INTERVIEW: Martin Fitzgibbon takes a time warp back to the early days of ‘Rocky Horror’
Image courtesy of author / Provided with permission.
Before there was The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the landmark movie musical starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, there was The Rocky Horror Show, the stage musical that started it all. This indie show opened in London in the mid-1970s and helped launch one of the most successful properties in entertainment history. Curry was there at the beginning, playing the character of Dr. Frank N Furter, plus Richard O’Brien, the creator of the show who also portrayed Riff Raff. Patricia Quinn was there as Magenta, and Nell Campbell played Columbia, just like they did later in the movie adaptation.
Also present at the beginning, sitting behind the drum kit at the Theater Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, was Martin Fitzgibbon. He stayed with the production for two years, according to press notes, and had a front-row seat to the early days of this cultural phenomenon. Fitzgibbon is still involved with music, branching off from the drums to become a singer-songwriter. He’s even preparing a solo recording effort for later this year or early 2025.
Recently Fitzgibbon released his memoir, with many chapters devoted to his time with The Rocky Horror Show. The book, called Behind the Curtain: My Life and Rocky Horror, is now available. Recently Fitzgibbon exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to recount his memories from that time of his life. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What motivated you to write these stories down and publish a book about your life?
For years, close friends had tried to persuade me to put something down in writing. I think they were subtly saying, ‘Do it now while you can. The clock is ticking,’ and I’d say something like, ‘Maybe one day. ‘Then I was contacted by a Rocky Horror fan site, who asked me to answer some questions, and the response I got back from them was incredible. They thought they’d heard everything there was to hear about the show, and suddenly now there were new stories and untold secrets coming to the surface for the first time. Those things, combined with the show’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2023, finally kick-started me into action. I enjoyed the writing process in the end, so perhaps I should have taken note sooner.
How did you first get connected toThe Rocky Horror Show in London?
I’d worked with Richard Hartley, the show’s musical director, over a number of years, mostly in the recording studio, but we’d done a few live concerts together as well. Richard rang me at home one day and asked if I was free to play this new musical he was working on. Oddly, given this was so long ago (1973), it’s a conversation I recall well and in detail. Richard explained that he needed a drummer who had the ability to play quietly, but still retain the energy Rocky’s score called for. The show’s first home at the Theater Upstairs only sat 63 people in total, and the band were within a few feet of the front row. Playing loudly would have literally blown them out of those seats. Drums don’t have a volume knob you can turn down. They rely on the player to be able to make that happen. It’s an “ability” that has served me well over the years and still does. If you look closely at the front cover of the book, you can see behind the curtain the outline of my drums and me. That’s how tight it was in that room, but I loved the intimacy of that venue. It was unique and very special.
Did you think the show would be a hit, or did you think there was no way an audience would find this musical?
During that initial phone call, Richard Hartley had said to me, ‘It’s going to be huge,’ meaning the show. I knew him well, and he wasn’t prone to exaggeration. So by the time I got to [the] first rehearsal with the cast, I was expectant. At the end of that first get-together, I understood why he’d said what he did and knew he was absolutely right. No one walked around prior to the show’s first night saying, ‘This is going to be a hit.’ It was a kind of unspoken, tacit understanding of an inevitability. In my case, it’s rare to be involved in something that you know with certainty is going to be successful, even though it wasn’t difficult to predict.
In my opinion, timing is vital for any success. That and other factors, which I explain in the book, all came together perfectly for a production, which was revolutionary in its own way. However, no one, no matter how confident, would have predicted a life of 51 years and counting.
What are some memories you have of working with Tim Curry? Richard O’Brien?
Firstly, their generosity of spirit. There was a great feeling of togetherness amongst the company, a recognition that the whole is a sum of its parts. It was Richard O’Brien’s baby, and he was passionately invested at every stage, but was generous in his praise and inclusiveness for company and crew, including me. One of the moments that sticks in my head, even though it’s insignificant, is the cast warming up in their cramped dressing room by belting out some classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, accompanied by Richard on acoustic guitar. It was joyous and great preparation for the upcoming show.
With Tim, it was easy to tell from day one of rehearsal that Rocky was going to make him into a star. That was quickly confirmed on opening night. The band sat facing the audience (hidden behind the curtain), which meant we got to see his entrance and the reaction to it at every performance. ‘Sweet Transvestite’ is a great song and Tim a great singer. The marriage of the two and the image of him throwing off his cloak to reveal corset, stockings, et al., was a nightly high point. When the film was being cast [David] Bowie and [Mick] Jagger were supposedly interested in playing Frank. It’s feasible I suppose, and I get the idea. But it’s something I’ve never believed. David and Mick saw Tim in the role (on separate nights) and would have realised how magnificent he was. Nobody could have followed that.
When did you pick up your first drumsticks?
Around the age of 8. My dad had been an amateur dance band drummer, and in the cupboard under the stairs at home was an old snare drum, which I’d get out from time to time and bang about on. I’m sure the noise I made must have annoyed the whole neighbourhood. Those neighbours wouldn’t have considered me to be a quiet drummer back then! My uncle was also a semi-professional dance band drummer and my first drum tutor. As well as being a patient, lovely man, he was a first-class teacher who taught me good grounding and technique, including how to read music, which became useful further down the musical road. I joined my first “proper” band aged 15 and subsequently played every type of gig you can imagine, some of which I’m still trying to forget. But overall music has given me incredible experiences and taken me to amazing places around the world. I’m grateful and feel blessed.
What music projects are you working on today?
I’ve had some enforced time off from playing live, and that’s given me the opportunity to look at two things close to my heart. At the moment, I’m in the middle of finishing and mixing an album for The Jigantics, which is a musical project I’ve been involved in for the last 10 years or so. I’m also writing and have started recording a set of my own songs, which with luck and a fair wind will emerge as a solo album later this year.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Behind the Curtain: My Life and Rocky Horror by Martin Fitzgibbon is now available. Click here for more information.
