What's Andy up to?

True2Life · **Joined:** Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:18 pm **Posts:** 300

All very quiet these days on the Andy front. The Metaphors seems to have come to little (Julia Thornton is working as part of Solus 3) which is a shame as I enjoyed their mini-album.

Anyone know what the great Mr Mackay is up to currently? I wonder how much imput he is having into the upcoming Roxy reissues or whether Bryan is essentially in charge of it all?

His role on the 2011 Roxy tour seemed diminished to me by having Jorga along as a type of work experience, teaching her the ropes so that she could take over playing a lot of the same material on the "Olympia" tour.

le freak · **Joined:** Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:12 pm **Posts:** 847

DCJ says in the "Do people care anymore?"-thread that he is an artist in retirement. Sad indeed.

Ian S · **Joined:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:05 pm **Posts:** 465

Have a look at this video by Godley & Creme.Is that our hero on sax ? I saw the Explorers live at The Camden Palace in 1985 and Kevin Godley was in the crowd. Phil M did a Charity bash in 1988 at Mitchell & O'Briens in Soho and Godley was there again,so obviously a good mate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMvGRcduMJM

Avondale · **Joined:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:46 pm **Posts:** 309

I might have this wrong but didn't they make sweet music together on and off during the late '70s? If so (and despite lots of examples to the contrary), that suggests that they may well hit it off at a personal level. In fact, wasn't Andy working closely with them when Bryan put in the call about reforming RM to make Manifesto?

Smudge · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:26 am **Posts:** 1125

Have a look at this video by Godley & Creme.Is that our hero on sax ? I saw the Explorers live at The Camden Palace in 1985

Yep, that's definitely AM; to paraphrase Peter Gabriel, "you can tell him by the way he walks"!

You got to see The Explorers in a decent size venue (the Camden Palace subsequently hosted Roxy, of course, in its current guise of Koko); I got persuaded by a mate who lived near Southend to lug out to the Pink Toothbrush (no, really...) in Rayleigh, which remains to this day the most obscure venue I've visited!

RoxySiren · **Joined:** Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:18 am **Posts:** 680

I do hope we will see more of Andy play and more Metaphor material. It was one of the best hings I've seen for a long time....Andy and the Metaphors at Pigalle. There's a style to that stuff which is sublime.

Ian S · **Joined:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:05 pm **Posts:** 465

Andy's sick of all of it and has retired gracefully.The recording and touring costs outweigh the income generated from any solo projects..

Mr. Rifff · **Joined:** Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:39 pm **Posts:** 106

It's very sad to hear/read this about Andy. AM was/is my all time hero, he was the coolest looking guy ever to be in a band and also had the best hair ever.

Time has caught up with the guy and he is now too old to play live or whatever. I think that was the reason Jorja played on the Roxy dates last year.

I remember talking to a couple of people, prior to one of the gigs on the 2001 re-union tour, and they told me a source close to the band had said that Andy's playing during rehearsals for the tour had been so bad that they didn't think he was going to make it....I didn't want to believe it but it was probably true.

Ian S · **Joined:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:05 pm **Posts:** 465

He was/is a really big drinker too. At some shows he used to have a seat waiting for him in the wings. Unless he had a back problem!

Smudge · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:26 am **Posts:** 1125

Ian,

Were your comments about Andy's "retirement" based on fact (or inside info) or supposition? It would be a great shame if The Metaphors didn't appear live again...

As for his perceived refuelling habits, I think they'd have been better left unposted, even if they were/are true (otherwise you might be facing a libel action!).

I suspect that Andy guards his privacy very carefully (e.g. lives quietly out of the spotlight & doesn't court publicity) and idle gossip might make it ever less likely that he'll reward us with some more live shows.

Don't want to sound like a prude; I'd be happy for him to drink like a fish if it made him happy and led him back to the stage, where his playing sounded just fine to me at the 2010-11 gigs...

What's Andy up to?

Who is online