Ricky Warwick wants you to know he still gives a damn about the mystery of rock ‘n’ roll — even if your phone is snitching on everyone’s breakfast. “Our rock and rollers are so accessible,” he sighs. “You know what they had for breakfast that morning and even see a picture of it. To me, that’s kind of ruining it.”
The Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders frontman might be carrying a legacy bigger than his guitar case, but he’s not about to let nostalgia chain him up. His solo record When Life Was Hard and Fast is a love letter to growing up in Belfast with both eyes trained forward — and apparently with Joe Elliott’s number on speed dial. “You finish the song, then you go, ‘Oh man, it’d be great if I could get Joe to sing on that,’” he says, describing his rolodex of Def Leppard and Guns N’ Roses pals like he’s calling an Uber.
His daughter is on the album too, because rock ‘n’ roll is still a family affair if you do it right. He’ll even admit the Britney Spears cover on his bonus disc — that’s right, oops he did it again — is for her. “People don’t expect this tattooed Irish rock and roller to be playing a Britney Spears song,” he smirks. But if you strip it down and it still works? “A good song is a good song.”
He’s not precious about the process — songs brew for years while he’s off with Black Star Riders or Thin Lizzy or scribbling lyrics for therapy. “It’s the best form of therapy for me out there,” he says. “I try and write every day.” He’s still carrying Phil Lynott’s torch, with reverence and swagger in equal measure: “It’s trying to give that the respect and honor and humility it deserves every time I get the chance.”
So if you want some rock ‘n’ roll mystery back, maybe stop tweeting your lunch and pick up When Life Was Hard and Fast. You might just find Ricky Warwick in your stairwell playing “Hit Me Baby One More Time” — and if that doesn’t make you believe in the power of a good song, nothing will.
Listen to the full interview above and then check out the video below.
