After 55 years and too many hits to count, you could forgive Sweet's remaining original member, guitarist Andy Scott, for slowing down a little. And perhaps, just perhaps, there are signs that the brakes are beginning to be applied.
"This could be our last tour," says Scott, of the band's current Full Circle tour. "But that doesn’t mean to say we’re not going to do any more gigs, just that we might not be doing 15-20 dates strung together. Then again, we might!”
Below, Scott (who also suggested that 2015's Glitz Blitz And 70s Hitz tour would "probably" be their last) talks about the band's future, the problem of juggling setlists, and what a potty-mouthed Noel Gallagher told him.
Is this tour named Full Circle because it takes you back to your birthplace of Wrexham?
That’s not the reason, it’s because the [forthcoming] album is called Full Circle, though you’re absolutely right; I did tell the booking agent that Wrexham had to be included in the tour. It’s been six or seven years since the last time. Besides which, the band has come full circle. This current line-up represents the music really, really well.
You are reserving the right to state whether or not this is the final tour from Sweet – at your age you deserve that.
As I plan my 75th birthday party, what I don’t want to be doing anymore is those three-week tours of Europe. Those are not good for my health. Also we will be trying to keep weekends free. I’d like some space to do a few things for myself.
What’s the latest news with the aforementioned Full Circle album?
It’s very close to being finished, but a few months ago three of us went down with Covid after a European festival. I’d never had it before and I ended up hospitalised for a week. We are talking to a major label about releasing the album next year. We may include one brand new track in the set for this tour, plus this year’s singles Don’t Bring Me Water and Changes.
In terms of the set-list, having so many hits must be a blessing and a curse.
That’s right. When we leave out the medley of [bubblegum hits] Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy people always shout for it. The same thing happens with Windy City [a harder-edged album track]. Maybe we will just play a longer set this time.
What is your favourite Chinn and Chapman song recorded by Sweet and your preferred band-generated selection?
The Six Teens [1974] is my favourite of ours by Nicky and Mike. The Six Teens was such a mature piece of writing from Mike and playing-wise the band was at its hottest. Pinning down one of our own is very tough. I usually say Love Is Like Oxygen [1978] but just to be different I’m picking Mother Earth [a track from the following year’s album Cut Above The Rest] which has some really great playing on it.
Do you still regularly think of your fallen band-mates, Brian Connolly, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker?
Oh yeah, all the time. I don’t want to talk about this too much, but with AI going around and the fact that we’ve got all sorts of demos from the past… well, that’s the only hint I can give. You never know what might happen…
Were you involved in choosing blues rock singer Sari Schorr as the support?
Yeah, I was. Sari played two or three dates on our last tour and she went down very well, so well we thought we’d take her out with us again.
Were this to prove the final tour, how would you like Sweet to be remembered as a band?
Better than we are known in the United Kingdom, certainly. Why doesn’t Britain revere its history any more? I bumped into Noel Gallagher at David Gilmour’s gig at the Albert Hall and he said: ‘Andy Scott, you’re a fucking legend’. Don’t throw the past away. We could do with a few more blue plaques [to celebrate our achievements].
Sweet are currently on tour in the UK, with European shows lined up for 2024. For full dates, check the band's website.
