AS former Argent rocker John Verity gets ready to roll up to Tavistock for his second visit to The Wharf, he spoke with Ellie Hudson and had plenty to say…

You have a pretty impressive back story of working with some phenomenal musicians — tell us about some highlights of your career.

‘I’ve been lucky enough to work with some pretty amazing people throughout my career. In the mid ‘60s I was playing guitar for Dave Berry in a band which consisted of some great musicians who taught me a lot but I also learned a lot from Dave in terms of stage presentation and putting together a show that really works.

‘I was able to use this knowledge as I moved from being a sideman into fronting the band when we first began working in America, opening shows for some pretty amazing people.

‘Opening for Jimi Hendrix was a pretty daunting task but I was confident enough, probably because of the great grounding I’d had through my earlier work.

‘The Hendrix gig was two days after my 21st birthday and it was an amazing experience.

‘In fairness, every gig I did throughout that period was a highlight and I learned an awful lot. On my return to England I had my head full of ideas and loads of demo recordings of my songs that enabled me to get my first record deal by signing to ABC/Dunhill which was the same label as my hero BB King.

‘I went on to meet him and I must say that that was a true highlight – to meet your heroes is not always recommended but BB didn’t disappoint, he was a true gentleman.

‘When this first album was released I went on the road to promote it, and the record company secured a support slot with Argent in the UK.

‘During that tour Russ Ballard announced that he was leaving the band, and unbeknown to me he recommended me as his replacement. It was some time before the call came, and when it did I wasn’t too sure what to do as I still had the JV Band to think of.

‘In the end, after discussion with the other guys in the band, I accepted the Argent offer and embarked on yet another direction.

‘I learned so much, musically, from Rod, Jim and Bob during that period and we have all remained close friends since. Myself, Jim Rodford & Bob Henrit formed Phoenix after Argent split and both Jim & Bob have played in the JV Band from time to time. Rod Argent has played keyboards on many of my albums, so the bond is still there… I moved into record production in the late ‘70s and worked with all sorts of diverse acts, from the Searchers to Motorhead! I loved every minute of working in the studio with these people but missed live performance too much, and decided to go back on the road again…

Is it still a joy to tour or becoming more of a chore?

‘Ha! I haven’t grown up yet! It is a joy to tour. It’s never been easy – that couple of hours people see of us at the gig are a very small part of it and the rest of the time can be tedious but it’s all part and parcel of the job. The time I spend in front of an audience makes it all worthwhile. It’s the best job in the world!’

What’s still left for you to achieve?

‘I’ve been around a long time, as I say in one of my songs – Hope For The Best and I’m not sure there’s anything new I need to achieve. I’m just happy if people enjoy my music and the diary is full.’

‘You’re always going to be best remembered for your time with Argent, does this irritate you?’

‘Nope. I’m proud of that period. I was playing with great musicians, singing /playing great material. I still do Hold Your Head Up in the set because it’s a great song, not just because its history. Great material is what makes a strong live set and I’d be a fool not to sing that song…’

It’s harder and harder to get CD sales up. Your 2016 release My Religion has gone down a storm, how important is charting nowadays?

‘It’s different, the market that is… Most of our CD sales are at gigs, though our CDs are available through lots of other outlets like Amazon, and via our website.

‘Most of our remaining sales are downloads/streams via iTunes and Amazon, plus CD Baby in America. We chart consistently on the IBBA charts and have featured often in iTunes and Amazon charts but the national chart is beyond our reach it seems… It would be great to feature on national radio but the independents and local regional radio are really good to us, thankfully.’

What are some of your most enjoyable collaborations?

‘Ha! Where to start! I had a period in the 1980s writing with a great songwriter called Steve Thompson which resulted in some of my best work on the Interrupted Journey /Truth of the Matter/ Rock Solid albums. Mike Rutherford wrote some lovely songs for me in that period too.

‘Drummer Bob Henrit and I have been together from the Argent days on and off and always do excellent work together. Bob still plays in my band when he’s available and it’s always great to get together again.

‘These days the JV Band has a pretty fluid line up, but every player is at the top of his game and I look forward to each show regardless of who is up there next to me. Too many to mention, is the truth. I’ve collaborated with some brilliant people.

This is your second visit to The Wharf, what can we expect this time?

‘Our show consists of two sets, around two hours in total with a short break to chat to anyone who wants to…

‘Some old favourites including Hold Your Head Up plus a good selection from our latest album My Religion.

‘For the uninitiated, we are a three piece – guitar/vocals, bass and drums. Liam James Gray will be on drums that night and Bob Skeat will be on bass – Bob’s regular band is Wishbone Ash but we manage to grab him for a series of dates each year, luckily.

‘I’m looking forward to it – see you there!’

John Verity will play the Wharf this Friday (June 30).