Mick has seen plenty of tragedy, and been through some rough patches himself. Uriah Heep’s classic line-up in the early 1970s (Mick himself was always the lead guitarist) included bassist Gary Thain and flamboyant singer David Byron Thain died of a heroin overdose in 1975, at the age of 27, while Byron, one of the original founder members, was fired in 1976 after his drinking became unmanageable and died nine years later, at 38, of “alcohol-related complications including liver disease and seizures,” according to Wikipedia. Talk of the people ‘that are still around’ comes with an edge, in these circles. “All those people that are still around have tempered their lifestyle, so they can continue to do what they passionately love.” He’s a fantastic golfer… But y’know, that’s where people are now,” he shrugs, possibly noting a trace of disappointment in my expression. “If you want to talk to Alice Cooper about anything, you talk about golf, and he’ll talk your ears off. “I mean, Alice hasn’t touched a drop for years.” “When we meet up with Alice Cooper there’s big hugs all round,” says Mick – but of course “it tends to be backstage with a cup of tea, rather than in a bar,” he adds with a laugh. If you ever spent a Saturday night at Scorpios in Nicosia as a teenager you’ll appreciate the nostalgia hit of hearing ‘Lady in Black’ wafting from the stage of the Strovolos Municipal Theatre (if the title seems unfamiliar, look it up trust me, you’ll recognise it) the music is forever young – yet the people grow old, inevitably. Still, the sight – even just the concept – of grizzled musicians in their 70s getting up on stage to play rock music, songs with their roots in the reckless energy of youth, has a weird disconnect it transcends time. Not that they’re coasting on past glories, necessarily Heep never stopped writing music, and in fact have a brand new album “in the can,” as Mick puts it. There’s also the simple fact that everyone’s older. There’s a professionalism, a mutual respect. “So it’s kind of ships passing in the night, if you like.” The bands play separate sets, and often have an eight-hour trip to the next gig the next day. But then – y’know, they’re not waitin’ around for us, we’re not waitin’ around for them”. They performed in Finland with Deep Purple recently, and of course it was great “to see Roger again, and Ian Gillan and Ian Paice, and all the other guys,” recounts Mick in his east London accent. Mick is friendly with 73-year-old Francis Rossi of Quo – “We’re always communicating on email” – and 76-year-old Pete Agnew of Nazareth, yet meeting up with his fellow rock-star boomers doesn’t seem like a big deal, which only goes to show how common it is. The day after our interview, for instance, the current incarnation of Heep – he’s the last surviving founder member – will travel from Hamburg to Germersheim for a one-off concert with fellow classic-rock veterans Status Quo and Nazareth.
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