Do you have a routine for preparing yourself mentally before a show?
Gene Watson: Not that much. I don’t go through any kind of rituals. I might get a feeling about how tough a room is gonna be, how tough a crowd I’m gonna be working to, what little lines I can do to wake them up, or what songs will get them on their feet first. I always try to have an edge. But that don’t mean it works because when you’ve been out there five minutes, you’ll know. If it doesn’t work, you change to something else.
Are there occasions where you found it next to impossible to win over a crowd?
Gene Watson: A lot of times when I thought I was trying to win ’em over, I already had ’em. They were just paying real close attention and not hollerin’ or dancin’. There’s not many things harder to work than a crowd that hangs onto every word because they’re there to pick you apart. You’ll think you did a terrible show, then afterwards at the autograph line they’ll tell you how it was the greatest show they’ve seen and that you’ve never sounded better. Sometimes it’s hard to tell.
Some artists rely on a support system that never offers criticism. You know, “Awesome job, boss.” Who tells you the truth?
Gene Watson: I hate that kind of a support system. I don’t have to ask. I know whether I’ve done a good job or not because I’m my own worst critic. When somebody comes up and tells me how great I did on a night when I know that I wasn’t, if anything that makes me mad or not pay attention to them. I can pretty much judge myself.
What kinda guitar did you play before the hits started coming?
Gene Watson: I pretty much always played a Gibson acoustic onstage. After I got to going pretty hard, I switched from a Gibson to a Yamaha because I didn’t wanna get it messed up on the road. I continued with that Yamaha for quite awhile. In fact, I’ve still got it. I played an Ovation for a long time, and I’ve still got that one, too. I collect guitars — I have about 25. I’ve got a great love for guitars.