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Phil Hilborne Interview: The Guv'nor Part One
When we sat down and conceived Alloutguitar.com back in 2005, I had a wish list of players that I really wanted to feature. Phil Hilborne was right at the top: for anyone learning to play rock guitar growing up in the 80's and early 90's in the UK, Phil was pretty much omnipresent. As music editor of Guitarist magazine, and latterly co-founder and Music and CD Editor of Guitar Techniques, Phil influenced and taught a whole generation how to play - and play properly....
Anyone who saw him at any of the guitar shows during that period will remember being astounded by his live performances: here was an English guy who had all those exciting new ‘shred' techniques down as much as anyone from the U.S, often playing in booths a mere couple of feet away from you. It was incredibly inspiring: the guitar scene was much more parochial ‘in them days' and there simply weren't players of Phil's calibre around. It was always an event to go to the latest Guitar Show and see just what Phil would be playing. I, and many others, copped a lot of licks from watching Phil.
In recent years Phil has expanded his roles to include being one of the main guitarists at the worldwide acclaimed Queen musical in London West End ‘We Will Rock You', playing in Iron Maiden drummer - and all round nutter supreme! - Nicko McBrain's side band, as well as building a very successful production practice run from his ‘Widdle Music Studios' in leafy Essex. Plus he still does lots of Guitar Clincs too!
Phil brought his top-notch band up to Northampton in September 2007 to play at the third Allout Guitarfest, and will be on the main table of judges at the forthcoming Guitar Idol in June 2008. AOG bombed over to Phil's several times during 2007 for a chat about the life and times of ‘The Guv'nor'.