Interview and Photos by Adrian Hextall
After a two-year hiatus, the legendary guitarist opens up about his comeback, his all-star lineup for Maid of Stone, and why he demands nothing less than perfection
Myke Gray has played with some of the biggest names in rock and metal during his illustrious career, serving as the go-to guitarist when bands need serious firepower. But it’s been two years since we’ve seen him on stage. We caught up with the no-nonsense axeman to find out what brought him back.
THE COMEBACK KID
It’s been two years since your last performance. What made you step away from music?
The last time I played was two years ago. I just needed a break because of things that were going on in my life, and it just now felt like the right time to play music again. It basically stemmed from Paul McManus, who is the drummer of Gun. They needed someone to play guitar for a festival and I hadn’t played guitar for a year and a half. Paul contacted me and said, “Look, we’d really like you to play guitar for us. Would you be up for it?”
Initially, because I hadn’t played for so long, I kind of said no, but he was very convincing. Once I’d agreed to do it, I picked up the guitar and just relentlessly played again. It was great to play music with Gun – they’re a band that I love and have a great deal of respect for as songwriters and as people. That was the catalyst for me to start playing music again.
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
Were you playing at home during the break, or was it a complete stop?
I basically started photography, and because I’m a very obsessional human being, once I started taking pictures it became very consuming for me. A lot of people think most of the work is actually done at home when you’re doing post-production. You can go to a festival for three days and take photographs, and you could still be editing four weeks later because post-production is where the real work is. When you need to go through 10,000 pictures, it becomes time-consuming, so photography became my obsession.
When Gun asked me to do it, that’s a huge responsibility. Gun are a fantastic band and they had a phenomenal guitar player called Alex Dixon. If you’re going to try and replicate the guitar solos of ‘Steal Your Fire’ and ‘Welcome to the Real World’, this is real guitar playing. It’s not something you can fake.
For me to fulfill that to the standard I think is acceptable, it was eight hours, ten hours of practice a day, coming from scratch. I had four weeks to get ready, went out and played, and that was fantastic. Once that came back into my life, photography started to take a backseat again.
THE CREATIVE FIRE
Did playing with Gun and Marisa and the Moths refill your creative well?
Creativity is a separate thing. If you’re talking about songwriting, that’s always been my main stimulus. The reason I play music or create music is an expression of songwriting. That is the priority for me in the musical hierarchy.
When I started playing music, all I wanted to do was play like Michael Schenker, Randy Rhoads, and Eddie Van Halen, which was very much about solos. I saw a song purely as a vehicle for guitar solos. My favorite songs were things like ‘Mr. Crowley’ and ‘I’m The One’ by Van Halen.
It was all geared around the guitar playing until I discovered Ronnie James Dio. Then it suddenly dawned on me that if I was going to have any kind of career in this business – I think I was about 14 or 15 – you had to have a world-class singer. I was very lucky that the first singers I ever worked with were Phil Mogg, Bruce Dickinson, Neville McDonald, and Matthew Alfonzetti. Each one of them is a world-class singer, and that set a very high standard for the people I would work with in the rest of my life.
When you’ve got singers of that ability, you have to write songs that are good enough for them to sing. Creativity is writing, and that’s something that comes very naturally to me. But when you’re going to play a guitar solo – if you’re going to play a ‘Lights Out’ guitar solo – that’s about technical skill, and it’s very different from writing songs.
Your rhythm has to be right, your technical ability has to be right. It’s no different than a professional footballer or dancer. If you take your foot off the gas, even for a day, you will have a decline in ability. I hadn’t played guitar for nearly a year and a half, so to get back up to speed again took an obsessional amount of time.
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
ASSEMBLING THE DREAM TEAM
You’ve opened your phone book of world-class names for Maid of Stone. Tell us about your band.
I have been very blessed in my life to play with some phenomenal musicians. I’ve been doing this for 45 years now, so I’ve worked with a lot of people. When you’re writing songs, you’re writing a script for someone. Songs like ‘Look Don’t Touch,’ ‘Tower of Strength,’ and ‘You Don’t Love Me’ – these are songs that are still played on the radio, still very well-known songs. To sing them, you have to be very good.
It’s a two-way thing. First, you have to be working with a singer of a very high standard. Second, they know it’s a platform which will allow them to excel. Just like when I was asked to play for UFO – it’s an honor to play ‘Lights Out’ with Phil Mogg. It’s an honor to play with Bruce Dickinson. It’s a big responsibility because you know the shoes you’re filling.
I’m very lucky to work with incredible musicians like Colin Parkinson and Neil Ogden. They’re absolutely fantastic. But they also know the level of commitment and seriousness they’re going to get when they walk into a rehearsal room with me, or when I walk on stage.
This is not a fucking hobby to me. This is my life’s fucking work. I’m going to play music the same way that Michael Jordan played basketball, or the same way that Roy Keane played football. Unless it’s that level of commitment, do not waste my fucking time. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to create something that is memorable and will live on beyond my life.
THE MAID OF STONE OPPORTUNITY
How did you get asked to play at Maid of Stone?
It came about in a very strange way because I was taking photographs at last year’s festival. I was talking to Chris Wright, the promoter, and I just said, “Would you like me to come back next year and take some photographs?” He just went, “Well, I’d like you to come back next year, but I’d like you to come back and play.”
