Green Acres: An Interview with Marty Wilson-Piper

Best known for his long stint as guitarist in Australian Psychedelic rock band, the Church, Marty Willson-Piper is a true veteran of the music industry.

Throughout his long career Marty has played with a huge array of bands, he’s had the chance to work with some true music legends.

Sitting on a friend's couch in Sweden, and over a patchy Skype connection he tells Hot Press about the most exciting collaborations of his career.
‘When I was playing with All About Eve, Dave Gilmore came into the studio. Julianne Regan (All About Eve’s lead singer) actually asked him to produce the album. He said, “No, but I’ll come in and play a solo”, so he came into the studio.’

Marty recalls the excitement of working with the Pink Floyd guitarist.
‘Having Dave Gilmore come in and arrive to work on a project with you is a pretty amazing moment. You know, HE walks through the door’, he says, laughing.

In the studio Gilmore certainly lived up to his legend.
‘The greatest thing about it was, of course, that he came in, played a solo, and it was so distinctly him.
If you think of all those guitarists in the world and you hear somebody like him, the way he touches the guitar, he plays one note and and you can hear that it’s him. Out of all the guitarists in the world.
All he has to do is,’ Marty raises his hands to imitate playing a guitar, ‘“DeeOOOooo“ and it’s him.’

‘Although he did come into the studio and play the solo on one song. After he left I went in played the solo again and they used mine…’ he finishes, with a cheeky smile.

Marty’s reputation as a virtuoso musician had dozens of bands clamouring for his services. This often takes him out of his comfort zone and puts him in bands with wildly different styles from his own, such as Australian punk icons, The Saints.
‘That was an interesting challenge, being in The Saints. I mean, I’ve been in a gothic band, I’ve been in a psychedelic band, now I was playing in a punk band.’

The Australian punks left an impression on the English guitarist
‘Bailey's voice... playing guitar behind Bailey was amazing because he’s such a unique and amazing singer and playing guitar behind that voice was really special.’
The Saints lived up to their rock n’ roll renown and this proved to be a bone of contention that led to Marty leaving.
‘I think that ultimately it was too much of a drinking band for mad and I don't think that i could’ve stayed in The Saints because I’m not a drinker, I think it was pretty much as simple as that.’

Marty is currently performing guitar duties in Swedish progressive act Anekdoten, but he also makes time to tour the world with his solo act.
‘I have this project called Acres of space, and Acres of space is basically, me playing with different musicians, in different cities, in different countries all around the world.’
The band’s line up can change drastically depending on where the gig is, meaning no two shows are the same.
‘My band has floating members depending on which part of the world that I’m in. I was touring in America and I sort of actually ended up with a basic core group with some members changing as the gigs went on we went to different places. When I come to Ireland… I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do yet it depends who shows up!’

This state of flux means that Marty often has little time to rehearse with the transient members of his band, many musicians would see this as disastrous, but Marty sees it as a merit.
'What’s more exciting? Watching a clinically executed band, or a band that’s on the edge of their seat?'

Acres of Space will be playing upstairs in Wheelman's July 27, Tickets are €15.