Paul Barker, Guitarist (Lead Into Gold, formerly of Ministry)

gail and paul barker 2003
Gail and Paul in NYC (2003)

As anyone involved in the arts knows, interviews are a drag/necessity. Why should you explain your art? Even if the interviewer thinks they know you, they don’t. So fuck off. Now consider hours of interviews over days, if on a press junket, or over months squeezed into tight schedules, if on tour. How many ways can you say the same thing? Get me a drink. There are a few interviewers I like talking with. Gail Worley is one of them. She knows how to get the interview to transform into interesting conversation — no mean feat considering the nature of interviews is to talk about yourself and whatever it is you’ve done… pretty boring stuff if you’re already working out the next challenge! She knows your history, has a pretty good grip on the effect of your work, and seems to have angles on why you create that even you haven’t thought of — all of which makes talking about your sorry ass easier. One last comment about Gail, who, by the way, has already slayed everyone — SHE IS INTERVIEWING THE ALICE COOPER BAND! They, with Sly and the Family Stone, were the most important American rock bands in the early ’70s!