“I never got to see Lizzy live until I was in them!” laughs Ricky Warwick, with an ‘I-can’t-believe-it’ chuckle.
The Belfast singer is currently on a U-Bahn train speeding through Berlin on the European leg of Thin Lizzy’s sell-out reunion tour. It’s been a little over a year since Ricky got the call from Scott Gorham asking him to sing in the latest incarnation of the band. What a whirlwind it’s been. Packed shows, glowing reviews – and the calls from bookers have been coming thick and fast.
“The offers have been flooding in since the tour started,” says Ricky. “I think everyone is seeing how well it’s going. We’re getting a lot of calls from festivals now. I think we all thought it would be good. However, we’re blown away with how well it has gone.”
The new band boasts Lizzy veterans Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton with Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell on guitar and Whitesnake’s Marco Mendoza on bass. A stellar cast indeed. As a life-long fan of the band Ricky is still pinching himself?
“I stand up there every night and look to my left and Scott Gorham is on guitar and turn around and Brian Downey is on drums. And there’s a big Thin Lizzy logo all lit up. I’m just thinking, ‘Oh My God this is absolutely amazing! I get to sing these fantastic songs every night with this great band’.”
So how did Ricky land his dream job?
“I’ve known Scott for a long time. We first met back in 1991 when I was in The Almighty,” he explains. “We became friends. Scott played on my first solo album. We got to know each other pretty well. When he was getting the band back together he was talking to Joe (Elliot) about getting a vocalist and Joe suggested me. Scott thought it was a great idea and it was that simple.”
Ricky is adamant he’s not trying to fill Lynott’s shoes but rather wants to do the best possible job in his own right.
“I initially thought, ‘Oh my God, what am I taking on here?’ After I talked to Scott I calmed down,” says Ricky. “He explained that he wasn’t asking me to replace Phil but to perform the songs with the passion and feeling that he had.”
Ricky has been a Lynott devotee since his older sisters bought the Fighting album into the Warwick home. An obsession was born.
“I think he had it all,” enthuses Ricky. “He looked great. He was a fantastic bass-player and musician. He also had the arrogance you need to be a great frontman. He was a great lyricist and an amazing singer. I always think Phil was hugely underrated. When you go to sing the songs it really brings that home because they’re so beautifully written and the melodies are unbelievable. He was such a poet, an absolute genius when it came to poetry.”
The setlists on the tour so far comprise the usual greatest hits gems – but also include some lesser-played numbers such as ‘Wild One’ and ‘Angel Of Death’. Ricky wavers when quizzed on his favourite to sing.
“It changes all the time!” he exclaims. “I love singing ‘Don’t Believe A Word’ and ‘Emerald’. Then, I also love ‘Do Anything You Want To’. I adore that song and the lyrics always meant a lot to me.”
And how is the chemistry in the band?
“In fairness to Scott, Brian and Darren, myself, Vivian and Marco have never felt like the three outsiders. We’re very much made to feel that you’re in the band, you’re part of the Thin Lizzy family now. Which is lovely.”
Given the rock royalty in the current line-up, I imagine there’s been some suitably legendary partying on the road!
“No, not really! A few glasses of wine after the show maybe,” laughs Ricky, “None of us are spring chickens anymore! We’re also doing a few hours a night and it’s a full-on show so we always want to do our best.
“I joke on stage that I thought I had some cool rock ‘n’ roll stories,” he adds. “Then you sit down with Scott and he starts telling you his and it’s like, ‘Alright, OK!, I give up’’ Mine pale into insignificance!”