I was wondering, where do you all find inspiration? I'm not talking about inspiration from music. More like things in everyday life, like an interesting tree or what have you...

 

I once wrote a whole song while sitting on a toilet in in a bathroom at Penn Station. NYC, the music as well as lyrics. The same at a cemetary, while sitting in my car while tripping on acid at 4am, and in environments that are super noisy and cachyphonic I seem to usually find an empty space that is chock full of inspiration and find my muse.

 

In fact mostly in the shower.

 

Sitting watching the weather and scenery from my window. Or as I'm lying in bed at night, just before I start to doze as my imagination wanders....the hard part is getting up and getting the idea down before falling asleep

 

Women. Women are what inspire me. Me and perhaps 95% of the songwriters in history.

 

Ask as guitarist, I am good at arranging other people’s stuff, augmenting, but writing riffs or chord progressions I have struggled like hell with. I just find it too easy to fall into familiar patterns.

since the world went to hell though, I have set up a small setup in my room and find I just load a keyboard, synth, orchestral instrument and dick about on a keyboard and the lack of familiarity makes me actually creates that inspiration. I then build on that. I would say I have stagnated as a guitarist, but improved as a musician.

that said, still try to write this generations Whole Lotta Love, Highway to Hell or Enter Sandman

 

When we have The Beatles so close to us, hard to disagree!

 

I once wrote an EP worth of tunes in hospital bed, but that was probably out of boredom... and painkillers. Mmm... painkillers.

 

I used to knock around with John Lennon's sister, Jackie back in the day. I knew her for years and never had a clue that she was related to him -- even though she could go away when she needed to and come back with a ton of dough to pay bills or whatever. (I believe the more respectable sister, Julia -- the one that wrote the books about being his sister -- was in charge of doling it out.)

I never found out they were related until a few years after he was killed. She told me that she used to keep it quiet because she was terrified someone would kidnap her kid for ransom. I often wonder what happened to her.

 

Well just had tea with my Mum and Dad and my Dad says about Gerry Marsden dying, then, with me at 42 years of age, for the first time says “I remember changing all the bannisters and newel posts in his house when I was about 17 and a labourer”.

I was then think, fuck me, when Keef finally dies what’s he going to say? “Nice bloke, remember being his roadie on The Stones first tour of Scandinavia...”

It’s a small world. Once did a wedding with the band and Macca’s brother was in attendance.

 

Why not try on this title for the first scratch on the parchment...

There's a whole lot of highway
Hell, enter with love
The Sandman speaks of slumber
The words pitch and shove

 

I’m sure I could bastardise the riffs of all 3, but knowing my luck would get sued by them all!

 

Pretty diverse answers.. i like it I forgot to say where i myself find inspiration, but i don't ''find'' it as much nowadays. Guess that's why i wanted to hear you guys story.
Though, when i think about it, i remember getting alot of inspiration from nature in the past.

 

I'll ask Tony Bramwell for you.

You're like a W.S.Burroughs that rhymes!
I totally loved it when I found out that you met Ginsberg!
I was like "Yep!, sounds right!". 'Birds of a feather', ain't it?

 

50% of the songwriters would say d.r.u.g.s

 

If they were still alive.
From my experience of the industry, this is a fallacy.
You ain't even going to get through a month of dates with one week off amongst it all if you aren't doing it like an athlete, let alone a longer tour.
Same with being locked in the studio for weeks on end.
You have to keep fit, and on top of things.
Doesn't mean you can't have a laugh sometimes though.

 

sleep