Javier Vargas Blues Band: Hitting The Road Again
Interview By Sadie Duarte
Legendary guitarist Javier Vargas returns with his band to hit the charts with a powerful double album: Stoner Night and Stoner Night Vol. II with songs written in collaboration with the awesome Jon Byron Jagger and Merrick Wells.
Although Javier Vargas is currently very busy touring Spain, Central Europe, and probably soon UK and South America, I am very grateful he took the time to do this interview for Punk Globe Magazine.
Punk Globe: 8 platinum discs for sales and 27 albums since 1991. That’s so impressive! Do you remember the first time you had the chance to play live?
Javier Vargas: The first time was in Mar del Plata Argentina. I was 12 years old. I signed up with my group to enter a battle of the band contest at school and I won second prize. I played Sunshine of your Love and Purple Haze from the moment my father gave me a guitar. I rehearsed all day. It was a Gibson 335 copy guitar, but I took good advantage of it. It had lots of sustain and I got positive feedback.
Punk Globe: You’ve worked with legends like Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Spanish rock singer Miguel Ríos, Chris Rea, Double Trouble and so many others. Is there any other artist you’d like to collaborate with?
Javier Vargas: Throughout my career I have collaborated with an endless list of musicians. Those are just some of them. I’m going to give you a list of collaborations in which I include Prince. We almost put together a super group with musicians like Billy Preston and Larry Graham that Victor Brooks, singer of Take 6 and Little Richard’s nephew, who was also preparing for it. I met him and shared the stage in Montreux. On that occasion, I was with my band in 1997. The day before, I was with Santana as a guest at Paris-Accor Arena Bercy. I don’t forget many others like Devon Allman, Double Trouble, Jack Bruce or Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, who I recorded two albums with and went on tour. But the list of musicians is very large. I’m now involved in writing my biography, focusing on my journey in music in USA, Europe and Latin America. It will be cool for new musicians who want to know what was going on at the time. I’m old school but I’m ready for today.
Punk Globe: Last year your band was the opening act for The Rolling Stones at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid with guests Jon Byron Jagger and Chris Jagger. That must have been a blast! Please, tell us about it.
Javier Vargas: That’s a very nice experience for any musician and also for us the Rolling Stones are great. It was a real pleasure to open for them. Thanks, Mick and Keith!
Punk Globe: As an acclaimed legendary artist, what’s the easiest and hardest part of being part of the music industry?
Javier Vargas: Music is easy for me. I have a natural gift, but the show business is the hardest part. Sometimes your effort and money income will go in other people’s pockets.
Punk Globe: If you could go back in time, is there anything you’d like to change?
Javier Vargas: Back in the ’70s, the music world was more creative. Now it maybe is more democratic. If I could go back in time, I’d do all that I did before. I’m happy with my career and I’m a lucky person. I say thanks three times to life and my guardian angels.
Punk Globe: You’ve just released a new double album, Stoner Night, which everyone can stream on all platforms worldwide. It includes brilliant rock tracks like Stoner Night (with Jon Byron Jagger), the new single “Mind Control” and a few others written together with British singer/songwriter Merrick Wells. How did you come up with the idea for this album? Are you keeping your unique style or exploring new sounds?
Javier Vargas: The album Stoner Night is a creative catharsis. All the ideas for the lyrics throughout my career are mine but I also like to collaborate with lyricists. In this case, it was Merrick. I told him what I wanted to talk about and he wrote some wonderful lyrics that agreed with my ideas about what we’ve lived during the pandemic in a dystopian world. It is dedicated to the new world order. Sometimes music may be angry but without losing optimism. Music is sacred. I don’t like to listen to those commercial products on the radio that major labels support. They only seek money. All this doesn’t cultivate minds and never makes a better world. We need the truth. There are too many lies around in any kind of way. We should help to make a better world because music is the true heart in a heartless world.
Punk Globe: You’ve been in the music industry for many years. What’s your opinion about the music business today? Do you feel the old good times were better for musicians?
Javier Vargas: As I said before, there was a dictatorship a long time ago. Few bands could record an album. Music companies decided who had a chance. Now everything is more democratic, but the money it generates is still in the same pockets. The musicians, if they have a little success, have to play live to survive.
Punk Globe: What’s your advice for the young generation of music artists who want to break into the industry?
Javier Vargas: Faith, passion, and love for music. Always try to do something different without fear of success.
Punk Globe: Will you be on tour soon? Is there any chance for your fans in the USA to see you live in concert?
Javier Vargas: We are one step away from entering the US market. We have many fans there. We hope to book gigs if people bet on Vargas Blues Band. We will not disappoint you. All the people will be surprised to find out how we can set the stage on fire!
Punk Globe: How can our readers contact you for business purposes?
Javier Vargas: Check out my website. All the info is there:
https://www.vargasbluesband.com/
Stoner Nights (with Jon Byron Jagger):
Mind Control (with Merrick Wells):
(Illustrations and graphic design for the new double album Stoner Night and Stoner Night Vol. II are made by Sonja Brocal)
