Vixen Of The Violin: The Anna Phoebe Column (No. 1)
Meet Anna Phoebe, Classic Rock’s new weekly columnist. The Vixen Of The Violin, who’s played with the likes of Steven Tyler, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Jethro Tull, will be providing weekly insights into her life and music. This time, she explains how it all began – let’s just call it her Big Bang!
Thanks to Steven Tyler, I now have my very own weekly column here on the Classic Rock website. A bit daunting after being seduced into the world of Twitter where the maximum is 140 characters. The concept of writing whole sentences - shock! horror! (Must try harder).
It all started with an email I wrote to Classic Rock after reading the issue which featured Joe Perry (142), and which more or less blamed Aerosmith’s break-up on Steven’s inability to stay on the wagon. They have since kissed and made up and will be headlining Download Festival on the Sunday night (June 13). You can read what I wrote here, and if after reading my little letter you STILL don’t believe Mr. Tyler is an exceptionally nice guy, apparently you can Get close and personal with Aerosmith at Download, and buy a VIP package which includes a pre show meet and greet with the band members. Let me know how it goes.
Actually, growing up I was more of a Guns N’ Roses fan. After a brief fling with Banarama, the Bangles and MC Hammer, I was drawn to the sound of distorted guitars, real drums and epic choruses. At the age of 11, I was introduced to a copied cassette tape of the albums Use Your Illusion I and II, and from then on I stopped Walking Like an Egyptian and began to Knock on Heaven’s Door. To prove to the world I was cool, I used to open my bedroom window which looked onto South Street (the main street in St. Andrews, Scotland) and turn my speakers out onto the street, blasting Dust N Bones to the students walking past in their robes. My relationship with rock had begun.
The only problem was that, since the age of seven, I played the violin. The violin??!! I had no idea that violin could be incorporated in rock music, so I used to listen to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Bon Jovi desperately wishing I played guitar. Air violin was a technique I’d only later develop in my 20s (miming for Sugababes on Top Of The Pops). As I practiced my scales and spent hours in the music school scraping away at Bach’s Bourree and Mozart’s Figaro preparing for the school concerts, I had NO idea that 15 years later I’d be on stage playing rocked-up versions of those exact tunes in theatres and arenas around the world with Jethro Tull and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Those teenage years I’d spent daydreaming of arena stages, knee slides and headbanging had not been wasted after all. Who knew?
Inspiration Track For The Week: Aerosmith Dream On.
Find out more at www.annaphoebe.com
Did you choose to play the violin or got forced into it?
How is possible for such an extraordinarily talented violinist to also be witty and impossibly cool? Anna Phoebe manages it so well! I cannot wait for her next column! Well done Classic Rock!
I must marry this woman…
Banarama, the Bangles and MC Hammer?!? Oh Anna, how brave you are to admit your prior transgressions. But all is forgiven now. ;-} I had the pleasure of seeing you when you came East with TSO, and I’m so glad you did. You are an awesome talent on stage, and I look forward to more articles. I can’t wait to hear what all goes on behind the scenes that us fans never know about…till you put pen to paper.
Awesome job Anna! Will look forward to hearing more from you, written in WHOLE paragraphs (imagine that!) and without having to get up at ungodly hours of the morning (though this probably won’t stop me, ha!). Now that you have my e-mail AND my FB wall, hope to hear from you again every once in a while anyway. Keep in touch when you can! XXXXX
-Michelle
Very interesting hearing about how you started out. Looking forward to hearing how you started to incorporate rock into your playing style. THANKS
Greetings from St Andrews, and ‘grats on your journey so far. Bill was interested to hear where you’d got to!
Cheers,
sg.
Anna, if somebody had told me last year at this time that my favorite rock star would play a violin, I would have told them they’re crazy. Your passion for your music, and your life carries over to your fans. Can’t wait to see you perform again. Luv ya!
My original synch up with music was The Bee Gees…but once I heard Heart, I was hooked. Grew up in Boston, and Aerosmith will always top my list of wonderful musicians – and since they’re from Boston, they’re probably great guys too!
Anna, your talent is enormous – and now you’ve taken on writing too! Congrats.
Probably waayyy to late with this but if you haven’t checked them out yet Anna, why not go listen to the 70’s version of Kansas, see how it was done by some bearded bloke with at least as much hair as you
Anna, You can tell your close friend, Steven Tyler, to shove his O2 tickets up his arse! I’ve been a fan since DWM but £120 per ticket is taking the mick! The last gig at Hyde Park was a disappointment – only 90mins!
At least Joe is going in the right direction with his last album – some of the songs are in the 1970s vein.
It’s very interesting, great start as a columnist here, Anna! I am looking forward to more articles. Thanks!
All of us had cringe-worthy bands that we followed in our youth (mine was Duran-Duran). I was hoping to see you again on the TSO “Beethoven” tour, but I’ll just have to wait for the winter tour. Looking forward to hearing more about your beginnings playing rock, and also your road-warrior stories . . . you’ve been out there with some great ones!
I once had access to Anna’s iPod. There were many stranger things on it than Bananarama, The Bangles & MC Hammer. Quite an eye opener.
She is playing her instrument like its strings are her own vocal chords.Very beautiful.I think the people would be so glad if they could get chance to listen to Anna and TSO in rock festivals of Turkei.
I can relate Anna, I was brought up on Elvis, heard the ’50’s music during my pre-teen years, found KISS at 12 years-old in 1979 (went to a concert on the Dynasty tour in full Peter Criss makup), and heard the Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix in high school in the early ’80’s, and my ears have been wide-open ever since!
Keep rocking, both with TSO and solo–love your work and listen to it often!