MadonnaTribe meets Bill Lanphier
Today we launch our new series of exclusive interviews for 2008, with our interesting chat with bass player Bill Lanphier. Bill is one of the most original and multitalented artists out there. He is a musician, a photographer not afraid of experimenting.
In 1985 Bill embarked with Madonna on her first ever tour, The Virgin Tour, as the bass player. We recently met him to chat about that tour, whose name was not only linked to Madonna’s then current hit album but also to the fact it was the first time she played in front of large audiences in big arenas.
What follow is an excerpt from the interview that you can read in full by clicking HERE.
MadonnaTribe: The Virgin Tour debuted on April 10 1985, at Paramount Theater in Seattle. Do you have any memories of the debut gig? was it a full house?
Bill Lanphier: Oh yeah. Like nothing I’d ever been a part of. The fans went berserk. We could do no wrong. MadonnaTribe: Did you have a favourite song or moment from the setlist?
Bill Lanphier: Musically it was all pretty challenging at first because keyboard bass wasn’t my main axe and most of the songs, as recorded, were sequenced bass (and not necessairly played in real time).
So, I had to replicate some stuff that required a lot of practice.
“Over and Over,” one of the easiest songs, had uplifting lyrics and I enjoyed singing along with that one on stage, hoping people were picking up on the positive message.
MadonnaTribe: How was touring with Madonna at that time?
Bill Lanphier: Very professional and fun. Pat Leonard and I had that keen Midwestern appreciation for things irreverent, scatological, and silly. The band never traveled before noon, and took a bus only when it was a short haul, 150 miles or less, as I recall. We always got the nicest rooms in the nicest hotels, although one all-night wheelchair derby in the suite next to mine was rather distracting.
MadonnaTribe: And how was playing in Detroit, Madonna’s home town. Was she really so emotional about it?
Bill Lanphier: At the time of the Detroit concert it seemed Madonna was emotional about it. But now my guess is that it was just part the show.
MadonnaTribe: Many of her fans today, were not even born when she did The Virgin Tour. That makes you see how enduring her success has been. As a member of the band who lived that tour first hand how would you describe that show to the fans who have never seen it?
Bill Lanphier: Every concert on the Virgin Tour was an overwhelming success. Great crowd response and good media coverage. But I’m completely clueless about current trends in pop music. So I’m only guessing that some of the Virgin Tour looks pretty dated. Although, most things the Beatles and Kinks, for example, did is pretty timeless and maybe the Virgin Tour looks that way to some people.