RECORD STORE TALES #908: Practice Practice Practice
Time for another confessional!
After our amazing interview with Paul Laine a little while ago, I finally have the confidence to say that I feel like a good interviewer. I didn’t always feel that way. My very first interview, with Eddie Jackson of Queensryche, was 20 years ago. That was a great interview, but I didn’t think I was a good interviewer yet. I felt like I needed a few more under my belt first. My next interview didn’t go nearly as well, and I stopped pursuing them.
Here’s the truth. I don’t care how stupid this sounds. You go and interview Paul Laine yourself if you think this sounds stupid.
When I was younger…I used to practice interviewing rock stars in my room.
Paul Stanley. Ace Frehley. Bruce Dickinson. I made up questions and I practised asking them. I worked on my cadence and imagined loose, fun interviews. I pictured myself improvising followup questions. I practised!
This continued into my 20s. Listening to albums. Reading interviews. Thinking, “I could do better than this.” Pondering the questions you really wanted to know the answers to.
I’m happy that I’m now well past the point of practising. Only experience can be my guide now. If this shtick comes naturally to me, it’s only because I practised at it for years!
mikeladano.com 
You do an excellent job. Did you ever see The Commitments, that dude pretending to be interviewed while he’s sitting in the tub? I don’t know why that came to mind here, but it did! Lol
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The Commitments! Courtesy of the wonderful late great Alan Parker.
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Yup. Love that film.
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I did see it… and some of my practice interviews were in the tub!
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Perfect!
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This evolved later into shower interviews!
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Parallel to guitar practice. Learn sitting, then graduate to standing. Natural!
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The biggest revelation from this post to me is that you guys spell the words “practicing” and “practiced” differently than us. I had know idea Limey English affected that word, and therefore Syrup-Chugger English as well.
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I would say you day a really great job. Your banter is loose and fun and doesn’t seemed force. And the fact the guest stay as long as they do speaks volumes. Plus, your knowledge of music comes across as well which the guest enjoy as well.
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I think another factor to the success is that you’re a genuine fan. And that allows the artist to properly engage with you.
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I used to think every show I did sucked while I was doing it until I listened to it after. Now, I just don’t care, lol
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