Barrie Cadogan has spent more than 20 years playing sideman to Eighties and Nineties Brit-pop legends like Morrissey, Primal Scream, John Squire, and Liam Gallagher. It takes a special player to cover that ground. Luckily, Cadogan was dyed in the wool.
“John Squire made me want to pick up guitar,” he tells Guitar World. “After hearing the first Stone Roses record,” Cadogan says, “I fell in love. I was fascinated. I loved the way the band looked as much as they sounded.”
Then Cadogan dug deeper. “I was a very big fan of Johnny Marr,” he says. “And J Mascis, and Jimi Hendrix. All of my initial influences begin with a J! [laughs]”
When he’s not working with Little Barrie, Cadogan rubs elbows with musicians he once idolized. To that end, Cadogan dialed in with GW to look back on carrying the torch for some of Britain’s favorite rock music.
How did you score a tour with Morrissey in 2004?
That was the first high-profile thing I did. I got that gig because of Andy Hackett, who had the guitar shop Angel Music. He introduced me to Morrissey’s guitarist, Boz Bora. I really liked Boz and got away with him. I got a call from Boz out of the blue, saying they were looking for a guitar player to stand in for ten shows before an American tour.
Was that challenging?
I tried to stay as close as I could to Johnny’s original guitar parts. I had no idea how Johnny did it; I just tried to work it out as best I could
I did three rehearsals. It was a baptism of fire. Boz said, “Just do what you can. We’ll see you tomorrow.” I had a music stand on stage at the time, with a few notes on it because it was a lot to get into my head, but Morrissey seemed pleased.
What gear did you use with Morrissey?
I took a 1964 sunburst Gibson ES-345. And I used to have a beaten-up old blue ’63 Stratocaster, so I took those two out on the road. I traveled light.
What was the trick to handling parts laid down by Johnny Marr?
I tried to stay as close as I could to Johnny’s original guitar parts. I had no idea how Johnny did it; I just tried to work it out as best I could. Johnny Marr, for me… no one else can play like him. It’s kind of impossible to replicate. He has a very unique style and touch.
In 2006 you joined Primal Scream.
When I was working at a vintage guitar store in the early 2000s, I met many musicians, including Andrew Innis and Bob Gillespie. I was living near Bobby, and I used to bump into him quite a bit. Sometimes we would chat, drink tea, and play songs on acoustic guitars.
Not long after that, he called me and said they were looking for a guitarist. It was a stripped-down version of the band. We did a couple of days of rehearsal; they seemed really happy. I ended up playing with them for eight years!
Later on, you joined Liam Gallagher’s band.
Liam texted me one night out of the blue saying, “Hi Barry. It’s Liam. I’m looking for a guitarist for some shows. I don’t know if you’re interested…” It was hard to believe it was actually a real message. [laughs] I wasn’t sure what to do. I texted him back, and we spoke on the phone. I did a couple of years standing in for Bonehead. It was a great experience. I was really well looked after.
Liam seems like one of the last remaining true rock stars.
When you stand on stage with Liam, and he’s singing those songs, it’s incredible seeing the reaction from the audience. Sometimes, the audience was singing so loud it was drowning us out on stage!
No one could sing those songs like Liam. He brought the vibe in bucketloads. It was really powerful stuff.
Liam made a comment that I kind of had more of a Rolling Stones kind of guitar sound
What’s the key to nailing Oasis’s songs?
To be honest, I wasn’t using exactly the same setup as Bonehead. I brought in my old 1964 Fender Bassman, and I used my own guitars. Liam made a comment that I kind of had more of a Rolling Stones kind of guitar sound.
But there were three guitar players, and those others were more faithfully focusing on recreating the Oasis guitar sound. They had more intricate setups than me. I had a very simple setup and laid the foundation.
You did play some lead though.
I ended up playing some of the lead guitar stuff in Champagne Supernova, but not the solo. I also liked playing Roll It Over, and Cigarettes and Alcohol is always good. With Liam’s voice, it was just a vibe. He brought everything to life straight away.
You also played with John Squire while he toured with Liam.
That’s something I could have only dreamed about. I’d really enjoyed working with Liam before, but with John there, I was playing bass. It was a cool band with a different swagger. It had a heavy swing. I’d love to do that again if the opportunity arose. John is incredible. He was and still is my hero.
What keeps you in demand with the Britpop greats?
I think it’s because I try and keep it pretty simple. I keep things very old-fashioned and simple. My setup and gear are simple, and I just go straight into the amp. If you get the right amp, and turn it up just right, you can get a lot out of that.
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