How long will it be to tear down the wall? Many of you Pink Floyd fans out there would know exactly what I’m talking about. Being a Pink Floyd fan for years, I decided to check out another one of those Pink Floyd tribute acts called Echoes of Pompeii, a band from Indiana. Now if you’ve read my past reviews, you would notice I reviewed another Pink Floyd tribute act called The Pink Floyd Experience. I called them one of the best I’ve seen next to The Australian Pink Floyd Show. But to be honest with you, Echoes of Pompeii blew all these groups out of the water. Not just because they sounded just like the group, but they had a spectacular light show along with it. That’s what I think sets this group apart from the rest of them.

The show took place at the beautiful Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. The theatre, run by owner Ron Onesti, seemed like it used to be an old movie theatre, but when concerts are performed there, it looks totally different. EOP stated the set with a brooding cover of “Welcome to the Machine.” Led by lead singer Jason Andrews, with twin brother Jeremy Andrews on bass guitar and vocals, together they sounded great in harmony. Along with keyboardist/backup vocalist Rob Martinez and lead guitarist/vocalist Andy Hescher, these guys had it down pat. They next went into the whole “Dark side of the Moon”, but scattered the songs through the night. With the help of 3 nice female backup singers, Betsy, Melissa, and Nanette, the harmonies sounded a lot fuller. Especially, with Nanette, one of the backup singers, singing “Great Gig in the Sky,” she belted at the top of her lungs. The guys then played one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, “Dogs” from the Animals album, then right into “Hey You.” All the chosen songs were played to perfection.

Along with the great songs, the guys put on an incredible light show complete with lasers. One thing that was a drawback, though, was that the guys stopped after each song, like they were a bar band just playing for fun. But that’s the thing I found out about these guys, is that they play for fun. They play as a Pink Floyd cover band on the side. Regularly, they play as a bar band. Now, I think that’s pretty cool, because it only makes you more versatile.

EOP were even playing some deep tracks by Floyd that many tribute bands choose not to do, including, “Vera,” “Bring the Boys Back Home,” and “One Slip.” The one player in the band who was the highlight of the night was Bob Frankich on saxophone. He played that saxophone like no one I've ever seen. Even adding sax into songs that didn't even have sax in it.

Mostly, it was a very enjoyable concert. Kudos to this group. Though, I have to leave one criticism, and that's to let the music flow into each other. Just an opinion. But overall, nice job guys!

It was a night of the showmen at Ravinia Thursday night with the headliner being the legendary Robert Plant, and opening for him, a Chicago-based group called JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Brooks and the Uptown Sound are a funk and R&B group, whose music sounds like the early days. Brooks channels Otis Redding with his vocals and moves onstage. The band had a hit single with a cover of the Wilco song “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” The band was able to warm up the crowd so easily, getting them ready for the main act of the night. But the thing that's really enjoyable is watching them have fun while they were performing.

Robert Plant is considered one of the golden voices of rock, being the lead vocalist for Led Zeppelin.. After many years in the business, the man still has it. Thursday night Robert Plant headlined at Ravinia in Highland Park. Together with his Band of Joy, which consists of singer Patti Griffin, singer-guitarist Buddy Miller, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Darrell Scott, bassist-vocalist Byron House, and drummer-percussionist-vocalist Marco Giovino. Together they sounded great. I was kind of hesitant going into the concert, wondering what Plant was going to be singing. He played a lot of his solo stuff, which to be honest can be kind of boring. It's more roots rock. But as soon as Plant started singing early Led Zeppelin songs, the crowd went crazy!

He started with “Gallow's Pole,” followed by a very unique version of “Black Dog,” harmonizing with Griffin. Then he went into “What is and What Should Never Be.” Plant loved to have fun with the audience throughout the night, making little comments here and there. Other Zeppelin songs that were played include “Rock and Roll” and “Ramble On.” He also played music from his first solo album, Band of Joy, and Mighty ReArranger. Even though the solo stuff was a little slow for me, the man still has the looks, the moves and the voice especially for being in his 60s. By far, one of the coolest experiences to see Robert Plant singing Led Zeppelin. Overall, the concert was alright, but the Zeppelin songs were well worth the wait!

As The thunderstorm rolls through to Lord Rancour’s mansion, all the guests disappear unexpectedly one by one. But did the butler do it? “Something’s Afoot,” a campy, delightful musical comedy, running at Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, tells the story of 10 dinner guests, who disappear one by one. But no one knows who murdered who!

