home back to interviews	THE TWO LOST SONS Paul Wrightson and John Jowitt – 16 November 2005
	A few hours before the last gig of the European leg of Arena’s Tenth Anniversary Tour, I sat down with Paul Wrightson and John Jowitt, THE guest starts at this one time event. It was an entertaining conversation, with some serious questions and a few nonsense topics... How long has it been since you left Arena? John: It’s been five years, since I left. I did already do three shows in the summer with the band. Which was good for them :-)  Paul: I have no idea when I left Arena, it’s all a blur... That’s not absolutely true, it’s good to be back, that’s what I can tell you and it’s good to meet Rob and John again. And the rest of the boys, and spend a bit of time with them.  And what have you been up to since you left? Paul: I had one or two musical projects going on, one was with a heavy metal band and that went quite well. I love heavy metal! It’s great, it’s good energy. Clive came in actually, at a charity gig we did. And he was very impressed with it, or so he said, I think he was being diplomatic!  So you’re still into the music? Paul: Yes, very much so. You just can’t leave it alone, it’s in your blood. And John, what about you? John: Oh well, the usual old nonsense… IQ and Jadis mainly. But I have been doing some work with Mark Westwood. And to be fair, Paul and me have been in touch now, but it took three years altogether. Obviously there was a bit of unpleasantness when everything fell apart but I’m grateful that we sorted that out. So I’m pleased with this opportunity that we’re brought together. Anyway, IQ obviously... we’ve done a couple of albums since Arena. A new drummer which we’re trying to ‘break in’ before our new IQ album for next year. Oh, and I’ve had three kids as well in the meantime!  So, since you both left Arena, obviously the band has produced a few new albums. What are you’re thoughts about them? Paul: Well, I’m a huge Arena fan, so I enjoyed every moment of them. Yes, that’s pretty much all I need to say about it, I think. You know, that’s just it, great. Excellent. No further comment. John: Obviously there’s been some brand new stuff. I think what happened, to me, is that The Visitor sort of set the tone for the band, before that the albums were very different, they had a different style. The Visitor sort of certified where the band was going. What we all obviously regret is that things didn’t work out and that we did not get the opportunity to do the album after The Visitor, just when we were heading in a very special direction.  John: Basically, an album is effected very strongly by the people involved in it and so the band is going a certain way, which is, don’t get me wrong, very very good. It’s fantastic, it’s worked very very well for the band. But if we were a part of it, we could have seen how it would have developed then, if anything would have been different. And now the tenth anniversary of the band, of which you both have been a part. What made you decide to play again, to perform tonight? Paul: ten thousand pounds, really... That’s how much I had to pay Clive! :-) No, seriously, anytime. Anytime at all, I’d love to get back with Arena. I love the music, I’m a huge fan. Huge fan of the people involved, love them to bits. So it just wasn’t a tough decision at all. Quick phone call and that was it, ‘yeah, I’ll be there.’  John: I’ve been nagging to get my job back ever since I got ‘the sack’! Oh well, really, it sort of followed on from the shows we did earlier in the year [where he substituted for Ian – eds.]. It was a good experience, particularly Aschaffenburg [Germany, 7 May 2005 – eds.], the third one. Each time you play, the stronger it gets. It was good to be in a hot, sweaty club with the boys again!  So how did you experience the gigs you played? How was that for you, because you didn’t write anything on the album, you just played... John: It’s a different mind set really. When I joined Arena I said I want to be a song writing member, I want to have an input. Particularly on The Visitor, it’s very interesting how that whole process went. Where there was one part when we sat down and we’d all done our song writing parts. Clive played the album back as it was and we actually sat down and we chopped out about ten, fifteen minutes of the album, moved things around and we really wrestled with it. I don’t know about you Paul, but every time we played that live, it just went ‘whoosh’ like that. ‘Close to the edge’ is like twenty minutes long, but when you play it, it’s just over like that. John: Anyway, where was I? Pepper’s Ghost! It was good because the songs have that evolution, and you come up with a different mind set. I’m not here to step on anybodies toes, I’m here to just play the songs, have a good time and hopefully bring it to life a little bit. So as long as you approach it with that mind set and don’t get very ‘prima donna’, then it’s okay and I really enjoyed it. Paul: And.... Great songs are great songs, you just can’t help but enjoy playing.  And how did you both prepare for tonight? Did you prepare at all? Paul: The last four days really... The songs are still in me, you see, they’re still in there. They’re such great songs, they never leave you. Brilliant really, never got a chance to say well done for that, but: well done! And you John? Oh well, I drank a lot... And more of those essential things... Did a bit of playing as well, yeah, just remembered where to put my fingers and I was ready. Of course I did the gigs earlier this year. Then, the show, what can the fans expect? John: Well, he’s going on in a corset and I’m going on naked.... Paul: It’s pretty much just a few of the old songs, really. Which are the good ones I think.  John: It’s songs that reflect the band as people recall it at that point. So, it will be fun! If everything goes well tonight, is this something you would like to do again? John: I think these sorts of things are very special, one time only type of things, aren’t they? You can’t repeat those. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in a situation, but it’s a special event. Paul: I’ll certainly be doing it again, because at the end of the show we push Rob off stage :-) Seriously, I’ll be up for it anytime, absolutely anytime. How could you not, with the people involved in it?  Now, that was the serious part of the interview. I’ve got some ‘other’ questions for the both of you... Songs or Pride? J: Songs P: Pride Manchester United or Chelsea? J: Manchester United P: Manchester United Immortal? or Contagion? J : Contagion P : Immortal? The Visitor or Peppers’ Ghost? J: Visitor P: Visitor William or Henry? J: William P: Henry John: Paul or Rob? J: Absolutely impossible question! I can’t answer that, I couldn’t answer that.. Blondes or Brunettes? J: Brunettes P: Either Paul: Ian or John ? P: I did expect that one.. .Both lovely guys... Indeed, you can’t answer that, it is an impossible question because both are extremely talented and lovable people. So there’s nothing to choose between. Solomon or Opera Fanatica? J: Solomon P: Solomon Sex or Beer? J: Sex P: Both Marillion or Arena? J: Arena P: Arena Thank you so much for your time and have a great show! By: Hanneke Beers