Interview Christophe Marquilly
STOCKS and OUTSLIDERS guitarist and leader
by David André

Hi Christophe,

Thank you to give us this interview today, for all the people that come on our website www.roadtojacksonville.com
We are happy to get news from you since Stocks cd "3" appeared in 2002.

Road To Jacksonville : "You come today with a new band, Outsliders, that after being a long time on the road and after playing in many places, give us today his first cd "Thank You". Can you introduce the members of the band to us ?"

Christophe Marquilly : "Marc Védrine on drums and Luc Dewerte on bass guitar."

RTJ : "Where and when did you record this album?"

CM : "In September 2004 at Tourcoing near Lille, in the North of France. You can buy it on our website www.outsliders.com "

RTJ : "On this album, we can mainly find covers from great songs of famous musicians and bands, with only one song from the group. Why did you prefer to play covers, and why don't we get more Outsliders songs ?"

CM : "We wanted that the guitar player feel free !! And we just thought "we do play covers from great musicians, from guitar heroes ; maybe if we were not French we could also be famous too !" "

RTJ : "Outsliders will play on march the 4th at the Espace Blues in Paris, to introduce your first cd. Will there be guest musicians on stage this night ?"

CM : "We do hope so ! We'll ask some friends to come and we hope they can come."

RTJ : "Can we consider that Stocks plays his own songs, and that Outsliders plays more great rock songs covers ?"

CM : "Yes, I think you can say that."

RTJ : "Does Outsliders play in more blues way than Stocks ?"

CM : "Outsliders is a band created for fun and great feelings, where we enjoy to play in pubs, and everywhere there is a good blues-rock fans audience. And in France, how could we play in such a way with another kind of music ?"

RTJ : "Are you able to play and to manage both bands ? Isn't there a risk that one group becomes stronger than the other one ?"

CM : "Stocks plays songs in French. I play in a different way, so there is no problem, no risk to mix both bands. I enjoy playing in a blues way in Outsliders. Both bands are totally connected and are complementary."

RTJ : "In 2002, we could get the Stocks album "3", and in 2003 you played as the support band of Johnny Hallyday, in a great European stadiums tour. What does stay in you mind from this tour, and what did it bring to the band ?"

CM : "I do have great memories from this tour. First, to play in front of about 60000 persons, about 28 times, I didn't make it before ! And Johnny is a great man. I waited more positive things for the band, but however it was great.

RTJ : "In 2003, Arnaud Delbarre, bass player of the group and also the main manager of the famous music-hall Olympia in Paris, stopped to play with you. The new bass player is now Sammy Willcox. How did the change happen, and why did you choose Sammy ?"

CM : "I just want to say, because Arnaud father was a great artist, that everything's OK now…"

RTJ : "You just played in Reims with Stocks, and you'll play in April at Roubaix near Lille. Do you have other shows in your schedule ?"

CM : "Yes, we'll play April the 2nd at Roubaix, 21st of June in Grenay, 31st of July at the Festival de la Dune with Matmatha (great band !), and November the 26th at Harnes. We always play in the North of France !"

RTJ : "Fans do hope to get one day a new cd of Stocks. Can we have some hope about that ?"

CM : "There sure will be a new Stocks/Marquilly album one day, because there will be some different new songs. I do assume if our fans don't enjoy it."

RTJ : "There are some old and recent songs, like Atlanta, Le Coup de Poker or Rêve d'Irlande for instance, that never have been recorded on a cd. Can we hope to get them on a cd one day ?"

CM : "Rêve d'Irlande is an up-to-date song. I hope to create new songs in such a way, and I work hard for it. I just have to get it a little bit harder ! It sure will be really different with what we did before. There will be more emotion I think."

RTJ : "Let's go back to the past. In 1985, Renaud Hantson, who played before with Satan Jokers and in the musical show Starmania, came to play on drums in the band, at Bobby Luccini's place. It seems that it never has worked, and you fast stopped to play together. Now, do you know why it didn't work together ?"

CM : "Renaud and I came from different musical areas, and we did have different musical influences ; and, he was a singer and a leader… so was I! Now I still do play rock n' roll ; him… no more…

RTJ : "From Surface in 1978 to Outsliders today, you did play with many great musicians? Who did you meet and what are your best souvenirs of all the people you met ?

CM : "I have only people I had respect for. I've never been a hooker, saying a bad musician "Oh, you're great, you a good one..". You know, Gallagher, 250 shows a year, all real, all live, no cheating ; a great guy on stage and out of the stage. ZZ Top, the sound, the trio, this voice, La Grange, Tush : who plays such a way today ? Hallyday, a real showman, and all these arms to his direction, wolf eyes…He told me : "it's great what you do, it's rock, do it again ! " What a compliment ! Then there is Daran, a buddy that came to our "20 years anniversary" show. What a voice ! Great songwriter.. He is good, really good. Gildas Arzel another guest… His songs are wonderful ; every song has its own history. So, a great man and a great guitar player ! Nono, ex Trust guitarist, who was also there to our anniversary, also there when I call him, a buddy. So, there are many others, but I'll have to stay all night long to give all the names : Paul Personne and Little Bob. If someone in France knows what is Rock Music, it is Little Bob !"

RTJ : "The album "3", in spite of great songs and good quality, didn't really make it. It seems it's because of a lack of promotion and distribution. You had chosen people you knew, from the North of France. What did happen and can we hope a new distribution of this album ?"

CM : "Yes, the album "3" was for me a great album, a real good one. It's always hard to ask questions like "Shit, what did happen ? Why don't we have better results ? etc…" I still wait for the answers… Let's say one word : don't say you're doing a job when you don't know how to do it !"

RTJ : "On stage when you played as the support guest of Johnny Hallyday, in the stadium tour, you played with Fred Scamps on keyboards. Don't you think it could be a good thing if he becomes a real member of the band, or don't you think you could play with another guitar player for a better sound and give you the opportunity to play lead guitar and to sing in a better way ?

CM : "Stocks is a power trio, and that's what is our label. It's also a competition very night. If I take another guitar player, I do know my reaction, it will like OK Corral every time on stage !!"

RTJ : "What do you think about the new French and international bands, neo-metal, great sound of the new productions that do enjoy teenagers ?"

CM : "You know if they are good musicians with great songs, there is no problem ; but, they can make some big noise with their big guitars, in front of AC/DC they don't piss a shit, these little boys!!"

RTJ : "How do you imagine the future of music in France and in the world ? Don't you fear the disappearance of good bands and real music player, and only FM style groups with commercial singles ?"

CM : "Yeah ! I don't see no future, I can feel the death of rock business, people that have killed that universe. The only way-out is to be back on stage ! What is the interest to do a record we don't play live ? It's over ! There so many fucking bastards that say they are musical managers, totally far away from stage reality, no comment. Singles ? Which singles ? So, another question !!"

RTJ : "Arnaud is now the director of the Oympia in Paris. Can't we imagine that Stocks or Outsliders will play one day in such a music-hall ?"

CM : "I'm gonna tell you something : I've heard there will be a night for bands and artists of the North of France. If it does happen and that Stocks is not there, so you can get a real opinion about this great guy, ok ?"

RTJ : "What will be the future of Stocks and Outsliders ? Or what do you hope for these two great bands that really deserve to have a national future ?"

CM : "The day after I played with Johnny at the Parc des Princes in Paris, I played with Outsliders in a small town in the North of France with about 100 people in front of me : it was great, I got a real good time. Now I'm close to be 50 years old and I tell to myself : "So Marquilly, you're not an easy man, you had difficult relations with many people, but every man that came and saw me on stage, there are really few that told me I was playing like shit !" So I wish to myself to play again and always, but in front of such an audience like in Reims few days ago, where the magic was there ! In one of my song I say "Go to the main things, Blues is in Heaven…"

RTJ : "At the end, and like every time on RTJ, can you tell me : if you have to go on an desert island and take with you only 5 cds, which one do you take with you ?"

CM : "Tejas (ZZ Top), 3 (Stocks), Mozart Requiem, Autour de Nous (Gildas Arzel), and a Playboy or Hustler…And sure my fishing equipment, because I do enjoy that !"

RTJ : "Christophe, thank you again to answer to our questions. We hope the best for this new musical year. See you soon on stage!!"

CM : "Thank you my friend. I hope to see you on stage !
And never forget that Musicians and Journalists and Audience are the three main conditions for the survival of music, and they can't leave one without the others ! (you've seen, I become a good boy, I didn't say bad things about journalists!!!) I do have two or three friends of mine that are journalists!!
Every information on www.outsliders.com and on www.groupestocks.com