Page 18 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

Brian May is
recuperating after
undergoing leg
surgery, having played
through the pain
barrier on Queen’s
recent North
American tour.
Queen recently
announced five more
dates at London’s O2
Arena as part of their
M Y F I R S T next series of UK Bobby Ingram (centre)
MY FIRST
concerts. The
additional shows are
L
LOVE on June 8, 17, 18, 19 with Molly Hatchet.
O
E
V
and 20.
Although Deep Purple
DJANGO titled their 2017 tour Molly Hatchet
The Long Goodbye,
REINHARDT they have a new
studio album on the
way. As yet untitled, Bandleader Bobby Ingram on death, inventing
By Jan Akkerman it was recorded
with Bob Ezrin, the stage-diving, and going back to school.
producer who worked
on 2013’s Now What?!
The guitar whiz and their 2017 record With the Allman Brothers neck. Or when my dad finally saw us at

on the gypsy-jazz Infinite. Purple have bowing out, and Skynyrd retiring from the Universal Amphitheatre. He never
the road, the field of classic southern
confirmed a UK tour
came to see us, he didn’t like what I did.
guitar great. with special guests rockers is thinning. Florida’s Molly My mom did, my dad didn’t. Three
Blue Öyster Cult for Hatchet aren’t immune to passing time, months before he passed away, he finally
This was one of the later in 2020. either, having lost the last of their original got a chance to see me play, and accept it.
LPs that my parents members, guitarist Dave Hlubek, to Dad was an engineer. He wanted me to go
had around the Stone Temple Pilots a heart attack in 2017. But as de-facto to college, cut my hair, get a real job, be
house from the release their first leader Bobby Ingram tells us – and to a tax attorney. Well, dad, instead of sitting
1940s. After the war acoustic album, titled which ferocious new live album for the CPA [Certified Public Accountant
there was liberation Perdida (the Spanish Battleground attests – the Hatchet won’t be exam], I signed with CBS Records! He
music in Holland, word for ‘loss’), on buried any time soon. “If the good Lord didn’t think that was one bit funny. But
and for me it still February 7. Recorded takes me, I’m ready to go. But while I’m I did finish my four years of college, and
feels like liberation. with current singer here on earth I want next month I graduate
Django sounded Jeff Gutt, it’s described Molly Hatchet to keep with my law degree.
so far ahead of his as “ten deeply moving forward.”
time. He was such personal songs that “While I’m on Really?
a fantastic player. weave introspective What does playing Well, I had my four-
My dad was in the second-hand car lyrics together with live do for you? earth I want Molly year degree in
business, and also had this old unexpected For me it’s the Hatchet to keep accounting from way
scrapyard. As part of that business, instruments to take reward for decades back, and I’m the
he used to take me to a gypsy camp listeners on an of dedication. It’s moving forward.” intellectual property
between Haarlem and Amsterdam, emotional and musical a reward to have owner of this group,
which was where I had my first journey through letting people stand up and so I want to learn
accordion lesson at the tender age of go and starting over”. go crazy. It’s a feeling that’s irreplaceable. about it. If there was an epitome of the
five. There I also discovered Django and I don’t take drugs. I don’t drink. I don’t do non-traditional law student, you’re
his gypsy jazz. A couple of years later anything stupid. But this is my drug. This talking to him. But then I brought a lot to
my parents bought me my first guitar. is my habit. I still have the same feeling Florida Coastal School Of Law they didn’t
I did when I first walked on stage.
have. I’ve lived it, and I’m still living it. Do
Django only had three fingers on his I wish I’d had this knowledge in the past?
left hand – he didn’t get famous by Which have been your most Oh my gosh yeah.
stealing bowling balls. His style of memorable gigs?
playing was unique and so different to Well, there’s been gigs that were A lot of members of Molly have died
American jazz. That was what I was unexpected. Years ago, we were on the young. Do you have a theory why?
trying to do on electric guitar when road with Blackfoot. I ran out and did my I think this life does, to some degree, take
I was with Focus. He was the main solo, the stage gave way, and I dropped its toll. You’ve got to take care of yourself.
inspiration for me in Focus, if that Jeff Lynne (pictured) down eight and a half feet with my guitar You can’t keep partying down and doing
makes sense. So when it comes to says he still owns still on – and I landed on my feet. I’m things that are gonna hurt your body
music, for me it’s Django and then it’s around 2,000 cassette thinking: “What just happened? I’m not and hurt yourself spiritually, emotionally
electric rock‘n’roll. That’s where I think tapes of archive supposed to be down here.” And there’s and physically. It’s a hard living for
I get that twist from in my playing. recordings of the Danny Joe Brown reaching down to touring musicians.
Today I’m proud to play the Jan Electric Light pull me back up. Later, I had journalists
Akkerman Signature guitar, named Orchestra, which have say: “Man, you’re the guy that started You thank Jesus in the album’s sleeve
after Django’s 1932 model. They took lain unheard for two stage-diving!” notes. Do you think he’s been
one copy from the Louvre in Paris and decades. “I would love watching over the band?
named it after me. RH to check them out, How about some of your most And my life, from the very beginning, yes.
because there might cherished shows? And I feel the angels. HY
Jan Akkerman’s Close Beauty is out be something [useful] The first time I played the Coliseum in
now via Music Theories Recordings. there now,” he tells Jacksonville, looking out and seeing my Battleground is out now via
the Daily Star, “[but] mom with a backstage pass around her Steamhammer/SPV.
I haven’t got a cassette
18 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM player, for a start.”