Brilliantly directed by director Wayne Mell, he allows the characters to let loose and have fun with it. Talking with Mell, he told me, “This is the first show we’re doing in a new space. We used to be in a basement of a church. But with a show like this, we needed a much bigger space.”  Tightly choreographed by Marianne Brown and wonderful music direction by Nick Sula, the show was fun to watch.

Set in 1935, the show reminded me a lot of “Clue” meets “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” The cast blended tightly on such ensemble numbers as “Something’s Afoot,” “Suspicious,” and “Carry On.” Every actor was cast perfectly in their role including Debra Criche Mell (Miss Tweed), Dennis Murphy (Clive), and Kaitlyn Andrulis (Lettie).

The comedy relief came from Mario Mazetti, who played Lord Rancour’s nephew Nigel, and from the clumsy handyman Flint, played by Edward Kuffert. Sarah Breidenbach sounded beautiful as the naïve, but sweet Hope Langdon. Her song “You Fell Out of the Sky” was fantastic. Along with her lover Geoffrey (Christopher Davis), the two highlighted the show with their duets together.

Other great highlights of the show were Flint and Lettie’s hilarious duet “(Tiny Little) Dingy.” Other notable performances were from Ellen Phelps as Lady Grace Manley-Prowe, and Andrew J. Pond as the hysterical Col. Gillweather.

Walking into this theatre, I didn’t know what I was going to expect, but as I looked at the gorgeous set that made you feel like you were in a mansion, and the amazing special effects brought the house to life. I definitely recommend this show for anyone that loves British humor, and loves a great comedic farce. This truly lives up to that.

‘Something’s Afoot’

Citadel Theatre Company, West campus of Lake Forest High School, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays with one Wednesday matinee at 1 p.m. May 18, through June 5

$35/$32 for students and seniors.

(847) 735-8554 or visit www.citadeltheatre.org.

Filled with anger, love, confusion, despair, and what makes you happy, Spring Awakening goes through all that. With music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, this rock musical is an adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind. The play deals with teenagers in Germany discovering their sexuality. The original play was banned in Germany due to its portrayal of abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide.

First of all, one thing that bothered me going into the theatre with this show is it’s not as intimate as it is on Broadway. Spring Awakening was meant for a small theatre to add the intimacy for the audience to appreciate with this show, and the Cadillac Palace didn’t really do it. One thing I did like was that the audience can sit on both sides of the stage during the show. I thought that’s really cool, since you can see everything up close, and feel like you’re in the show. The set design was really cool and the lighting as well. The band, though, really rocked it under the music direction of Casey RT Graham.

The story is about teenagers discovering their sexuality. The character of Melchior, played by Christopher Wood, I felt was very weak. I didn’t feel he had the energy and the passion that Melchior should have. Coby Getzug, who played Moritz was phenomenal. He was actually my favorite person in the show. Moritz is confused about his feelings and doesn’t understand them, so he goes crazy, and tries to kill himself. Elizabeth Good was a great Wendla, as was Courtney Markowitz who was a nice Ilse. Other notable performances were from Devon Stone (who played Hanschen) and Daniel Plimpton (Ernst).

There were a couple things that I liked about this show having never seen it or read the story. I liked the characters, especially the relationship between Melchior and Moritz, and Melchior and Wendla. There were a couple scenes, though, that were rough to watch, like Wendla asking Melchior to beat her, both of them simulating sex on stage, and Hanschen’s onstage masturbation scene. By the events going on in this show, this is not one to bring your children to. I would recommend 17 years and up, because of the subject matter, it can be a little rough.

The love story of Melchior and Wendla is a bit odd, along with the character relationships with the adults, and the mixed emotions between the male students and the immature adolescent behavior. Though when Wendla asks her mother how babies are made, the mother hesitates and can’t tell her. Well that’s stupid to do, knowing she could get pregnant and have an abortion. The parents should have been more aware of their children’s activities and behaviors.

Spring Awakening is a great show overall. The music and lyrics are fantastic. If you think you can take the material, definitely see it. If not, then this is not the show for you. If this show was in another theatre, I think it would be a lot for enjoyable. But for what it was, it was a good show.

If it’s one thing to appreciate in this world, it would be Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim has written some of the best scores in musical theatre. From his countless melodies to the beautiful lyrics, A Little Night Music has grown to be one of my favorites of his that he’s written. Based on Ingmar Bergman’s film “Smiles of a Summer Night,” the story is about love, liaisons, and where your true passion lies.

