Artvoice: Buffalo's #1 Newsweekly
Home Blogs Web Features Calendar Listings Artvoice TV Real Estate Classifieds Contact
Previous story: Gotham Not Goths
Next story: Red Carpet Secrets

Creedence Clearwater Revisited

Driven by newer and older generations alike, Creedence Clearwater Revisited performs authentic hits full of jamming guitar solos, thumping bass, and crashing drums that will cause you to flashback to the 1960s. This week AV interviewed drummer Doug Clifford, one of the two original members of CCR, about his experiences performing in front of four generations of fans.

AV: How do you feel about newer generations of people still listening to and enjoying CCR?

Clifford: I’m thrilled by it! Actually, we were talking about that last night. We have three generations [of listeners] and now I see a fourth emerging, even single digiters. There was a 10-year-old at the show last night. He knew the music and was there for a good time.

AV: What is your most memorable show?

Clifford: Certainly Woodstock is at the top of the list. Of course that was with Creedence Clearwater Revival…

AV: What about as Revisited? I’ve seen parts of your performance in Chile on Youtube. The crowd seemed to enjoy it.

Clifford: That was a remarkable show. There was an award given for the best act that night. We were from the United States, and Enriques Iglesias was the big star at that point, and everybody thought that he was getting it. The crowd didn’t know what to expect from us and we came out and pulled it off. We won the Silver Seagull Award, which is the highest music award you can win in that country. We didn’t realize the importance of it or the enormity of it there. After the show the press was going nuts, asking us if we knew what we just did. We had no idea. We were humbled and honored. It was quite a feat.

AV: I’ve read that Creedence Clearwater Revisited concerts are celebratory performances, as opposed to covering songs as just a tribute band, because you are on stage. Do you agree with this?

Clifford: Well, we’re not a tribute band because we have 50 percent of the original members. We play the music of Creedence and we revisit that music. We’re the guys on the record so it makes a huge difference.

AV: How do you appeal to longtime fans that have seen the original lineup?

Clifford: For older fans it stirs up memories. We appeal quite well to them. Somebody last night was talking about it and came to a concert out on the West Coast, toward Vancouver. I broke a couple of drumheads that show. The guy thought it was spectacular because we take a couple of songs and we go crazy. It’s one of the things that vary from the original songs. They’re jams now and it’s working pretty well.

AV: What would you tell aspiring musicians about surviving in the music busines?

Clifford: First of all, be true to yourself. Don’t let anyone talk you into doing something because it’s popular and will get you hits. Music is about fashion and an art form certainly, but the most important thing about it is to have fun. You play music, you play games, but that’s part of it. It’s a process where you play and put out a certain energy and the audience sends it back two-folds and you get pumped up from that, and you send that energy back. The back-and-forth between the audience is almost like a romantic thing. It’s a powerful thing, and that’s why you do it. It’s a great energy. It’s pretty cool.

AV: Can you tell us what to expect for your show on Tuesday, June 21 at Artpark?

Clifford: All Creedence, all night long. Plenty of hits. That’s what we’re going to give.

michael koh

blog comments powered by Disqus