Jan Cyrka Interview - April 2001

What made you want to play guitar and how did you get started?
My older brother was a bass player and I used to play his bass when he was out. He took exception to this (unfortunately) and we used to fight a lot. So my father bought a 'Kay' acoustic for me just to keep the peace. I was very keen, especially now that I had 6 strings rather than 4. I practiced a lot and after 6 months I got quite good so my dad bought me an electric guitar - a black Les Paul copy. So I suppose the main reason that I got started was because my brother wouldn't let me muck about on his bass!

What was your first guitar?
My first real guitar was a Gibson SG Standard which I wish that I still had. Like a fool I sold a wonderful guitar and I will always regret that.

When did you get your Hoodlum Nightswan and what customizations have been made exactly? Who painted the graphics?

My first Nightswan was given to me by Kramer when I was on tour in the U.S. with Zodiac Mindwarp supporting Guns and Roses. I think that was 1987. It's active (Hoodlum circuitry - essentially lots of signal boost coupled with a low pass filter), the pickups where old Bill Lawrence L500's but now I think that I have PRS HFS humbuckers in there. The paint job is all mine thank you and yes I still use it now and then.

Why has no American label wanted to release your records in the US?
Beats me. Great reviews in the mags over there etc. Some record company politics over here haven't helped either but the records are free to go again so maybe with your help I may get released in the States. (Pester some record companies, people!)

What other guitars and gear are you using today? What's your main guitar now? How many do you have?
I love my G&L ASAT Classic Telecaster the most. I've got another Nightswan, Fender Strat, Ibanez custom made thingy-very nice (It's pretty much a Steve Vai sort of guitar but without the monkey grip), Fret King Esprit 3 (retro looking thing with 3 P90's), Santa Cruz OM acoustic and a load of other bits and bobs in the attic. I don't hoard guitars anymore. When I don't need them anymore I get shut of them.

Who is Jan Pancheri, how did you meet and how did you get the idea to have a picture for every song?
Janet Pancheri is my girlfriend of 10 years. We refer to each other as husband and wife even though we are not married - yet. She's been trying to persuade me to tie the knot for some time now in the hope that I'll say yes. I don't know how much longer I can hold out! She's the one with all the ideas that are non-musical. She writes and illustrates children's books for a hobby (2 now published) and we thought that her naive style would suit my records.

Who made the carved Hoodlum guitar on the back of Prickly Pear?
Robert Pancheri. Janet's father. A wonderful man who was a wood carver all his life. He unfortunately died a few years back and Janet and I miss him terribly.

Who are your favorite artists? Who are your favorite guitarists?
Tastes change. My favorite bands are Eels, Pavement, Radiohead, Chemical Brothers, Propellorheads, Sparklehorse, Belle and Sebastian, Muse - to name a few. Guitarist Joe Satriani is my top man. He gets better and better. Pat Travers came to my house a couple of years ago and played with the same magic that he had when I was his number one fan 20 years ago.

What is the "hoodlum pedal"?
We were going to build the active circuit into a pedal but we never got around to it. (ed. note: stand by for more info on this, as Jan is in currently in talks with Cornford Amps to get this pedal off the ground...or rather, on the ground.)

Who is drummer "Jack Ryan" on Beyond the Common Ground?
Jack Ryan is actually a drum machine as well as being an anagram for Jan Cyrka.