Having this been my first show I’ve seen with Circle Theatre and in their new performing space, the show was such a great experience. Bob knuth’s direction was fantastic, making the show’s mood mellow at points, but hard on the edges where they should be. Kevin Bellie’s marvelous choreography shines through the performers. Mostly, with all the waltzing that’s done in this show, I can only imagine how dizzy it might get. The beautiful white set was designed by Bob Knuth as well. Wow, I can only imagine how crazy it must be to design the set AND direct the show. Either way, the direction was very well-on for this production.  The lights flowed softly onto the set. The orchestra, musically directed by Josh Walker, sounded beautiful. They really sounded perfect with the actors. Especially since the music in this show is very tricky, because all the music in this show is in waltz time.

It starts with Fredrik (played by Kirk Swenk), an older gentleman, who marries Ann (played by Stephanie Stockstill), who’s a lot younger than him. Meanwhile we have Henrik (played very strong and powerful by Patrick Tierney), who is their son, and who’s in love with Ann. We have the maid, played brilliantly by Khaki Pixley (who sang a great version of “The Miller’s Son”). Then, of course, there’s Desiree and Madame Armfeldt (played by Anita Hoffman and Patti Roeder; both played flawlessly), the actress, who Fredrik is infatuated with, and her mother.

Now when I saw the show, Kevin Bellie came out before the show and made an announcement saying one of the performers was sick, and if anyone had a problem with the performance, they can get a full refund. I appreciate a theatre that would do that, especially since in some performances, there are no understudies, like this one. Well, the actress who was sick was Desiree. Now her acting was wonderful, but when she sang, you can tell something was up. But that didn’t bother me at all. Her rendition of “Send in the Clowns” had me in tears. Another great number was “Weekend in the Country.”

Other great notable performances came from Jeremy Rill (playing a fantastic powering Carl-Magnus) and Deanna Boyd (playing a funny, yet, strong-minded Charlotte). Rounding out the great performances were the Lieberslieder Singers (Kristine Burdi, Elizabeth Hope Morgan, Anna Hickey, Matt Edmonds, and Jonathan Landvick), who narrated the story. Each singer represents a character in the show, and they do a wonderful job painting the story for you.

Overall, A Little Night Music is a brilliant piece of theatre, and Circle Theatre does a great job of interpreting it! Although, the show can be long, it’s well worth it. Props to Bob Knuth, Kevin Bellie, Josh Walker and the cast and crew for putting on a beautiful production!

Location:   1010 Madison Street in Oak Park

Runs:   April 29-June 5, 2011 Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets:   All seats $22; Sat/Sun: $26 for adults, $24 for students/seniors;

Group rates are available.

For more information or to order tickets visit www.circle-theatre.org or call 708-660-9540.

If you love classic dance musicals from the 30s, then you will love Marriott's new production of 42^nd Street! The cast was wonderful. Now, I personally, have never been a fan of this show until now. After seeing this show, I loved it! The show is directed by Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell, with beautiful costumes by Nancy Missimi, unbelievable choreography by Tammy Mader, and Doug Peck's fantastic musical direction.

The show, about a tap-heavy cast getting ready to open their show, “Pretty Lady,” directed by the moody but brilliant director Julian Marsh (played fiercely by Tom Galantich), who starts to see new beginnings for his show when Peggy Sawyer (Kaitlyn Davidson, who amazed us with her dancing and beautiful matching voice), the small town girl from Allentown, Pa., steps into the lead role, when diva Dorothy Brock (the funny Catherine Lord) falls and breaks her ankle. The investor along with their star diva leaves, now it's up to Peggy to live up to the star in her performance.

The show breathes with magic in the feet of its actors. The tap dance segments were so wonderful to watch. For one thing, the choreography is truly the highlight of this show. I highly recommend this show to anyone that wants to have a fun time at the theatre. This show is for you.

For being a theater-in-the-round, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire puts on astounding productions every season. For choosing 42^nd Street, I think they made the right choice. Everything was perfectly put in place. The comedy, the fun, the dancing, the lights, and the smiles onstage. For those of you who have never seen the show or heard it, then you maybe may have heard some the songs that are in the show, including “We're in the Money,” “42^nd Street,” and the classic “Lullabye of Broadway.”

Overall, it was a great entertaining evening of theater. Definitely go see this show. Who knows? You might be humming the music as you walk out the door. Marriot is a great theater to see shows, so if you get the chance try to see one there if you have or haven't. You won't be disappointed.

42^nd Street is playing through May 29 at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre; 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes. Tickets cost $41-49 at 847-634-0200 or visit them online at www.marriotttheatre.com.

The Music Theatre Company in Highland Park presents “Merrily We Roll Along,” a marvelous musical with a great book by George Furth and beautiful music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim himself.  A rarely produced musical, The Music Theatre Company is thrilled to be presenting its first five-week run with this widely-loved work. It is based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The show is about 3 friends who stick together through their lives. The story moves backwards from present day, to when they all first met.

The story begins in 1976 and ends in 1957. I love the way how the ensemble narrates the show as the characters go from old to young within a span of 2 hours. The transitions were marvelously blocked by the fantastic director/choreographer of this show, Jessica Reddish, who is the founding Artistic Director.  The set and the music were great. I highly recommend this show to everyone! I’m a huge fan of Stephen Sondheim’s work, and have never seen or heard this show. I only knew some of the familiar songs from this show, “Not a Day Goes By,” “Good Thing Going,” “Old Friends,” and “Our Time.”  But this story is truly a great story to tell, with great actors to help portray it.

The wonderful cast includes Jessie Mueller, who was hilarious as Mary Flynn, Jarrod Zimmerman as songwriter Franklin Shepard,  and Alan Shmuckler, who is a real character play Frank’s writing partner and friend Charlie Kringas. Dara Cameron plays Frank’s wife Beth, who sings a beautiful rendition of “Not a Day Goes By.” Other notable cast members in the show include Stephanie Herman as Frank’s wife Gussie, and her ex-husband Joe, played by Jerry Galante. The ensemble really helps guide this show. Props to this wonderful ensemble!

Merrily We Roll Along will be running March 31-May 1, 2011 at The Music Theatre Company at the Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road in Highland Park.

Shows are Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Additional matinees will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 and Saturday, April 30. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling 847.570.4900 or visiting  www.themusictheatrecompany.org. Groups of ten or more can purchase tickets by calling 847.579.4950 x 2.

DINNER-THEATRE PACKAGE

The Music Theatre Company’s patrons will receive a 15% discount off their bill at Café Central, a casual and cozy French bistro at 455 Central Ave. in Highland Park. Please call (847) 266-7878 for reservations. Bring in your email ticket confirmation before or after the show to receive the discount.  Discount applies for dining the day of ticket only.

For additional participating restaurants go to www.themusictheatrecompany.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, April 23 at 2pm, The Music Theatre Company will present a reading of the play, Merrily We Roll Along, by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart on which the musical is based. Actors in the musical will play their corresponding role(s) in the play. The reading will be directed by Michael Weber and is free to the public. Audiences are encouraged to attend and stay for a post-show discussion, examining the methods of adaptation and the ideas utilized (or not) in the musical.

Have you heard the “White Noise”? White Noise is a brand-new rock musical that opened yesterday at the Royal George Theater in Chicago. The show is about a major record label where a top-selling producer stirs up an explosive cocktail with two diametrically opposed groups-”White Noise,” an irresistible pop band that churns out catchy tunes of coded ratial rhetoric and “Bloodbrothas,” the hip-hop-turned-gangsta rap duo. The show is inspired by real life about the conventional challenges of free speech, media and the power of pop culture. Also, the band White Noise, consisting of the characters Eva and Eden, are loosely based on the real-life sister duo Prussian Blue. Brilliantly written by the young Matte O'Brien; music and lyrics by Robert Morris, Steven Morris and Joe Shane. The show is produced by Whoopi Goldberg, and what a perfect producer to have on board. They all made great effort to make this show rock!

The cast was led by MacKenzie Mauzy as Eva and Emily Padgett as Eden, both extremely talented playing the sisters that formed as White Noise. The band also included Eva's sadistic neo-nazi boyfriend Duke played by Patrick Murney, whose performance showed such strong emotion. The “Bloodbrothas” rap duo is played by incredible duo of Wallace Smith and Rodney Hicks. Then, we have the record producer, the crazy funny Douglas Sills, whose sarcasm and attitude worked really well, along with his assistant Jake played by Eric Morris. They worked great as a team.

As quoted by book writer Matte O' Brien, he said, "White Noise is a powerful and contemporary look at how language and music are used and misused as an influence in pop culture. We live in a world where rhetoric is carefully designed and targeted to sell. As such, it is oftentimes hard to know right from wrong, and we easily become desensitized to what words mean. We hear the noise around us, but we are not listening. This show encourages us to sharpen our awareness to what we're consuming-the words, the sounds, the media messaging-and reminds us that we always have the choice to decide what we take in, and what we let out.”

