Influenced By Rory Gallagher And Gary More, Vivian Campbell: I Am A Guitarist Who Is Physically Relying

Vivian Campbell (Instagram @defleppard)

JAKARTA - In a new interview with Sweetwater, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was asked about Gary Moore's playing style which had a big influence on his guitar playing approach.

"The intensity. He performed optimally. He is committed to playing," said Vivian.

"There are certain things in playing. I am a very, very physical player because of my influence. When I started playing guitar, Rory Gallagher was my first album, my first concert, as well as my second concert, as well as my third and fourth concerts and fifth, because no one else came to Belfast in the 70s," he continued.

"So I often see Rory at the Ulster Hall [Belfast] every Christmas; he performs a series of shows. But Rory is a very physical player. He's a blues player. He bends the strings, the strings are also heavy, the harmonic pinches, so the approach is very heavy with his right hand, palm muting."

"And then, when I found out about Gary Moore's game, it multiplied 10 or multiplied 100, whatever - just really, very physical, intense vibrato, heavy, palm muting."

Vivian added that when she first went to Los Angeles in the early 1980s when she recorded the Holy Diver album with losty James Dio there were so many great guitar players.

"And before we were on the water here we just discussed some great guitar players at our LA like, 'Oh my God. This is hard to believe. How do you play like that?' And the way they play like that because they barely touch the strings. And I can't do it. "

"So I spent a few years - my first year at LA - became very frustrated, trying to reverse my style, because I "I want to play like those people. I want to play like Paul Gilbert, but I can't because I'm too stiff or weak.