the Bridge.
Do you want to say anything to Polish fans? Now you’ve got a great opportunity to recommend your tour 🙂
Thanks for your support, I hope you enjoy Empires Never Last. We are so
looking forward to visiting Poland in April 2008 and welcome the chance
to talk to as many of you as possible after gigs – come and say HI!
See you in Poland
Piotr „PM” Michalski
help with translation: Gosia Michalska