This show raises the bar for a rock musical. The lights, the set, the band, the cast, the story. It all works! The music and lyrics were very catchy. But watch out! Some of the lyrics in some songs and the language in this show may make some people cringe. Even though the show is very anti-Semitic, racial,  and controversial, it did make a very solid point. We should really listen and pay attention to the world around us and what we hear in music and in television, because people decide to take in what they want to hear, and are sometimes blinded by actual reality and the truth behind things. Matte O'Brien makes a very solid point above, talking about how everything is targeted to sell. The people that buy the music really should listen to what they're buying. Sometimes the truth is in the lyrics. Overall, despite a lot of the subject matter and being billed a "Cautionary Musical", please be cautioned because this show could be a solid hit on Broadway!

The production quality was magnificent! I definitely recommend this show to everyone! GO SEE IT! I think this show will make it a long way, especially when it goes to Broadway! Best of luck to the cast and crew to this show! I know I'll definitely be seeing this again.

Tickets are currently on sale for the 8-week limited engagement. April 1-June 5, 2011, at the Royal George box office, 1641 N. Halsted Street, by phone (312) 988-9000 through Ticketmaster or www.whitenoisetickets.com

Tickets for the regular run, on sale through June 5, 2011, are $54.50-$74.50. Student tickets are available at the Royal George box office for $20. Student tickets must be purchased in-person with a student I.D.

For more information, visit www.whitenoisebroadway.com. Follow White Noise on Twitter, http://twitter.com/wnbroadway and http://www.facebook.com/wnbroadway.

The Boys are back in Town! Thin Lizzy comes back to Chicago for the last leg of their tour, and man do they still sound good! Some old members, some new. But either way, they make up a great team! The band's comprised of new lead singer Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) who replaced original lead singer, the incredible and legendary Phil Lynott, original member Scott Gorham on guitar and vocals, Vivian Campbell (Dio, Def Leppard) on guitar and vocals, Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake) on bass guitar and vocals, original member Brian Downey on drums, and original member Darren Wharton on keyboards and backing vocals.

The band that opened for TL was a Chicago-based band called Marty Casey and Lovehammers. A great alternative rock band with a front man who acts like Freddie Mercury in my opinion. Marty Casey got claim to fame as runner-up to be new lead singer for INXS on the reality show “Rock Star: INXS”.

Despite the rest of the band's initial apprehension, they supported Casey and could occasionally be seen in the television crowd cheering him on during his performances. On September 6, 2005 Marty Casey debuted a different version of the pop-heavy Lovehammers song, "Trees", which had been previously available for download on the Lovehammers website. It became an instant hit with the audience and debuted on MSN.com as a #1 download. They played a great set of originals, along with a great cover of The Who's “Teenage Wasteland.”

As Thin Lizzy came out, the crowd roared with yells and applause. I'll tell you one thing, these guys really know how to get a crowd going. They played all their big hits that night. From “The Boys Are Back in Town,” “Jailbreak,” and “Still In Love With You.” Ricky was a great lead singer, and everybody showed off their stuff amazingly! They came out for 2 encores paying tribute to late TL guitarist Gary Moore who passed away not too long ago. Overall, a fantastic concert that was no to be missed!

Go to www.thinlizzyonline.com to see where they'll be playing next!

Also check out Marty Casey and the Lovehammers at www.lovehammers.com

I got a chance to catch up with new lead singer Ricky Warwick for a bit to talk about how it feels to be the new front man of Thin Lizzy.

Buzz: What drove you into performing?

Ricky: Well, I've seen a band called Stiff Little Fingers playing In Belfast when I was 14, and it was one of those moments of me knowing I wanted to play guitar. It was one of those shows that blew my mind. I knew right there and then that's what I wanted to do. It was life changing.

Buzz: How long have you been with Thin Lizzy?

Ricky: Well, I started last May, so it's coming up to be a year.

Buzz: Where did The Almighty start from?

Ricky: The Almighty started in a small town in Glasgow in Scotland. I moved to Scotland from Belfast when I was about 15. I met a couple of guys in my last year of high school, and we started playing in bands, and we stated rehearsing every week. We've been playing together for about 4 or 5 years, and we morphed into The Almighty. We started out very quick with that band. But it was basically born in Glasgow, Scotland.

