Pat Travers: Insights on Blues, Rock, and Staying True to Your Sound

I forgot how much I enjoyed The Pat Travers band. 🔥🔥🔥❤️

I La La Love this interview 😎

Love this guy 100% great interview , post the play list....:)

Around 1980 for a couple of years, I was in a band in Dallas, and we did 2 or 3 PT songs: Getting Betta', and Heat In the Street. I still have recordings of us doing them. We saw Pat at one of the big concerts at the Cotton Bowl with Rush, Foghat, and a few others. Great show. Pat Thrall played a custom parts Strat, and Pat played his Melody Maker, or maybe it was an old Les Paul, or Let Paul Jr. I never knew what it was.

About a year later, my drummer and I were driving down the street from school, and we saw Tommy Aldridge, or who we thought looked like him loading up truck. We couldn't believe it, so we circled back around, and stopped. "Hey are you Tommy Aldridge?" He said yes, and we asked him what he was doing there, and remember he did live in Dallas at the time. He said he was moving, so he was packing up. I didn't have a response as you never do when you meet a celebrity, so I said, "Hey, you want to hear a recording of our band playing Getting Betta'?". He said, "Well, I'm kind of busy, and have to pack up." So what do you say? We just said, "OK, well good luck with the move", and drove on. Our brush with greatness.

But it was after that Dallas show that Tommy entered into the same tier as Bonham and Neil Peart. At the time you were either a Bonham guy, or a Peart guy, and you really had to take a stand. But if you wanted to rise above that debate and be cool, you could throw in, "Well, actually Tommy Aldridge is my favorite, have you heard him?".

Travers blues is intense and best appreciated live--total jamming! Someone needs to record his live shows and put this out. 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia was my first time seeing him, but I drank too much Jack and left early. Fortunately in the late 1980s, early 1990s Travers played some bars in in Omaha, Nebraska, & also maybe Lincoln, Nebraska. Now I remember at some after hours party I played backgammon with Travers for several hours. All these women kept coming over, and we'd pretty much ignore them saying, "we'll talk after this game." But I'd win, then Pat would win, until around 6 or 7am. Then the party ended. I hope to see Travers again to hear him jam and afterwords play some more backgammon!

Pat is so awesome. I've been listening to him since go for what you know live album. Still play it all the time.

Phenomenal guitarist and songwriter! I've seen him at least a dozen times and always a great showman!

And I agree he needs to write a book! A tall tale of Two cities from the streets of Toronto to the Streets of London!

Pat's records introduced me to three of my favorite drummers, Nicko, Tommy and Sandy.

I have been waiting for this since you released the clip weeks ago!!!!!!!!

Tremendous interview. That band with Pat, Mars and Tommy was incredible. I was lucky to see them on the Crash and Burn tour at a college in Virginia, I think it was James Madison University actually. I loved Pat's organ/synth playing and his cover of Is This Love. Go For What You Know is a killer live album; mixed perfectly as you pointed out with the panned guitars and those state of the art flangers. Happy to hear he has some spark left to keep going with new ideas.

Second rock show I ever went to was Pat Travers at the Coronado Theater. Blew my mind. Love Pat Travers, Pat Thrall, and the madman behind the kit. And another great interview by Rick.

Saw Pat at the Paramount Seattle Rising Star show. He opened for a Seattle band Stryper or Stryker .?? Doesn’t matter now and it didn’t matter then!! Travers Blew them off their own hometown stage! There were 2 shows and we saw both!! Makin Magic for sure.. I believe that was the end of Striker.. it was a disaster of a set , lots of technical issues. And you have that happen after a Travers set. It was a disaster

Puttin it Straight is my favorite Pat Travers LP. The cover pictures SAY IT ALL!!!!

I remember seeing Pat Travers open for Foghat third row and was absolutely blown away by Tommy Aldridge behind the drum kit. He was dressed in a cloth diaper- that’s it. He was a blur while playing. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. What an amazing live band.

Got to see PTB in the early '80s- the band was tight and Pat was the consummate showman! He had that festival crowd really grooving on a hot Orlando afternoon. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights!

Really touching interview. Cudos!

My dad was the original bass player in Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. He played on the first 2 records including his hit Mary Lou. His name is Jimmy "Lefty" Evans.

Great interview of an amazing guy! His albums changed how I thought about music, hooks and breaks galore! Im a little sad we didnt hear Mars Cowlings story, especially given he was the one "permanent" member of Pat's bands - and a sublime bass player.

Play boom boom and snort whiskey Drinkin Cocaine one of my Idols what a terrific guy I warmed up for Joan Jett once she was such a nasty person but some guys like Molly Hatchet Lynyrd Skynyrd are a bunch of great guys I guess people are people some good some bad ~ Travers is one of my favorites ☆.

My high school buddy Chris and I saw Pat at the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta in 1979. Classic lineup: Travers, Thrall, Cowling, Aldridge. We were blown away.
We graduated. Went our separate ways to opposite ends of the country. Didn’t keep in touch.
40th high school reunion. Hadn’t seen Chris in 40 years. We shake hands, immediately start talking about that concert. The first thing we talk about is a show we saw four decades before. Incredible how music can affect us so deeply.
Rick: thank you for this interview. It means the world.
Pat: WRITE THAT BOOK. Your fans would really appreciate it.

Just saw Pat for the first time a few weeks back in Toronto. Great show!!

Great interview exclamation point speaking of Steve Miller, are you having him on?

Watch Pat Travers at his RockPalast concert. And get a real flavor how amazing he was back then . On 🔥.
We all were immediately HOOKED On His MUSIC!

I saw him in Boston Mass in 1976. GRRAT SHOW! My ears are still ringing!

Really great interview. I wish Pat had talked a lot more about Mars Cowling.

When Pat Played Dallas Texas in Early to Mid 80s we would go out to see him every night!!

My band, Earth to Ashes, has had the pleasure of playing a few shows with Pat over the years. He never ceases to amaze me with playing the tastiest notes. Always a good time with Pat.

Tanx great from one of my Guitar Heroes.
Next up Frank Marino ??

Got to see Pat open for ZZ Top in the early 80's. Fantastic show

Rick. Another great interview. Pat is as passionate as you!

I have been a Pat Travers fan for 47 years. Thank you for doing this interview with him. Can't wait to hear the new material.

need to interview Phil Keaggy

Pat Travers is a player’s player.

I remember him walking in to the carlsboro sound house (music shop) in Sheffield when I was very young and looking for gear with my band mates. Nice chap

Should do an interview with Tony Banks

ahh bridge of sighs ahhhh

My favorite band I try to see him when ever he's in the area cool cat

I'm so happy for him alot of people have no clue how much of a great guitar player he really is you Rock Man

Please come back to Aurora Il and play DOWN Town i would like to go back stage and meet you i always made sure i had front row or close as possible just to play that magical guitar i was blown away our band played making magic and so on after that turned Aurora Il on to your music my wife was down in Florida with her sister 2 years ago when you played with Foghat yeah I've had her hooked to

Pat you are great

One of the best! A very genuine person and a helluva guitar player.

Great interview! Makin Magic was my first intro to Pat. Such a great album. Saw Pat live 10 times in the Bay Area. Went to that Day on the Green. Definitely one of my favorites. Pat, you keep on Rockin!!

You don’t mess with Pat Travers…

Excuse me, but are those crack pipe burns on his upper lip?

So nice!!!

That was a fantastic interview. Pat did a great job telling his story

Pat Travers was responsible for Eddie Van Halen getting his first Guitar Player magazine interview.

Great interview with one of my all time faves. Life in London has one of the greatest opening riffs of all time.

Why is he not in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame?