One-on-one with Ra McGuire from Trooper
Ra McGuire is the lead vocalist and co-founder of Trooper, the Juno Award-winning band best known for hits such as “Raise a Little Hell,” “Oh Pretty Lady,” “Two for the Show,” and “We’re Here for a Good Time.”
Trooper is performing a free concert at Okanagan Lake Park, Thursday at 9:30 p.m. as part of the 70th annual Penticton Peachfest.
McGuire spoke, via the internet, with Herald editor James Miller on the band’s longevity.
HERALD: You and guitarist Brian Smith have been together the entire run of Trooper. That doesn’t happen often in rockand-roll.
MCGUIRE: For sure, Smitty and I started the band.
HERALD: When drawing inspiration from song, is it ever autobiographical? Was there ever a group of boys in a bright white sports car or a real “Janine?”
McGUIRE: The boys in the white Jag were two characters from a Certs commercial from the ’70s. Janine was a little movie in my head. Despite the fact that she wasn’t real, I can still see her clearly in my mind.
HERALD: Trooper never sold out to disco while many other mainstream artists were experimenting with the genre during the late 1970s when you guys blew on the scene. MCGUIRE: True. HERALD: This is, if I counted right, your third Peachfest. What do you like about coming to Penticton?
McGUIRE: I’ve been coming to Penticton since I was a hippie teenager. It’s a summer paradise!
HERALD: What was the most exciting gig for you over the years?
MCGUIRE: Playing the sold out Pacific Coliseum, with all our friends and families there was pretty exciting.
HERALD: Has the Internet helped or hindered classic rock bands like Trooper?
MCGUIRE: We really enjoy our Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. It helps us connect with friends and fans across the country. We don’t really think of them as “helping" necessarily — in a career kind of way, but it makes what we do a lot more fun and interesting.
HERALD: Mick Jagger just turned 73 and the Stones are still active. McCartney is touring again this summer. Do you see yourself doing this still when you reach their age?
MCGUIRE: I’ll stop doing this when people stop coming out to see us.
HERALD: Kids love classic rock. I grew up listening to my Dad’s World War II music and liked it, but I wouldn’t run out to Sam the Record Man and buy a Vera Lynn or Mitch Miller album. But today’s kids will listen to and buy classic rock. Why do you think that is?
MCGUIRE: I think younger people are generally more open-minded about music these days, and don’t create artificial barriers to their enjoyment. If it’s good, they like it. There’s lots of great modern music.
HERALD: What current music interests you?
MCGUIRE: My favourite current albums are Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn: The Rag ‘n’ Bone Man album, Twenty-One Pilots “Blurryface,” and J. Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only,” but it changes all the time. I’ve also been catching up on a lot of Stax-Volt stuff. HERALD: Are you still having fun? MCGUIRE: Yes.Tons.