That took me by surprise. I said, “Well, I don’t have a band at the moment.” He went, “Yeah, but you can get one.” As soon as he said that, in my head, I was like, “Yeah, I can.” Because someone had shown that level of faith in me, it was like, “Right, not only am I going to put a band together, I’m going to put a phenomenal band together.”
Are you familiar with the Magnificent Seven movies? Yul Brynner? I realized I was in a very lucky position – I actually have the ability and the address book which allows me to handpick whatever band would be up for doing it.
First came the singer – every member is important, but the singer is literally the person who sells it on the day. Then there was not going to be anyone other than Colin Parkinson. Once I’d spoken to Colin and said what I was going to do, he just went, “Of course.”
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
Tony, who plays in his own band called Apriori – the first time I came across Tony, I was taking photographs of him at a Love Rocks festival. As soon as I looked at him, I was like, “Wow, this guy looks incredible.” He’s an incredible guitar player, a great singer, and has a ridiculous amount of charisma on stage.
Unfortunately, Neil would have been my first choice for drums, but he’d already committed to another festival with Demon. That was actually turning out to be the hardest position to fill because Neil is of such a high standard – he’s a truly incredible drummer. It’s like having Ronaldo as your center forward. How do you replace that? Actually, the wrong analogy – drummers are your goalkeepers, so it’s like Peter Schmeichel.
Then out of the blue, Marisa and the Moths asked me to play some shows with them. I went to rehearsals still without a drummer, and then Alex started playing. Instantly I was like, “Oh wow, this guy’s a fucking machine.” The reason I hadn’t found a drummer is because this situation was waiting to materialize.
FESTIVAL MEMORIES
You’ve played many festivals. What’s your favorite festival moment?
I was at Monsters of Rock in 1984 – I think I was 15 or 16. I met Eddie Van Halen that day and saw him play guitar for the first time. They opened with ‘Unchained’ and went into ‘Hot for Teacher.’ It was a life-changing moment. I saw the greatest guitar player that’s ever lived, met him, shook his hand, and felt that magic that flowed through him.
I said, “I’m not putting the guitar down until I’ve played at Monsters of Rock.” Then in 1994, 10 years later, I played at Monsters of Rock with Skin. That was very special because I put my mind to something – it took 10 years to achieve with a lot of practice and work, putting Jagged Edge together and then Skin together. But I said I was going to do it, and I did it.
When we went out on stage, because of how Monsters of Rock was laid out with this huge hill, we literally saw about 30,000 people coming over the hill. It was like something from Braveheart. To see 30,000 people standing on a hill walking towards you just takes your breath away. In 2009, also at Download, we played on the main stage to 70,000 people.
Do you get nervous in front of that many people?
Nervousness is actually something that developed as the years went on. When I was young, I had no fear. Everything was happening like I thought it would happen – getting record deals, getting signed. I saw it as a natural conclusion to the amount of work I was putting in.
But when you get older and realize how lucky you were when you were younger, it’s like what happens to sportsmen toward the end of their career. They realize cup finals and big games are going to get less frequent. The desire to still perform at the highest level becomes a much greater burden. So I get nervous now, but I never got nervous when I was young.
DREAM LINEUP
At your perfect festival, who would headline?
I’d have to have Van Halen around the era of 1984. AC/DC around the time of ‘Back in Black’ would be up there as well. Whether it be AC/DC at the top, Van Halen second, Kiss would be there. If I had to pick an opening band for now, I’d have South of Salem because I just love them. Obviously, I’d have to have Skin on there. Scorpions around ‘Love at First Sting’ and Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio. I’d be happy with that bill.
Live at Maid of Stone Festival 2025
WHAT’S NEXT
What’s next for Myke Gray?
I’m not someone who likes to have too many things going at once because I like to fully focus on the one thing at hand. I very much enjoyed the shows I did with Marisa and The Moths. I think I’m probably more open to playing other people’s music now than any other time in my career.
When I played in UFO, I think I was 19, and I was having to do what other people wanted. That never sat well with me. I remember putting a setlist together, and I wanted to play certain songs. Somebody said, “No, I don’t want to do that one.” It was the first experience I had of not being in control of what I’m playing. Which is why I never joined anyone else’s band. Don’t fucking tell me what to play – I know what I want to play.
But playing with Gun and Marisa and the Moths was the first time I actually just enjoyed playing music without that control issue. So I’m more open to collaborating with other musicians now and playing songs known for other artists.
I started writing again, and I feel pretty confident there will be more shows in the future. But the priority is to get this show done and successful first. It’s been two years since I’ve played, and when you’re putting something together, there’s a lot of responsibility and stress.
When you work with someone like Neville McDonald, who is the ultimate professional in terms of preparation and delivery, you get used to that standard. But younger musicians don’t know that standard – they only know their own. So when you get together with musicians, it becomes: Can you take it to the next level? Can you perform like Bruce Dickinson? Like Neil Ogden? Like Phil Mogg?
It’s like Real Madrid and Manchester United – they sign lots of players, but not all of them go on to be in the first team. It’s the same with musicians. You have the potential, but can you play at that level of consistency and professionalism? What makes you a Michael Jordan? What makes you a Roy Keane? That only comes together when people are team players and see the band as a team.
Myke Gray will be performing at Maid of Stone Festival. Tickets and information available at the festival’s official website.
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