Paul Gilbert Interview - The Shredmeister General

Paul Gilbert is synonymous with not only extreme technique, but also an irrepressible humour that crosses all musical boundaries; consequently he tends to be the shredder non shred fans love as well!

For this exclusive new Paul Gilbert Interview Mike Blackburn met up with Paul at a recent G3 show in Toronto.

A Little History

Paul first picked up the guitar at about age 5 in 1971, but it was not until the age of 10 or 11 that he started to take it seriously. (Some may say he still does not take it or himself too seriously and thank God for that)!! Growing up Paul listened to a massive variety of music, from The Beatles to Todd Rungren, 50s and 60s pop through to Rush and Black Sabbath. Personally, he was greatly influenced by his uncle Jimmy Kidd, a blues- rock player who introduced the budding guitarist young Paul to the joys of the blues and the old masters.

Paul worked on his playing to a massive degree, and after graduating high school headed west to LA to attend GIT. Clearly one of the most outstanding students they ever had, he also gained notoriety in LA by terrorizing the local hot guitar slinger and winning the ‘LA Guitar Wars’ competition many years below drinking age! In 1987 Paul graduated GIT and became their youngest teacher. During his time as a student, Paul formed the technical metal band Racer X. They strived to be the fastest and loudest band around. They succeeded! Unfortunately for Paul, his ears are still ringing from that aural onslaught today.

Paul later quit to join a new band project featuring the awesome bass talent of Billy Sheehan. That project was called Mr. Big and featured Gilbert, Sheehan, Pat Torpey on drums and Eric Martin on vocals. The debut was pretty successful and the band played live all over the world, i.e. as an opener for Rush. Then, in 1991 their sophomore album "Lean Into It" became a genuine worldwide success and featured the mega hit ‘To Be With You’, which was No.1 in several countries.

With Mr. Big, Paul showed that he also was a great "band-guitarist", cutting back on the speed a bit, playing some quite melodic and tasteful leads. At this stage in Paul’s career, to see him really tear it up you had to see the band live.

In the mid 1990’s Paul quit to pursue a solo-career, and in 1998 released his first ‘real’ solo album "King of Clubs": this was an album filled with really cool pop- and rock-tunes, and chock full of great melodies. Paul continues to this day to produce astonishing solo work and has released several albums with the reformed Racer X. Recently he released his first purely instrumental work ‘Get Out Of My Yard’, and on the back of this garnered a slot in the much vaunted G3 lineup. Thus we find yours truly and the man himself talking life and guitars in his most spacious dressing room on the latest G3 tour.