Five Quick Q’s: WALTER LURE

Following two successful tours in 2010 and 2011, Walter Lure makes a welcome return to the UK this summer.  The original guitarist and co-vocalist with Johnny Thunders’ iconic New York punks The Heartbreakers will play three shows in August:

Thurs 8th August – BLACKPOOL, Winter Gardens (Rebellion Festival – www.rebellionfestivals.com)

Fri 9th August – BRISTOL, Exchange (w/Healthy Junkies). Doors 7pm / £12 adv

Sat 10th August – LONDON, The Underworld (w/The Parkinsons, Electric River & The Terraces)  Doors 6pm / £15 adv.

‘Rent Party’ is released on August 12th via Jungle Records, Cat No. FREUDCD114

1. You have three UK dates in August, including a festival appearance. What sort of setlist can fans expect and any clues at all to who the special guests maybe?

Fans can expect a healthy blend of Heartbreakers and Waldos songs spiced up with a blend of exotic cover numbers all simmered to a juicy perfection after 20 + years in the roasting ovens.

Guests – I have no idea – it depends on who shows up.  We’ll take just about anybody on stage with us who is willing to have his reputation destroyed!

2. How did it feel back in 2010 coming back to the UK after over 25 years away?

It was great fun to be back in the UK after all that time and see the ones still left alive after all that punk rock turmoil.  It hadn’t really changed all that much except that the food got a little better and things got pricier.

London got a bit flashier as well with lots of new buildings and designs.  I sort of missed all that raging punk ethos that was in the air back then but the crowds still loved the music some 25 -  30 years later.  As usual, the Brits all treated me like shabby royalty which was quite nice when they could just have easily forgotten everything.

3. How did the Johnny Thunders tribute show go back in March? Do you see any modern bands carrying on the musical flame lit by the Heartbreakers?

Not sure which JT Tribute you’re referring to. I played in New Orleans in March but I don’t think it was billed as a JT tribute – just me playing HB and Waldo songs with Joey Pinter.  There was a JT Tribute in LA in April that I played at which was quite good.

There are some young bands out there definitely in the Heartbreaker tradition like Dirty Eyes for one. I also played with the Zeros who are known as the Spanish Ramones but are a bunch of great guys and play great as well. I had the guitarist on stage to play Junkie Business with me and he did just fine – they know how to do HB songs just right as well as Ramone songs.  There was also a version of the Devil Dogs with their old bassist,  drummer Roy Morgan and a Japanese Guitarist that sounded fantastic as well.

4. Any plans to record these UK shows for a future live release?

I’m currently unaware of any plans to record the upcoming UK shows but anything is possible.

5. Do you have any plans to record new music? ‘Rent Party’ was released on limited edition vinyl. Are there any recordings form that album session that could be released in a future re-issue or is it like the Heartbreakers where pretty much everything has been released now?

Jungle Records plans to rerelease the Waldos CD along with a few bonus tracks to coincide with the Tour – it was a great album that never got a proper release before.  There is an additional earlier Waldo’s  single recording to be included with the CD rerelease but they are different versions of the same songs on Rent party.

There is not much other recorded Waldos stuff apart from several Live recordings done over the years.  I have been working with some local musicians on some new songs in the past year or so that should be ready for some sort of release by year end. However it will probably be under another name as the people are not currently associated with the Heartbreakers or the Waldos and I don’t want to ruin their reputations and families by suggesting to the world that they are.


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