Wilko Johnson

WILKO JOHNSON ilko Johnson should have the blues. But he Leave your handkerchiefs at home, folks!” hasn’t. Following the announcement that he is As strange as it sounds, there are visible signs suffering from terminal cancer of the pancreas, the that his terminal illness has given him a renewed guitarist has given a series of interviews declaring his (albeit temporary) appetite for life. Last time we visited “euphoria” as he faces his last months, with one him, the curtains were drawn, the living room was broadsheet writer declaring: “Britain is realising it has shrouded in semi-darkness and cluttered with another national treasure.” possessions. This time, light pours in from a patio Johnson’s prognosis is a particularly cruel twist, as window through which we can see the garden; the 2012 had been one of his busiest years yet, with the room has been painted and cleared of all but a few publication of his autobiography Looking Back At Me, books, paintings and the Wilko Telecaster (of which a character role in TV’s Game Of Thrones and, of course, more later). It’s clear that he is viewing his continuous gigging. Demand for Wilko is at an all- surroundings through fresh eyes because of the time high, fuelled in no small part by Oil City cancer, which he’s named ‘This Thing’ as he prods Confidential, Julien Temple’s celluloid love-letter to his left side. Wilko’s old band Dr Feelgood. “I suppose we all imagine, what would it be like It was towards the end of an extensive UK tour if I was told I’ve got cancer and I’ve got just a short WILKO last November, just before he was about to play the while to live? And of all the things I’d have thought, Canvey homecoming date, that Wilko fell ill and this is nothing like it. When the guy told me, I walked JOHNSON was taken to hospital for tests. Then, at the out of the hospital feeling elated. Man, it makes you beginning of this year, the Southend Echo reported feel very much alive. proves even that the guitarist had cancer and was refusing “I’ve always been a depressive person, chemotherapy, a story confirmed swiftly always miserable and moping about terminal cancer after by pub-rock chronicler Will Birch and something. A couple of nights after the can’t keep Johnson’s manager. diagnosis I was sitting up in my room and Together with bassist Norman Watt-Roy I thought ‘my room’s really good, I’ve got all a good man and drummer Dylan Howe, Wilko is gearing my books and stuff in there and it’s really nice up for what will be five farewell gigs – in West up there’. Normally I’d be thinking my room’s down. Yorkshire, the Midlands, Glasgow and two in really nice, but I’m pissed off about whatever London (although, curiously, none in his Canvey it may be. Now, none of that matters. Past, Island hometown). present, future.” He stretches his arms wide to The Thames Estuary, which Wilko called one make the point. “It doesn’t matter what’s gonna of the most beautiful sights in the world in happen. Nothing’s gonna happen. It doesn’t a recent interview on Later... with Jools Holland, matter what’s gone down, because you can’t is simply breathtaking on the January day we change that. And I felt so happy.” arrive, the tiny boats frozen in their moorings, He says he’s never been happier since doctors sails drooping like sleepy moths. told him he has only nine or 10 months to live. A pale hand beckons us forward through How can that be possible? But he assures us it’s the open door as we walk up to Wilko’s true. “I’m not a naturally happy person, and terraced house. “Come in!” he booms, I have been experiencing happiness. When this imitating Lurch from The Addams Family. He’s euphoria started I’m thinking, oh man, this is dressed in black, as usual, but there’s nothing probably just a result of this shock and then I’m morbid about his demeanour. He is jocular gonna come down. The down side of this will but matter-of-fact about his fate. be terrible.” Tickets for his final date, at Koko in London, sold Of course, there are the realities to be dealt with out in five minutes, he says. “Which has naturally led such as making a will. “That felt a bit freaky. I’m to speculation: why didn’t we think of this years ago?” sitting there with Bob [Hoy, his manager] telling me he says, rubbing his hands in mock glee. we’ve gotta set up an estate to receive my record His attitude is that he’s in showbusiness, and the royalties. I wanna split everything – the house and show must go on. So what can fans expect from the what money I’ve got – between my two sons, but it’s farewell gigs? “There won’t be any experiments, I can I’ve been not quite that simple.” assure you of that,” he laughs. “I’ve always just done And his guitars? He jokes: “Some of them are very the one thing and that’s what I do.” in tears valuable and I think my sons will be flogging them, if That “one thing” – violently choppy rhythm guitar, they’ve got any sense, as soon as they can.” finger-picked while fixing the crowd with a wild-eyed at rock He still treasures his first Telecaster, bought for him stare and darting around the stage as if his trousers are by his beloved Irene before they were married. That, on fire – has earnt him a place in our hearts far larger shows – he says, will be going to his brother Malcolm: “He was and more enduring than his six-year mid-70s tenure in there at the time and that’ll be his.” Dr Feelgood might have you expect. tears of His own musical legacy is a different matter and he Distraught fans have posted hundreds of messages doesn’t expect any pats on the back. “People say Dr of condolence and support on his Facebook page. happiness, Feelgood had a lot to do with starting the whole punk Wilko is touched by it all but, to paraphrase Blind movement; we had an influence on rock’n’roll if you Willie Johnson and Bob Dylan, it’s his time of dying when you like. That’s all quite nice to know, but I wouldn’t say and he don’t want nobody to mourn. I take pride in it. I feel lucky that I’ve been able to “I certainly won’t be going for that when we do just feel spend my time doing this. There probably are other these gigs. That just don’t fit with it, that’s not what it’s ways of life just as good, but I can’t think of one. I feel all about. I’ve been in tears at rock shows, but they so good. lucky and I feel privileged. I’m not really proud of were tears of happiness, when you just feel so good anything. You feel proud if you do a good show.” towards the people that are playing, that’s a wonderful He has certainly been responsible for selling a lorry- feeling. But beyond those kind of tears – no, no. load of Telecasters to guitar fans (including The Words: Claudia Elliott Pictures: Will Ireland classicrockmagazine.com 6367 GETTY WILKO JOHNSON New kid on the block: with Ian Dury And The Blockheads, 1981. Faster than a speeding bullet: Wilko takes aim onstage, 2012. Above: Japanese fans pay tribute to Wilko. Blues’ own editor Ed Mitchell, who bought one right himself to not knowing how things will turn out for feeling of helplessness. You’d do anything – you’d a nothingness of these creatures crawling along on it. after seeing Wilko at a festival). Simon’s band. “Whether they become mega or not is chop your arm off to save them but you can’t do it. But Surely you cannot believe that it was all created by an “This thing here [pointing to the guitar propped up not for me to know, is it?” now, seeing it from here, I’m seeing my friends go old Jewish man with a white beard? Now come along! against the fireplace] is the official Wilko Johnson Wilko wants to record one last album, which will through all that trouble, which I’m not feeling at all; “Y’know, we come outta nowhere, we get for Telecaster, which they still haven’t released but finally, take place in a little studio close to where he lives, with I’m feeling this elation. a moment this marvellous consciousness, this at the end of my life, they’ve got one out. I sold a hell local musicians, “harmonica players, piano players... “At this gig in Kyoto, this young guy came up to brain, which shows all this, it’s not adequate to of a lot of those guitars, either directly or indirectly I’ll need to hunt them down! shake hands with me and say I was his guitar hero. The comprehend it at all. It’s just enough to say wow, through people like Joe Strummer who used one “I wanna do it quickly and directly, the way I’ve poor guy just broke down in front of me and he was and then out go the lights.

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