Interview with Andy Scott – Sweet
Interview – Photos Credit: Adrian Hextall
As Sweet prepares to unleash their iconic sound on festival stages this summer, legendary guitarist Andy Scott talks health scares, the enduring power of a good tune, and why, even after five decades, the show must go on.
The word ‘legend’ is bandied about with casual frequency in rock circles, but when it comes to Andy Scott, the guitarist who helped shape the sound of 70s glam titans The Sweet, it’s a descriptor that fits as snugly as a pair of platform boots. As the sole surviving classic-era member, Scott has been the unwavering custodian of The Sweet’s formidable legacy – a catalogue bristling with hits like “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on the Run,” and “Love Is Like Oxygen.” And he’s bringing that legacy, along with a rejuvenated Sweet, to the Maid of Stone Festival.
Catching up with Scott, it’s clear the rock ‘n’ roll road hasn’t always been smooth. Recent “murmurings” about his health are met with a characteristic blend of pragmatism and dry wit. “Well, the pills seem to be working,” he begins, detailing a recent, mysterious pelvic problem. “Nobody, even the orthopaedic surgeon, has no idea… If I was 18, I’d have a better idea as to how I might have cracked my pelvis,” he quips, adding his wife’s amusing take when told by his Doctor that all he can do is rest: “She said, ‘Oh, don’t tell him that. He’s the most idle bloke I know anyway!'”
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
Rest, prescribed and followed, did the trick. More seriously, he addresses his ongoing battle with Stage Four cancer. “My cancer seems to be in remission,” he shares. “But I’ve not had chemotherapy yet. I’ve not had anything heavier than radiotherapy, and I’m on quite a strong drug at the moment, which is keeping everything in check.” While he admits he’s “not leaping around on stage,” the fire clearly still burns. “When they put this bit of wood with strings on it around my neck, I can still do stuff. As long as that’s viable, I’m fine.
This resilience has informed The Sweet’s touring schedule, adapting to ensure longevity. “Long travel is another problem,” Scott concedes. “So we kind of worked out our touring schedule around that… But quite frankly, at my age, I should be able to say, ‘I don’t really want to do that anymore.'” He recalls the frenetic pace of yesteryear, “an afternoon show in Copenhagen and then an evening show in Hamburg”, with a tone that mixes disbelief and pride. He’s earned the right to pace himself, a sentiment echoed by fellow road warrior Mick Box of Uriah Heep. “I said, ‘How do you do it?’ He said, ‘Well, what else would I do?’ And I fully appreciate that.”
For Scott, the enjoyment is paramount. “You shouldn’t be in a job that you don’t enjoy,” he states simply. “You’ve got to get something out of it.”
And part of that “something” is undoubtedly the new music that has recaptured the classic Sweet energy. Their 2020 album, “Isolation Boulevard,” recorded during the pandemic, was a precursor to the acclaimed 2024 release, “Full Circle.” The track “Circus” from the new album, for instance, is pure Sweet.
“The idea for ‘Circus’ came up from when we played the Circus Krone in Munich,” Scott explains. “I had all these lyrics coming through.” He credits his “partner in crime,” guitarist/keyboardist Tom Cory (the band’s tech wizard – “the guy in the studio who does all that screen and mouse stuff”), with developing the song’s distinctive riff. “The whole album’s got a commercial feel about it,” Scott adds. “I don’t want to go droning off into some hammering guitar solo. I just want everything to be kind of recognisable… I’d call myself the executive producer, really. I mean, I bloody pay for everything!”
This renewed vigour hasn’t gone unnoticed. “We’ve been building over the last maybe 15-20 years in Germany, so to get back to where we were in the 70s almost,” Scott notes. The UK, however, can still be a tougher nut to crack, especially with festival promoters. He recalls a pivotal gig at London’s O2 with Rainbow some years back: “In both venues, it was a full house when we came on stage. None of this ‘half the audience is still in the bar,’ and that told me something.” Despite positive feedback, further high-profile UK festival slots weren’t immediately forthcoming. Yet, with agents like The Gig Cartel, they’re consistently playing “good gigs and without very much promotion, we kind of sell them out.”
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
The days of being “chased down the bloody street” with scissors by fans after a lock of hair are long gone, much to Scott’s relief. “I’m glad that that doesn’t happen anymore,” he laughs. But the band’s music continues to find new audiences, often in unexpected ways. The inclusion of “Fox on the Run” in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack was a global phenomenon. “I was actually sat in a cinema with my son… and all of a sudden, we weren’t expecting it, but I heard the intro for ‘Fox’ and I looked at him and all of a sudden it’s on.” His son’s immediate reaction? “It’ll pay the mortgage for a while, this!” The track even re-entered the Billboard charts on a 12-inch release. “It’s a really weird, weird thing that happened then,” Scott reflects, marvelling at how the cinema’s 7.1 surround sound “enhanced everything.”
The current Sweet lineup, featuring powerhouse vocalist Paul Manzi, bassist Lee Small, and Tom Cory, alongside new drummer, Adam Booth, has been instrumental in the band’s continued vitality. Scott recounts a pivotal moment when a former band member became a “liability,” forcing a change. “I said to Paul [Manzi], ‘Now’s your moment, get out front and do it.’ And between all of us, we put on what I would say was probably one of the best shows we’d done in a long, long time. That’s what definitely made my mind up.” With Tom Cory coming in, “I thought, ‘That’s the lineup.’ And it’s been like this ever since.”
Looking back at The Sweet’s rich history, including the complicated legacy of former frontman Brian Connolly, Scott remains pragmatic and respectful. He recalls an attempt to get Brian on tour with his version of Sweet in ’96. “I said, ‘You come on the road with us, and come on for the last half an hour… they’d love to see you.’ And he was up for it, but he just went downhill, and he died at the beginning of ’97.” Scott confirms he’s “still in touch with all the families because there’s still business to be done.”
This sense of continuity and respect for the past, combined with a vibrant present, is what this summer’s festival-goers can expect. So, what’s the plan for their sets? “There’ll be as many hits as we can fit in. And that won’t be all of them!” Scott promises. “People are coming to festivals to enjoy the hits. They don’t want new material shoved down their throat. There will be one or two new tracks, maybe. And there will certainly be a couple of the heavier album songs… But the rest of it will be from start to finish, any one of the 16 big hits that we had in the UK. Pin your ears back!”
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
Sixteen big hits. It’s a testament to a band that, like Slade or T. Rex, carved out a sound so unique it remains instantly recognisable. “You don’t get that so much today, do you?” Scott muses. “You hear somebody, and you think that could be anyone of about three or four acts.”
While he admits he doesn’t write songs daily anymore (“As I’ve got older, I’m editing myself all the time”), the critical and fan reception for “Full Circle” has been a shot in the arm, especially via platforms like Mike Read’s Heritage Television, which champions classic artists. “All of a sudden you’re number one in the Heritage charts, you know? It’s a way to reach people that might have not appreciated you were still playing.”
From 70s chart domination and Oxford Street scrambles to navigating the modern music landscape and health challenges, Andy Scott remains a rock ‘n’ roll survivor, a torchbearer, and a remarkably grounded musician. As The Sweet prepares to hit Maid of Stone, one thing is certain: the band that provided the soundtrack to a generation, and continues to craft compelling rock music, is far from a nostalgia act. They’ve still got the rock, and Andy Scott is making sure everyone knows it.
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