'I try to find words to get people nodding There’s lots of songs in the making dancing round my head.’

7th November 2005 - JOHN INTERVIEW - Man with a Mission
Exclusive interview with the amazing John Keilty and some interesting answers. John agreed to answer Questions for the Martian fansite on the Martians, his music, meeting David Sneddon, brother Gerry, song-writing and plans for the future, when he was over in Glasgow recently.

INTERVIEW 30th September 2005  – probably 100th draft!! (only kidding I think)

John lives in Edinburgh with long-term American girlfriend Liana. He moved there from Glasgow a few years back and loves it, preferring it to Glasgow now. Edinburgh is a much smaller city but full of culture, stories and history. John takes visitors on the famous
‘Ghost tours’ to Greyfriars Graveyard and treated a group of us to the tour in August......down some of the Closes off the High Street.
He’s wild, entertaining and scarey doing this tour! He is very interested in torture and murders and things like thumb screws! what with doing his shows at the Edinburgh Dungeons too. And his songs reflect life's contrasts, both the dark and the light. 
I met John at Oran Mor at the junction of Byres road and the great Western road Glasgow. He had been acting in a play there this week.
He knows lots of faces on the Scottish actors circuit.
John is genuine, speaks from the heart and chats with an easy confidence. He has the kind of smile that draws you in, and he speaks with a focused intensity. It’s hard to describe the transformation in John – where has he been the past six months? He’s like a man with a mission, a past and a future. It’s not only about the total ‘rock glam’ look either, the long hair and leather coat. His whole expression has changed from the ‘young guy eager to please’ to the ‘ man who knows what he’s about.’ He has a focused energy.

I asked John how the Martian band started. 
John: ‘Me, David and a girl called Amy were doing these acoustic nights at the Tron. We sang songs we’d written. I learned David’s songs on piano. I’d been working in theatre.

John: ‘So on a break from theatre we did these acoustic nights.
David was doing all kinds of things and had been being a pop star all over Scotland. He’d been in a couple of up-and coming bands and looked like he was going to do something. We actually met though in a theatre company doing Romeo and Juliet. David was Romeo and I was Juliet’s father. He stole my daughter from me and ended up getting her killed! So I thought I’d be his mate.’

'While I was in London clearing for a musical…He went away.. he was in London doing a musical. He did all sorts of things.
The musical was run by the X factor people. In fact Simon Cowell was involved and he picked David as one of the main parts. It was a musical about teddy boys, called ‘The Teds.’ That was the first thing that impressed me with David.’
So on a break from theatre, I wrote some songs. Amy sang some of my songs, I sang some of David’s songs. Amy was my girlfriend then, just before we split up. I broke up with Amy. So we said, ‘Lets do it’ on the back of that. ‘

' I wanted to do the War of the Worlds, for a half an hour set. I knew we could do it. So I got Crawford, David, we had Harry on lead guitar. We did Cabaret nights at the Arches and we did it.’
We did very few gigs with drums. Drums are hard to get, because they have to be rehearsed. We never rehearse, the rest of us are very good at making it up. ‘

So who was in the band?
John: ‘We had Crawford reading, Harry, brought in Gibby on bass, David , me and a girl called Kate originally who made interesting noises while we performed. This was early in 2002.'

I thought Harry was really good at Colne.
John: ‘Yes he’s a very gifted guitarist.
'It’s a very complicated story. I’ve never thought about how it happened before. Me and Harry came from a busking background. We busked all the time in Sauchiehall street. We went straight from busking on the street, me and Harry, to playing on stage. You saw us at Colne, we’re very good at those kind of gigs. These are the kind of gigs we like to do. ‘

What about Amy?
John: ‘Amy was only there the first time we collaborated. Me and Dave enjoyed it so much, we thought we’d do a band. We shared all the vocals’
 ‘We were going to be called the Ponchos, Gerry wanted us to be called the Ponchos - it was a toss up with the Martians. It’s funny Gerry wasn’t part of the band then, but he submitted songs.

Were you in a band before?
John ‘ No never. This was the first band. But I played in London with David’s band.’
David Sneddon entered the BBCs Fame Academy show and won it beating 36,00 others. John joined David in London in January 2003 to play with his band and write songs with him for his album. A highlight was playing Top of the Pops.

What did you do when you left school?
John: ‘I did a years acting course at Coatbridge college and got a job during that and straight off the back of it. And I was acting up to Christmas 2002.’

John grew up north west of Glasgow in Clydebank, and spoke with fond memories of his time at St Andrews High school where he spent many happy hours secluded in the music rooms developing his love of music and learning to play many instruments. He was sad the school was to be closed as there are 2 Catholic schools in Clydebank.

John's Music
I asked John about learning guitar.
John: ‘I started playing guitar at 16, in fourth year. I started hanging around the music department at school. The music place was a haven from all the idiots and neds. We spent the time playing. I played piano, drums, bass, guitar, keys, I learned all my instruments there. Very useful.’ He also had some drum lessons for a short time.

Did you do Music higher?
John: ‘Yes I did, I got an A for my higher. ‘
‘When I started guitar I played REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ over and over for about nine months.!' 
John waves across at an actor at another table. ‘That’s Dave Anderson (City Lights) and there’s Tony Ropa, and Tam Cowan. ‘ The bar is full of Scottish actors.

