At The Mike Stand With... Andy Clayburn

By Mike Fitzpatrick

You know, there aren't many words one can say or write about singer/songwriter Andy Clayburn that have not been uttered, mimed, scribbled, or indeed daubed on the side of a haystack with purple paint over the years already.

Well, there've been a few, but they've not been that interesting, so they're not very welcome upon this page, I can tell you.

You see, such is this particular wandering troubadour's affable personality and chilled out, yet darkly mysterious disposition, one would indeed believe that he'd done anything he, or anybody else, had said he had.

A classically-trained guitarist who's been mastering his chosen instrument since he was just seven-years-old, English-born Andy currently resides in New York City, but is known to make regular trips to Europe, particularly Turkey, where he's enjoyed great musical successes over the years.

A well-respected figure in Manhattan's rock and acoustic venues, Andy's current upcoming gigs, tomfoolery and all-round shenanigans can be caught up with at his website (www.andy-clayburn.com). Mr. Clayburn, welcome to 'At The Mike Stand'.

What would you like your own tribute act to be called?
No Strollers Allowed.

When's the last time you laughed out loud?
Royt noy, thinking about 'No Strollers'.

What act would you like to have seen perform live?
Has to be the Beatles, and Mozart.

What team do you support?
Red Lion Ladies.

What period in history would you most like to have visited?
Berlin in the early 30s and New York in the early 70s.

What song would you most like to have written?
Whichever song made the most money ever (not a musical question!)

Who or what, would make you leave a room?
An angry topless woman with a gun.

What decade rules (and why)?
This decade rules, life is great friends and great music, though the 60s must have been a blast.

What cover version do you most enjoy performing?
Depends on who's playing drums..

What movie role would you like to have played?
Dudley Moore's part in '10'.

Have you ever been told you looked like somebody?
Yes, somebody once said I reminded them of that Andy Clayburn guy, and they were serious.

What's the first album you remember buying?
Rod Stewart's 'Atlantic Crossing'.

Who's your favorite Beatle?
All of them.

What's your favorite Christmas song?
Jona Lewie's "Stop The Cavalry".

Who's the most rock and roll person who ever lived?
Andy Breslin and Elvis.

What artist/song/genre do you secretly enjoy listening to?
The Red Lion Ladies singing in the shower sessions.

Who would you most like to meet/have met?
John Lennon and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

What book can you read again and again?
'Shantaram'.

What's the greatest album ever recorded?
Rubber Soul.

What artists would you most like to have played with in the band of your dreams (supergroup)?
Phil Cimino (drums), Cary Scope (Guitar & Vox), Joey DeGraw (Guitar & Vox), Benny Landa (Guitar), John Pahmer (Bass, Keyboards, Vox), John Loyd (Keys & Vox) and James Walsh (Bagpipes).

What do few people know about you?
I make the best beef jerky you have ever tasted.

What sitcom character can you most identify with?
Bill in "The Flower Pot Men".

What movie can you watch over and over again?
"First Blood".

Who's your favorite cartoon character?
Statler & Waldorf from the Muppet Show.

What's the greatest place you've visited?
Kekova, the Sunken City in Turkey, Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and the shop in Chinatown, NY, that sells a whole Peking duck for $11.

What's mankind's most wonderful invention?
The guitar.

What's mankind's most irritating invention?
Cell phones that are designed to fall in the toilet.

Who's the funniest person who ever lived?
Les Dawson, no question.

Who's your favorite namesake?
Andy Breslin.