THE FINAL NOTE
SIMON CAMPLING
Marketing and Artist Relations, G7th, the Capo Co. By Brian Berk
The Music & Sound Retailer: Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why? Simon Campling: Probably my dad (Nick Campling, G7th chairman). He’s always been a big advocate, and he’s been there to help and guide [me] in both good times and bad. The Retailer: What was the best advice you ever received? Campling: Don’t practice until you can do it right; practice until you can’t do it wrong. The Retailer: What was your first experience with a musical instrument? Campling: I have gone to church since I was born, so it was my dad playing his guitar. Not sure I can remember exactly my first experience, but I remember when my dad got me my first acoustic guitar, a little Yamaha 3/4 size. I had that for years until I gifted it to a friend who started learning to play and my dad gave me one of his old guitars, a stunning old handmade Bailey. The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoy playing? Campling: Drums, closely followed by guitar. I’m a much better drummer than guitarist, so I can be much more expressive and creative when I’m drumming. Guitar is much harder work! The Retailer: Tell us something about yourself that others do not know or would be surprised to learn. Campling: My favorite TV show when I was a kid was “ThunderCats.” Secretly, it still is. The Retailer: What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work? Campling: I have two very young kids, so usually I’ll collapse 62
in front of the TV when they’re not awake. I love movies, and we’re in an incredible age of high-quality TV shows.
The Retailer: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Campling: Incubus at Brixton Academy on the “Light Grenades” tour. Mike Einziger is still one of my favorite guitarists, and José Pasillas is a favorite drummer. I remember the show blowing me away; so much energy and creativity coming from the stage. The Retailer: If you could see any musician, alive or deceased, play a concert for one night, who would it be and why? Campling: Prince. I thoroughly regret not knowing his music until so close to his death, and so I never had the opportunity to see him. Such an incredible musician. The Retailer: What musician are you hoping to see play in the near future? Campling: I’ve been enjoying Cory Wong’s solo album, and he’s in London in February 2020. The Retailer: What song was most memorable for you throughout your childhood and what do you remember about it the most? Campling: Despite the church upbringing and fairly constant exposure to music, it took a while before I started getting into it myself. “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead made a big impact on me and was probably the first “difficult” song I learned to play on the guitar. I still love it and the rest of that album (“OK Computer”) today. (continued on page 61) DECEMBER 2019