I ask John about what first got him interested in music?
John: ‘I found my mum’s little Black book full of lyrics. It inspired me. Hers was covered with drawings of flowers all over it. It was full of lyrics she’d written before she had children. I used some of her lyrics for a song. So I always have a notebook like hers to write in, except mine has no flowers (he shows me his black notebook) . She had wanted to be a rock chick. We used to drive over a lot to visit family in Coatbridge and my mum used to play T–Rex all the time. (John sings part of a T-Rex song here!) My mum was into Glam-rock like that Shania Twain song ‘ Feels like A Woman.’

His take on music is somewhere between Crowded House, the Beatles and a lesser known Francis Dunnerry of ‘It Bytes’ (80s band). He likes things rhythmic, true and honest, and he’s interested in where music takes its roots from, but not in imitating any of the contemporary sounds.
Although he did comment how much he liked Oasis latest single. I asked John about his musical influences. I’m a big folk-rock music fan and I was very interested to hear that John is also very keen on ‘rock with folk elements.’
John’s biggest influences are the Beatles. He loves the way there is so much in their songs and the theatre of their lyrics, the stories they tell ‘ The Beatles songs are great – each one tells a unique story. I like songs that tell a story, such as ‘She’s leaving Home.’

How do you write songs? Do you start with the lyrics?
John: ‘ No , there’s no set way. Sometimes the tune comes first and I fit the words to it. I like to say something. I like the lyrics to lead the music, but there’s no way to control it. I like the songs to tell stories.

I mentioned the amazing Scorcese Documentary about Dylan that was on TV recently.
John: ‘But I don’t like to listen because I don’t want to be a copy of someone. I don’t listen to documentaries. Although I am influenced though by others too. I love Francis Dunnerry. He was the lead singer with ‘It Bytes’ in the 80s. They weren’t very good, but their melodies were fantastic. His melodies are fantastic and he sings from the heart, honest songs. He used to be a drug addict but cleaned up his act. He’s rock with folk elements. He writes about how he’s a dick and wishes he wasn’t.’  This is very impressive, after listening to a few tracks of Dunnerry's I am loving his expressive lyrics and melodies.
‘Another song I like is Goldie Lookie Chain – ‘No Doubt’. I also like the Lemonheads. And I’m a Crowded House fan, we sing a lot of their songs.’

‘ I find words, I just write it – I enjoy it. Lyrics are most important, they make a song. I was lying in bed last night and I wrote an unusual riff. I think it will be really good. I try to find words to get people nodding. There’s lots of songs in the making dancing round my head.’
‘We describe our music as folk-rock, we use folk elements.

What can you tell us about Gerry, he’s 22? Does he write?
John: ‘Gerry’s 23, he doesn’t play an instrument, but he has a pile of songs though. He’s a prolific song-writer and he’s written over 300 songs!’

What’s your best musical achievement so far?
‘Recording the first Martian CD. We got a good response to our songs from the first CD. That CD kept us going financially for ages. I got everyone together in the studio and we recorded the first CD in one day.

What about Martian plans/ Gigs?
John: ‘We may do a big gig in January. We do need to do more gigs, get ourselves out there. But it’s hard to get everyone together? The Festival was manic, doing three shows a day, so we just kind of chill out after it.’
 ‘I have to write Musical scripts by December so I’m going to be busy doing that the next few months.’
John has three Musicals entered in the Quest for a new musical. His biggest ambition is to have his favourite musical 'the Sundowe' performed one day. 'Its like a medievil War of the Worlds.'

Looking ahead he says they’d like to have their own Tv series,
‘We’d like to be like the Monkees, but more real, do comedy sketches and perform songs.’
I’m interested in musical theatre – the performance and engaging people on stage. ‘

We are running out of time because John is ALWAYS so busy and has an actor to meet who’s going to work on the TV pilot. But he agrees to a chat in Edinburgh soon, hopefully with brother Gerry and Houston.
I ask him how David’s album is coming along?
John: ‘He has laid down about 10 tracks now. I might go down to write with him soon. But there may be things to get sorted out, so no idea if it will be out by Christmas.’

Not only is he so easy to chat with, he’s intelligent, witty and charming. Plus all rock stars need that cool image – good looks and sex appeal!
But its more than that, it’s his enthusiasm and fun. Just incase he gets too big-headed though , ummm well, I know his heads not in the clouds?? You feel he ‘knows’ something in his eyes that’s compelling and intriguing. I assume its either the excitement of the new Doctor Who series ….……….or that he’s been off time-travelling to places as yet unseen and unheard of. Hopefully he’ll be writing very soon about all his travels.
He kind of glows, perhaps he’ll sprinkle some of his Time-Lord dust our way!

John plans to continue writing with David and doing gigs with him, if his other commitments allow.
I hope to have more on the Martians and the oh-so-funny Gerry and Houston very soon. Not sure how I’ll do that for laughing mind you!! And get some fab black and white photos hopefully this time.
Cheers Pauline

A Big thanks to John for taking the time to chat!