Buzz: I know you're from Belfast. What do you think about Gary Moore and his passing recently? How has his death affected you and the rest of the band?

Ricky: Well, you know, it's awful. He was just an amazing guitar player. He played on my favorite Lizzy Album, which is “Black Rose.” I never knew Gary. That was probably because he's from the same part of Belfast as I'm from. But I never knew him. I always knew him as a fan, you know?Obviously Scott and Brian, who've played with him. It has a big effect on them. They've lost a friend and a fellow musician. It was very sad, you know. And he left at 58 years old which is awfully young. It's just sad when you lose a great talent like that, you know?

Buzz: Now I know Vivian Campbell is in the new lineup with you and he's in Def Leppard. Now, how long have you known Joe Elliott and how did you meet one another?

Ricky: Joe and I met back in Dublin, Ireland back in 1996 at a secret David Bowie concert. How cool is that? I was living in Dublin at the time, and I went to the David Bowie concert obviously. And I knew Joe was a big fan of The Almighty cause of the magazines and everything. But we've never met. I just walked in and he was standing at the bar and he said, “Ricky Warwick?'” and I said “Joe Elliott?” He bought me a drink and we hung out. We love going to see music and have a great love of soccer. And we've been best pals for going on 20 years now. I was the best man at his wedding, and you know he's just a great guy.

Buzz: Where did the name Thin Lizzy come from?

Ricky: It was Eric Bell, the original guitar player that came up with it. He got it from a comic. I think it was called The Dandy, which was a UK comic back in the day. And there was a character in there called Tin Lizzy, which I think was a robot. And it just became Thin Lizzy. I know when it first got around, Phil didn't like the name, and nobody could come up with anything better. So it just obviously stuck. It turned out to be the fantastic band name that it is.

Buzz: Can you tell me about the legend of Phil Lynott?

Ricky: Yeah, well I grew up on Lizzy. They're one of my all-time favorite bands. And being Irish, they were a huge impact on my life when I was a kid. And Phil, he was just so enigmatic. He was a rock star. His lyrics were phenomenal. He wrote about stuff. It's almost poetry. It's so beautiful the way he writes. He's a great front man, a great bass player. He's just God. You know to the kids that are just starting bands, just go on YouTube and look at Phil onstage. Look at his moves. Look at the way he delivers songs, because you want to be a rock and roller, that's what you need to aspire to. That guy right there. And he was a comic back in the day. You gotta understand, back in Ireland, there was very few black people in Ireland. I mean, you see a black guy, you know, fronting a rock and roll band. It was just so unusual, and so fantastic. I mean I worshiped all the guys in the band. And the fact that you think, these guys are all Irish, that just makes it even cooler, you know? And you know the world now, it's such a multicultural place now. And in Ireland with the very very few black people back in the day, Phil was very unique. You know? Just the way he looked. Such a strong look. And he was just a great songwriter. Such a great front fan. He's probably the greatest front man in the world in my opinion.

Buzz: How did you join Thin Lizzy?

Ricky: Very simple. I know Scott. I've known Scott for a while. Scott asked me to join the band, and I couldn't wait a second to say yes.

Buzz: How do you feel performing with these Rock Legends?

Ricky: It's a dream come true. I'm living a dream. When somebody says to you as a kid, “Would you like to front one of your favorite bands?”, you think that would be so great. And it's happened for me, so it's very surreal. I'm very honored. I'm very proud. I'm very aware of Thin Lizzy, and I want to do my best for Lizzy fans. For Phil, for myself. And it's just like Christmas every day man, it's fantastic.

Buzz: How has Thin Lizzy's music, and performing with them, aspired you in being a better musician and singer?

Ricky: Well, just be learning a lot about the way Phil would write songs and his sense of melodies. They're such great songs. And you gotta play them with some passion and intensity. And you gotta be just as tuned into Phil, and you gotta play them the way people know them and love them as well. You know, you can't just screw with greatness. You shouldn't screw with greatness. So I like to deliver the songs, where people recognize them straight away, and in the end Ricky Warwick's singing this song. There's a balancing act you gotta do to get that Phil created, and you're putting your own personality into it as well. I would never dream of trying to clone Phil. I think that would be the biggest insult you can give the guy. There's only one Phil Lynott, and that's it.

Buzz: What advice would you give aspiring rock singers and musicians?

Ricky: Obviously play from your heart. Learn from greatness. Check out amazing front men and singer, and watch what they do. And try to incorporate that into your own technique and your own style. Play from your heart and follow your gut.